Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

I use Parafilm because
1) someone recommended it when I started grafting, and I'd previously used it in a lab and knew that I would find it easy to use.
2) We used melted wax at the grafting class I took (we literally picked up the little potted graftling and dipped the graft into a pot of hot wax) and I knew that would be really hard for me to do. (I went so far as to try it once with a brush. Didn't work because the wax cooled too fast, and cleaning the pot and the brush were both troublesome.)
3) I bought a lifetime supply of it years ago (I don't do all that much grafting.)
4) It work.

I use grafting rubber bands to tie up the graft, and then I cover it with parafilm. The rubber bands by themselves don't keep the graft moist enough — I did that experiment. I also tried using masking tape, which some NAFEXers have reported success with, but that didn't work for me. It didn't usually provide enough stability and it never kept the graft moist enough. Maybe my propensity to little twisty twigs when I graft is the issue.

So I have returned to parafilm and rubber bands. The parafilm by itself doesn't provide the physical support the graft needs to hold the pieces together. It might work for a bud graft, but I mostly do twig grafts. I usually remove most of the parafilm and rubber a couple years later, but that's not necessary, the tree will just push them apart. A sprouting bud can easily burst through the parafilm.

My understanding is that the Romans tied their grafts with twine and then slapped some fresh cow manure over the joint to protect it and keep it moist.

I don't think the graft needs to "breath", as witnessed by the success of "dip it in paraffin".

Ginda Fisher
Eastern MA, zone 6

> On Apr 21, 2020, at 7:19 PM, sherwin <sherwindu@att.net> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Many of the orchardists I know use non-breathable grafting tape with reasonable results. I usually use Parafilm because I think it allows the graft to breath. Is this an unnecessary reason to use Parafilm? Other grafting tapes can also be applied easily, so why use Parafilm?
>
> Sherwin Dubren
>
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Re: [nafex] grafting tape

Spot on, Alan.
I use parafilm on everything, but its probably not necessary on apples &
pears.
Rubber bands photodegrade fairly quickly, so I generally donteorry about
them girdling.
I used dome black vinyl electrical tape last week on some 3-4 inch
calleries that I cut off and bark-grafted with 3 or 4 scions each. zeill
have to come back later and cut it to prevent girdling but they are close
to the house and easy to find.


On Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 4:44 AM Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com> wrote:

> As mentioned, the use of parafilm is to hold in moisture, I doubt it lets
> any oxygen in. I use electric tape to hold my splice grafts together and
> then wrap my scion with the parafilm. Pears and apples don't really need it
> and a dab of some kind of sealant at the tip is generally adequate.
>
> Vinyl electric tape can eventually girdle apple grafts but peach growth is
> strong enough to force it to stretch. A longitudinal cut with a razor knife
> after the tissue is merged and strong is sometimes needed, but if you
> unwrap it when the bark isn't slipping you can usually get away with that
> without peeling off any bark. Alternatively, you can use rubber electric
> tape which stretches much more than vinyl.
>
> Where the parafilm seems useful and even necessary is with stonefruit,
> persimmon and paw paw grafts.
>
> I exclusively use splice grafts because they are the quickest and require
> the least skill, especially if you use a double bladed Italian pruning
> shear to cut the scion and annual shoot (or 2nd year) you are grafting
> together. If you match diameters any idiot can do it without ever cutting
> their fingers. The trick is to make long diagonal cuts of scion and mother
> wood as close to the same as you can. This creates a lot of matching
> cambium.
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[nafex] grafting tape

As mentioned, the use of parafilm is to hold in moisture, I doubt it lets
any oxygen in. I use electric tape to hold my splice grafts together and
then wrap my scion with the parafilm. Pears and apples don't really need it
and a dab of some kind of sealant at the tip is generally adequate.

Vinyl electric tape can eventually girdle apple grafts but peach growth is
strong enough to force it to stretch. A longitudinal cut with a razor knife
after the tissue is merged and strong is sometimes needed, but if you
unwrap it when the bark isn't slipping you can usually get away with that
without peeling off any bark. Alternatively, you can use rubber electric
tape which stretches much more than vinyl.

Where the parafilm seems useful and even necessary is with stonefruit,
persimmon and paw paw grafts.

I exclusively use splice grafts because they are the quickest and require
the least skill, especially if you use a double bladed Italian pruning
shear to cut the scion and annual shoot (or 2nd year) you are grafting
together. If you match diameters any idiot can do it without ever cutting
their fingers. The trick is to make long diagonal cuts of scion and mother
wood as close to the same as you can. This creates a lot of matching
cambium.
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Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

I have used Parafilm M for many years . (we by rolls of it to sell in
pieces at our scion exchanges). I like it to keep in the moisture and use
it to wrap the entire scion . Since i do not take it off, if I have lost a
tag, I can tell from the state of the film if it is a 1, 2 or 3 year old
graft and then can look up in my records and do a process of elimination
for identification .For strength, I use florist stretchy green tape to tie
the join and the scion area and leave a longish tail on it of several
inches -- works very well since I can see and easily find a graft in the
summer in the leaves. The green tape is taken off at the end of the year.

Idell

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex <nafex-bounces+iwgarden=earthlink.net@lists.ibiblio.org> On
Behalf Of Louis Pittman
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 7:01 PM
To: mailing list at ibiblio - Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

I have used Parafilm M for 25 years...do not like the Parafilm 'grafting
tape'.
That said, I use Parafilm ONLY to seal in moisture...It does NOT provide any
significant support strength, so I always overwrap the graft union with at
least a couple of wraps of masking tape...or, more frequently, masking tape
and then a rubber band.

On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 6:19 PM sherwin <sherwindu@att.net> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Many of the orchardists I know use non-breathable grafting tape with
> reasonable results. I usually use Parafilm because I think it allows
> the graft to breath. Is this an unnecessary reason to use Parafilm?
> Other grafting tapes can also be applied easily, so why use Parafilm?
>
> Sherwin Dubren
>
> __________________
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> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
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> config|list info:
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Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

24 years ago some fine person in Nafex turned me onto rubber splicing tape
for W&T grafts, I personally can't imagine anything more suitable. I've
done probably 1500 grafts with it. The rubber is very stretchy, seals to
itself, gives great support when overlapped, and even sun-rots in case you
forget to remove it. '3M Temflex Splicing Tape' is one brand, about $3 at a
big box store. Del Stubbs, n MN

On Tue, Apr 21, 2020 at 8:08 PM Louis Pittman <lpittman@murraystate.edu>
wrote:

> I have used Parafilm M for 25 years...do not like the Parafilm 'grafting
> tape'.
> That said, I use Parafilm ONLY to seal in moisture...It does NOT provide
> any significant support strength, so I always overwrap the graft union with
> at least a couple of wraps of masking tape...or, more frequently, masking
> tape and then a rubber band.
>
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 6:19 PM sherwin <sherwindu@att.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Many of the orchardists I know use non-breathable grafting tape with
> > reasonable results. I usually use Parafilm because I think it allows
> > the graft to breath. Is this an unnecessary reason to use Parafilm?
> > Other grafting tapes can also be applied easily, so why use Parafilm?
> >
> > Sherwin Dubren
> >
> > __________________
> > nafex mailing list
> > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> > Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> > subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> > https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> >
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--
Del, 2b/3a n. Mn
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Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

On 4/21/2020 8:00 PM, Louis Pittman wrote:
> I have used Parafilm M for 25 years...do not like the Parafilm 'grafting
> tape'.
> That said, I use Parafilm ONLY to seal in moisture...It does NOT provide
> any significant support strength, so I always overwrap the graft union with
> at least a couple of wraps of masking tape...or, more frequently, masking
> tape and then a rubber band.
>
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 6:19 PM sherwin <sherwindu@att.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Many of the orchardists I know use non-breathable grafting tape with
>> reasonable results. I usually use Parafilm because I think it allows
>> the graft to breath. Is this an unnecessary reason to use Parafilm?
>> Other grafting tapes can also be applied easily, so why use Parafilm?
>>
>> Sherwin Dubren
>>
>> __________________
>> nafex mailing list
>> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
>> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>>
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  Hi Louis,

   I see the terms Parafilm M and Grafting Tape used interchangeably.  
Does the M stand for medical?  If the only requirement of a good graft
is to keep it moist, would not a non-permeable tape do the same job.  I
know one person using a product calledScotch 2242 Electrical Splicing
Tape that he winds around the graft with the sticky surface on the
outside.  It is probably waterproof, so would that do the same job as
Parafilm M?  I was told that some old timers have used things like
masking tape with good success.  Other than keeping the graft moist, I
see no additional benefit the Parafilm M offers for breath-ability. 
Maybe, I am missing the point.

Sherwin

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Re: [nafex] Grafting Tape Choices

I have used Parafilm M and grafting bands with great success.

sent from my Galaxy S9
919-357-0863

On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 21:07 Louis Pittman <lpittman@murraystate.edu> wrote:

> I have used Parafilm M for 25 years...do not like the Parafilm 'grafting
> tape'.
> That said, I use Parafilm ONLY to seal in moisture...It does NOT provide
> any significant support strength, so I always overwrap the graft union with
> at least a couple of wraps of masking tape...or, more frequently, masking
> tape and then a rubber band.
>
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 6:19 PM sherwin <sherwindu@att.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Many of the orchardists I know use non-breathable grafting tape with
> > reasonable results. I usually use Parafilm because I think it allows
> > the graft to breath. Is this an unnecessary reason to use Parafilm?
> > Other grafting tapes can also be applied easily, so why use Parafilm?
> >
> > Sherwin Dubren
> >
> > __________________
> > nafex mailing list
> > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> > Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> > subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> > https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> >
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