Oh wow Sunshine, that looks so nice. Wanna visit me next year? I would love to learn how to do that.

Thanks, Susanne! I learned grafting from my dad in my teen years, did not graft for a long time after that and started again 2-3 years ago. It is really easy, when you get used to it. Very delicate process and you need to be quick. Grow some seedlings now and graft them next year taking scions from your own trees. Look up some really good grafting videos on YouTube. The more you graft, the better you get at it.

Any tips for t-bud grafting? I have tried a few times and had no success. I cant understand where I'm going wrong.

Beautiful job Sunshine would love to dabble in grafting your going to have to give all of us a crash course. Fantastic Sunshine.

Brian

The " secrets" of grafting (wich are not secrets, but common sense):

Working fast, sanitized tools, sharp knife, making straight cuts, not touching the wounded areas with bare hands, keeping the scion in high humidity and warmth, not grafting actively growing scion on dormant rootstock. Think of it as doing surgery, but on plants. Most importantly have fun, don't worry and open the graft after 3 weeks :))

Jaydub, I don't have good success with t-bud grafting as well ;)) (maybe only 20%), I feel more comfortable with cleft grafting(50-60% rate). I am planning next season to practice more t-bud grafting.

Have you seen the Z-grafting technique that fruitmentor shows on his youtube channel? I think I may try that, as well as cleft grafting, since you seem to be quite successful with it.

Yes, I have seen it, I might try it some time. For cleft grafting try to get the same diameter scion as the rootstock.

I did put some grapefruit seed for spouting and might use those for practicing ext year.

Here are some grafts as of today that I did on September 20 ( last month). Enjoy!

Bearss lime on sweet orange, cleft graft:

Bearss lime on pomelo, bud graft:

This was me teaching my kids and their friends, what grafting is and how it is done :)) (different colors of coleus, it was done few days ago) :

This is a marble in sunlight, looks like it has leaves inside:

Nice, Steve! After you force the bud and break the rootstock towards the opposite direction of the bud, how long can it support itself?

Sunshine I could cut the rootstock top off after 4 or 5 leaves formed. I chose to leave it on and allow the rootstock leaves produce food for the whole tree. The rootstock top has not suckered at all and I have broken 2 below the graft suckers off. My thinking on this is that the rootstock had a massive root system and 4-5 leaves could not adequately feed the roots alone. Even now the rootstock has most of the canopy so I will leave it intact. I have up potted the tree. first the roots grow then the canopy grows. Might as well allow the rootstock canopy provide food to feed the roots to fill the 5 gallon bucket. The graft itself is still very delicate and could easily break off. It will remain delicate for another half year.

lamp on bud 16 hours rootstock foliage in window light 12 hours

Light shinning on scion shoot when not outside in the sun

scion continues to get light from overhead lamp, (lamp positioned for picture lighting)

Steve

Sunshine those look great! Much better than that valentine I got. I would love to learn grafting but will be putting it off for a while as I don't have the space setup for seedlings and newly grafted trees.

sunshine, i tried a few different techniques since my last post, and finally had some success. Still haven't had any t-buds take, and the z-graft failed, but this (sorta) cleft graft has healed over and appears ready to grow:

Its a persian lime onto a lemon branch. Trying to replicate your cocktail fruit tree lol. I know its sloppy but im happy that I finally got something to work.

Thanks Sammers! If you are thinking about grafting, plant seeds for rootstock so you can have material to graft on when you are ready.

Yey Jaydub , it is great that it took! Congrats:) Keep them coming:)

After a few weeks the graft has finally started to grow. There are two other buds beside this one growing as well. I lost a few other grafts since my last post, but Ill keep trying until i get the hang of it.

Way to go Jay, the grafts that took, keep them warm and humid and after you see full leaves growing, SLOWLY introduce them to an open air ( if they are covered in plastic). It takes a lot of practice to feel very comfortable with it and to have consistent results. Glad you are trying and building confidence.

Never tried grafting before, but want to try this spring. I want to graft a mature piece of my key lime to a seed grown key lime. Mostly because my original key lime has gotten almost too large for the greenhouse. If it takes, how long before I should let it set fruit? What type of graft would be best, for a newbie?

These kinds of posts encourage me get my feet wet with grafting. I have a couple of citrumelos. Thinking of using one for a grafting experiment.

Thanks for sharing your experience, sunshine.

I have been T-budding my trees with a 1.5% success rate. wait 1-2 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WUameIQS6I

Run video at 1080 P

Redneckgirl, you can start with any method of grafting you feel you can go with, but first practice the methods and making the cuts on any non fruiting plant, even simple willow branch from outside would give you the training :)

It doesn't have to be attached to the tree, you just get the process of cutting them, aligning them and wrapping them right first and gain confidence.

What a smart idea. I am so afraid I will just kill the poor little things!. Lol!

girlgreenthumb

I have killed about 150 scions with only 2 successes. You won't die if you fail several score times.

Oh my gosh, that is discouraging. But oh sweet success!

Don't be discouraged, it all depends on how well you wrap them and how fast you work :)) Practice makes perfect.

I will probably need ALOT of practice. LOL