sealing grafts
David Llewellyn
What do folks use in the UK nowadays for sealing grafts on top-worked trees? Whenever I have done it in the past I have tied with handy stretchy rubber graft ties, and sealed the whole union with Arbrex tree-wound paint. This has always worked well for me. Has anyone any other suggestions as a sealant?
Thanks.
David L
Stephen Hayes
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cider Workshop" group.
To post to this group, send email to cider-w...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cider-worksho...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cider-workshop?hl=en.
David Llewellyn
Thanks Stephen! I’ve just searched, and Tenax cant be found in Ireland, and the original thick black Arbrex is not available any more.
So I’ve ordered some Tenax online from the UK!
David L.
Andrew Lea
I don't do much grafting but when I did a little top working a couple of
years ago I tried to get hold of proper Tenax and proper Parafilm -
almost impossible to buy now except online and the costs plus postage
were astronomical for the tiny amount I needed.
So I used film strips cut from a polythene bag, electrical insulating
tape to keep everything in place, and Arbrex 'Heal and Seal' (thick
gloop with an integral brush on the pack) to finish it off and close the
gaps. (The latter because it was recommended by one D Llewellyn on some
long-forgotten bulletin board!) I'm please to report it all worked fine
and I can even see fruit buds ready to burst out now.
I suppose I should have used lime and cow dung though.... ;-)
Andrew
David Llewellyn wrote:
> Thanks Stephen! I�ve just searched, and Tenax cant be found in Ireland,
> and the original thick black Arbrex is not available any more.
>
> So I�ve ordered some Tenax online from the UK!
>
>
>
> David L.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Stephen Hayes
> *Sent:* 04 March 2010 07:54
> *To:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
> *Subject:* Re: [Cider Workshop] sealing grafts
>
>
>
> I use Tenax grafting wax, you can work it to softness of warm it up
>
>
>
> Stephen
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* David Llewellyn <mailto:pure...@eircom.net>
>
> *To:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com>
>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 03, 2010 11:57 PM
>
> *Subject:* [Cider Workshop] sealing grafts
michael
contributes to keeping the scions firm.Most of my grafts these days
are on to established trees,so I tend to use cleft grafts.These are
very well described by Stephen Hayes's videos,and involve making a
horizontal split into a sawn off thick vertical branch.I find that the
Tenax wax (liquid when warmed),solidifies almost immediately on
application and keeps the whole graft(s)tight.
I also prefer to do cleft grafting around this time of the year(early-
mid March),since the scions do not have to be kept that long.The other
common form of top grafting (again described by Stephen Hayes
videos)is rind grafting ,where the scion is inserted under peeled back
bark-I find that this process is not easy to do until late April or
so.
Michael
On 4 Mar, 11:22, Andrew Lea <y...@cider.org.uk> wrote:
> David,
>
> I don't do much grafting but when I did a little top working a couple of
> years ago I tried to get hold of proper Tenax and proper Parafilm -
> almost impossible to buy now except online and the costs plus postage
> were astronomical for the tiny amount I needed.
>
> So I used film strips cut from a polythene bag, electrical insulating
> tape to keep everything in place, and Arbrex 'Heal and Seal' (thick
> gloop with an integral brush on the pack) to finish it off and close the
> gaps. (The latter because it was recommended by one D Llewellyn on some
> long-forgotten bulletin board!) I'm please to report it all worked fine
> and I can even see fruit buds ready to burst out now.
>
> I suppose I should have used lime and cow dung though.... ;-)
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
> David Llewellyn wrote:
> > Thanks Stephen! I ve just searched, and Tenax cant be found in Ireland,
> > and the original thick black Arbrex is not available any more.
>
> > So I ve ordered some Tenax online from the UK!
>
> > David L.
>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > *From:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
> > [mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Stephen Hayes
> > *Sent:* 04 March 2010 07:54
> > *To:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
> > *Subject:* Re: [Cider Workshop] sealing grafts
>
> > I use Tenax grafting wax, you can work it to softness of warm it up
>
> > Stephen
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
>
> > *From:* David Llewellyn <mailto:pureap...@eircom.net>
> >http://groups.google.com/group/cider-workshop?hl=en.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Andrew Lea
> The advantage of using Tenax hard wax is that the wax sets hard and
> contributes to keeping the scions firm.
Yes the Arbrex does take several days to harden up (as presumably does
the traditional cow dung). It is wound paint not grafting wax. In the
past I think small metal sprigs were hammered in to keep scions in place.
I'm sure Tenax is the best if you can get it since it is purpose
designed. Just they only seemed to sell it in large tubs which would
last me several lifetimes and i couldn't find anywhere near me selling
it retail and the extra postage costs seemed excessive. Still if you
want to do the job properly there's no point being a cheapskate like me!
Andrew
David Llewellyn
David L.
-----Original Message-----
From: cider-w...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Lea
Sent: 04 March 2010 12:34
To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com
Andrew
--
Julian Back
--
David Llewellyn
Would hate to have been responsible for your efforts going to waste!
David L
Andrew wrote:
"So I used film strips ..... and Arbrex 'Heal and Seal' ....to finish it off
Andrew Lea
> In case you ever need to buy some in the future I noticed tubs of Tenax
> in Frost's Garden Centre at Millet's Farm near Abingdon last weekend. I
> nearly bought some myself, but as I'm grafting onto rootstock I don't
> think I need it (I already have some tape).
Thanks for the tip Julian. Don't recall if I checked at Millets before
but they are certainly within my 'home range'. Maybe I'll get a tub to
have to hand for next time!
Andrew
--
Wittenham Hill Cider Page
http://www.cider.org.uk
Dick Dunn
> What do folks use in the UK nowadays for sealing grafts on top-worked trees?
> Whenever I have done it in the past I have tied with handy stretchy rubber
> graft ties, and sealed the whole union with Arbrex tree-wound paint. This
David - you asked for UK advice, but may I offer something from the
colonies?
What I've used for bench-grafting, which seems to work well for others
in the orchard, is essentially a very low temperature wax which can be
brushed on.
One source is "cheese wax": wax used to coat cheese after it is (?mostly?)
finished, sort of an inedible rind. Try a cheese-maker's supply. I had
some of this just by peeling off one brand of cheese we'd been buying.
Another is that there is "therapeutic wax" used for people with arthritis:
made for a warm-wax dip of the hands so that the heat held by the wax helps
relieve arthritis in hand joints. Obviously this is low-melting-point
since it is liquid at a temperature it's comfortable to dip your hands in.
Found this when Diane was using it.
These brush on easily and either flake off on their own as time goes by,
or can be peeled off. The trick is keeping a pot of it liquid out in
the orchard. One that I saw, iirc, was just a metal pot with good thermal
mass inside a styrofoam insulating box.
--
Dick Dunn rc...@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
Melanie Wilson
Not sure how it will go !
I've also used grafting wax & lac balsam for bench grafting.
Mel
Alexander Peckham
lot of top working here in the orchard. I started using wax around
the grafts (principally to keep graft from drying out and then painted
a wound dressing on to the rest of the stump. However I am now in my
final year of conversion to BioGro certified organic and so had to
stop using the wound dressing. I am far from convinced by the mud
and cow dung organic preparations available and so decided to use wax
over the whole cut. The wax I use is prepared specifically for
grafting and comprises food grade paraffin wax. You need to keep it
warm or it is too hard to manipulate - keeping a ball in the hand does
the trick. So far I have found the wax to be superior to the pruning
past - which is expensive and basically a mix of paint and
fungicide. Rising sap in the tree tends to gather under the paste
and form a dome which eventually bursts. The wax on the other hand
seems to stay more stable. Of course there is a significant school of
thought that argues that you should leave wounds open so that the can
better mend themselves. I am not brave enough for this.