Hey Folks!!
I have had great luck with a variation of the common 'V' graft.
My Graft unions look like a snake swallowing a hose..
BUUUT..... They are 100% so far!! WOOT!!
I use more 'meat' on each side of the 'V' than shown in most directions
I find they carry more fluids and develop faster.
One of my recent experiments was to dispell a few things.
I have been told to remove all branches from the origional tree being grafted to as they act like suckers and draw energy from the new graft.
Not always true!!
This 'Multi Tree has 3 varieties on it and the main one has an inflo!!
Irma Bryant is pushing the inflo
The other 2 varieties are Giant Aussie Orange and Pink Pansy.
Secondly, I grafted a rather small (5 inch) center cut to see how it would respond.
Well!! The 5 inch scion not only took,
It branched at 5 leaf scars as well!!
I couldnt ask for more than that eh?
I have several 'Multi' trees now that have shown no lack of energy for the grafted branches,
as yet.....
The largest is a 3 foot tall Multi Tree with the following grafted into it
Mrs. Malestrom, Madame Poni, Giant Aussie Orange, Mardi Gras, Merry Christmas and a seedling I call Hockey Jim.
The flower looks like a pink and red Mardi Gras.
Heres a few pics of the 5 branched center cut, enjoy!!
Top view
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Plumies/Grafts/GAOGraft5Buds.jpg
Side view
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Plumies/Grafts/GAOGraft5Buds2.jpg
Heres a close up of my 'snake' LOL!! 8^D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Plumies/Grafts/GAOGraftUnion.jpg
My Grafting Experiments Continued.... 8^P
Great pics, Mike! Your graphs look great. I too have grafted several different cultivars to the same rooted cutting at once without any problems. I have one multi that has ten different successful grafts on its eleven branches. I've grafted several ones with three branches so that they have a different color flower on each branch. I grafted a red to Samoan Fluff, and a red and a pink to a Celadine. I've had a couple failures here and there, but most have been successful. I too have grafted center cuts without any problems. It's been a fun summer for grafting, and I am thankful that I was able to save a few that would not root. I got a few desiccated cuttings in the mail recently. It was just too hot out, and they got too hot during the three-day trip, and the cuttings just fried, but I was able to save the tips just fine because I grafted them, and they are starting to leaf out now.
Awesome!!
I am having trouble with a Madame Poni Graft.
It seems that it doesnt want to live.
I have 3 more Madame Poni Plants so no biggie
Ill use a piece of them in the tree if it doesnt take
Isnt it great to be able to save your own cuttings? PHEW!!
All you need is root stock lol!!
I have 3 more multi tree cuttings rooting now and several more growing.
I should have about 8 large multi trees by 2007 summers end.
Thats large ones like 5 or 6 branches each.
I have a slew of smaller 2 and 3 or 4 branched ones now
I did al my learning on them lol!!
Michael, sorry about your Madame Poni graft. Have you tried bud grafting yet? It's good that you have three other MP plants.
I grafted a Moragne #23 today. It's been rooting for more than a year! It's a center cut with a swollen cambium that never seemed to progress to developing roots. It's a very wrinkled cutting that is managing to push out two branches despite only having a pre-cursor to roots. I got tired of waiting for it to root and grafted it today.
Yes! It is great having the ability to save one's own cuttings! Part of the reason that I started making multi's is because I ran out of root stock. I had some available branches on things and figured I would try it. That Moragne #23 fit perfectly on my Samoan Fluff plant so now those three branches are a unnamed red, Moragne #23, and SF.
Sometimes I use seedlings for root stock and then re-root the seedling cutting. I have about 10 or so grafts healing so I think I'm going to stop for the season. Those grafts will need to go in my very small make-shift greenhouse to finish healing, or maybe they will stay on the patio.
You and I will have to compare pictures of our multi's when they bloom next summer. I am very excited about them. I have not taken into account growth habit when grafting so it will be interesting to see if different growth habits exhibit themselves on the same tree.