My First Successful Grafts!

Now THERE are roots!!!

Those are amazing, Clare!

Here are some of my grafts that were done recently. The plastic bags over the grafts are to keep the scion moist and hydrated. I used electric tape to hold the scion and rootstock together.

Here is my big one. There are six different cultivars grafted on to this cultivar, which I think is Vanda Ruffles, so if all the grafts take, the tree will have seven different types of flowers on it. I think that most of these will take. It seems like they are taking so far.

Clare, I simply can't wait until that blooms!!! I'm so excited for you!!!

Thanks, Chantell! It should be neat if some of those bloom at the same time. The one on top is starting to bloom now, but it is a rainbow which looks similar to the root stock! Some of those tips are unknowns so it will be fun to see what they turn out to be. In any case, it should prove to be an interesting tree!

Rainbows eh? *sad face* These would be the cuttings I couldn't root no matter what...so sad.

Chantell, the reason that I grafted these tips onto this rootstock was because the cuttings were rotting, and I wanted to save the tips. I ran out of root stock so I used this multi-branched rooted cutting as root stock. Grafting is a good way to save the tip of a rotting cutting. Rainbows and reds in particular can be tough to root.

Then I am very grateful that my Duke seems to be doing so well! No inflos...but mult sets of leaves

Chantell, I took a cutting of my "Duke" recently and am currently trying to root it also. So far, it looks good:-)

Yeah!!! :)

It looks like most of the grafts on this multi-grafted tree will take. I took off the tape on three of the grafts as it has been one month since I grafted them. I hope that it isn't too soon to remove the tape. I'll leave the others on a bit longer. One of the scions was only about an inch long and had an inflo attached which is starting to bloom now. I don't know what most of the scions are as they were unknown cuttings which were failing to root. It looks like the top one is a unknown rainbow. I'm a big dummy for grafting a rainbow to another rainbow, but at least the petal shape will be different. I do know that one scion is a spidery maroon flower and one is a yellow and one is a Thai one, which is a interspecific hybrid called Srisuppakorn, and the rooting stock is possibly 'Vanda Ruffles.' I've been keeping this graft on a heating pad in the shade for a month now.

Here is another pic of the grafts:

Here's another wide shot of the whole thing:

Clare - this is simply amazing to me...so, so cool!

Thanks, Chantell. They aren't the prettiest grafts, but I'm delighted that they took anyway. We'll have to get you to try this soon:-)

Oh you are too, too kind....I'm just thrilled w/leaves on all of mine so far...LOL

Hi Clare,
I have 6 successful grafts now.
Irma Bryant, Miami rose and 4 Pink Pansies.
Tonight I grafted a 3 tip 2 foot section of Mrs. Malestrom to a nice shaped Celadine
I grew the celadine cutting for just this.
This pictures dark but you can see it... a bit lol!!

I have a small piece of advice for you.
Its best to splint those grafts if theyre only a month old.
Give them a little support from a popsicle stick or piece of bamboo or a chopstick.

Ok heres a better one lol!
Mrs. Malestrom 24" cut grafted to a celadine (aproximate size)

Heres Irma and buddy Pink Pansy
Irma's in the middle
PP on right
The left branch is the root stock
I believe Key West White

Heres Miami Rose on a multi branched seedling
I took a rootable cutting off it.
Probably for sale / gift later when I see the flowers on Mama.

Finally,
2 Pink Pansies on the same root stock

Here is my 'Peach Leaf' Seedling
Shes gone gold lol!!
She actually looks Like Polished Gold or Brass

I have a multi-branched seedling right now that is a very light yellow almost white.
It is a Weeping star seedling from Dennis.
Most of the 15 or so that I have started of this variety have proven to not be viable.
I have gotten only 3 seedlings so far from them.
I cant complain as this one is absolutely spectacular.

I also have the almost sure to die white seedling in the adeniums I started.
Very interesting to look at, slow growing but hanging in there so far.
There is a touch of green near the growth tip
Im hoping shes not albino but just a chimera

Awesome photos, Michael! I was just thinking today that we haven't seen you around lately and was hoping that you are okay. Congratulations on all those successful grafts. You must be so proud! Those are neat seedlings too. I hope your little Adenium seedling makes it! I'll remember that about the support next time I graft! Thanks for the tip:-)

Very nice work Clare..
I always wanted to do a multi-graft with that pink i have..
I wanted to see what her seedlings would be like if she got a few different
plumies growing next to her...
On the tape subject i have a roll of Parafilm and i use it on other plants and it works
great because it shrinks much like heat sinks..
Keep up the good work..

Thanks, Robert! That's interesting about the Parafilm. Is the Parafilm sticky? My biggest problem has been when the two pieces are not held tightly enough together. I really need the tape to be sticky to hold the two pieces tightly together. The electric tape seems to be working well for me, but I have learned to make an "X" with the tape across the cut at the union before circling around and around. This can be done with rubber bands or nylon thread too. I am new still to grafting and am looking foward to trying some different methods. Thanks for the encouragement.

The black electric tape works for me too
I prefer the white teflon thread tape.
I can pull it real tight without it breaking or damaging the cutting.
Robert im working on a 'Pink Tree'
Mrs. Malestrom will be the queen of it lol!!
Im planning about 7 or 8 pinks for it.
Im doing 1 or 2 at a time though instead of all at once.

Clare have a look and see..
I love the stuff..
http://www.2spi.com/catalog/supp/supp4b.shtml
On the regular parafilm i once put the film over my coffee mug which had hot boiling coffee in it and then turn the mug upside down and it was leakproof..
Now they have grafting tape so look at all their films..

BTW
Most electrical tapes contains lead..

This message was edited Jul 10, 2006 12:46 PM

Thanks for the link, Robert.

Nice lookin' babies there Michael!!!

Robert...lead?!? UGH!

I haven't tried grafting yey, but I plan to do so soon. I was wondering how velcro strips would work. You can buy some that are waterproof.

The two pieces have to be held fairly tightly together, and I'm not sure that you could make the strips really grip the two pieces tightly enough. Electric tape works well for me, but others use different materials. Paula was using a hot glue gun, and now she uses a staple gun to keep the pieces together. I've got to try that; although, I'd probably hurt myself.

I was going to use my framing nailer heh....

Clare have you ever tryed a bud graft useing a T cut ? i use do do it with roses Paul

Here is my latest unwrapping
Im very satisfied that this is my best union to date
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Plumies/Grafts/GAOGraftUnion.jpg

Hi Paul! I have not tried a bud graft yet and am not sure what a "T" cut is. Can you show me with a link or a picture? Here is a bud graft that my friend Kukiat did.

Very nice "V" graft, Michael!

ill try to find a pc but its a T cut made in the bark of the trunk then you slide the bud down to the bottom Paul

I can picture it. Thanks Paul! I will try it soon.