Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Quick Question on Grafting, 1 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
JPlunket, I'm still getting caught up on threads that I missed while I was gone. Just to add my two cents -- when I discovered how quickly I could have a growing plant from a graft, I grafted nearly every cutting that I could get my hands on: no more waiting 90 days for a cutting to get a root ball.

I had started a slew of seedlings at that point, seedlings of which I had no idea of the parentage, and I needed root stock. I basically used all my one- and two-year-old seedlings as root stock. I would graft the new cutting (scion) to the seedling root stock and then re-root the top part of the seedling. Sometimes, after that seedling re-rooted, I would use it again for root stock and re-root the top part yet again.

When I didn't have seedlings to use as root stock anymore, I would use a rooted white or light pink, like 'Cancun Pink,' basically because I ended up with a bunch of that cultivar. I've now made so many multi-grafted trees that I've used just about everything as root stock.

My advice to you is to use whatever you've got. You are in such a desireable climate that I don't think you can go wrong. I've only very rarely had a root stock rot on me, and usually it was due to extenuating circumstances.

Pictured below is one of my multi-grafted trees with 11 different cultivars grafted onto it with 3 inflo's.