Ok, so here it is, my first attempts at grafting. After doing considerable reading on the subject (including our very own K4's wonderful contributions) I decided to give it a go. I started off in the early fall by purchasing about 400 small maples to serve as understock. I got the trees from a local nursery that grows liners for only $.42 each. They had been growing in 2 inch by 2 inch containers and I re-potted them into one gallon containers. Next I created a PVC frame that sits on one side of my house that I initially covered with shade cloth to act as a frost barrier during the winter. I guess in retrospect it wasn't necessary since maples are cold hardy to much colder than it gets in California's central valley. A couple of weeks ago I removed the shade cloth and covered the structure with 4 mil plastic to create an unheated greenhouse. Not all of the trees were big enough (in my opinion) to graft on, so I separated the trees I intended to graft from the ones I wasn't. I cleaned up the limbs and then trimmed the tops to let them bleed out a little. Starting a few days ago I started the grafting process out of my garage. I bring in about 10 trees at a time, graft them, and then put them back in the greenhouse. After clipping off the scions I intend to use for each session I then label a tree marker and wrap a grafting rubber around the place I make my cut. I use a really expensive grafting knife that I got as a gift, and after trying out a knife with a brand new razor blade in it to compare I have to say the grafting knife wins hands down. I'm basically following K4's grafting process. I make sure to place a plastic bag over the graft and then put it back in the green house. So far I've done over 70 grafts, but as it's only been a few days I have no idea if I am going to have any success. But...I'm hopeful!
WOW!! Looks great Koi! I love your little greenhouse - very ingenious. I wish you every success. Just remember not to water unless they're getting bone dry, and then just a sip. The agonizing part now begins! If you're impatient, as I am, waiting 3 or 4 weeks to see the first grafts start sprouting can be torture. I've had some that took 6 weeks to sprout! Ughhh! But when they do start to sprout the excitement you feel is tremendous. At first just a few will sprout, then more, then suddenly the whole lot of them will be bursting out and it will start to look like a miniature forrest before you know it. One thing I hadn't really paid attention to before I started grafting is what a bud actually does. In my mind I had associated a bud with a single leaf, or maybe a couple of leaves. Not so - each bud generates a whole stem with many leaves. So those puny looking scions can sprout into quite impressive little trees once they get going. Please keep us posted as your adventure unfolds! :)
