Grafts growing through parafilm tape

Wires_Guy_wires

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I grafted a few branches onto some junipers to get some experience on how grafting works. This was roughly a month ago.
The scions were wrapped in parafilm, and secured to the trunk with aluminium wire.

Now they're poking through the loosely wrapped parafilm. More specifically, the growing tips of the scions are starting to grow through the tape.

Do I re-wrap them? Leave them be? Remove the tape entirely?

I never expected to get this far! This was just a first try and I'm kind of clueless on how to proceed.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Leave them. That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. If you’re worried about getting too much sun, I think Jonas puts some of the blue painter’s tape above them for shade. I have a JBP graft with a new candle sticking straight up out of the parafilm, and am hopeful it starts showing some needles soon. Congratulations!
 

Paulpash

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I grafted a few branches onto some junipers to get some experience on how grafting works. This was roughly a month ago.
The scions were wrapped in parafilm, and secured to the trunk with aluminium wire.

Now they're poking through the loosely wrapped parafilm. More specifically, the growing tips of the scions are starting to grow through the tape.

Do I re-wrap them? Leave them be? Remove the tape entirely?

I never expected to get this far! This was just a first try and I'm kind of clueless on how to proceed.

Well done. After you've shaded it just be patient and let it get stronger before trying to wire it. It's good you have had success with grafting - it's great to know now that you have the potential to put branches wherever you want them on your trees!
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Thanks for the replies guys! Does anyone know when I can be sure they've taken hold?
I mean, they're growing. But some of my junipers heal wounds in months, others take seasons. What can I expect in terms of time frames? Any signs to look out for?
 

garywood

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Wire, if they are growing through the film, they have taken. I wouldn't shade the graft but make sure it gets sun. Plants are opportunistic, especially junipers. They are one of the quickest to shed a non-contributing branch.
 

Shibui

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Juniper grafts that are growing certainly have some new attachment to the stock tree so yours have indeed taken hold. The process of fully uniting will continue now that both scion and stock are growing. Graft union will always be somewhat weaker than the rest of the tree so take extra care when bending close to grafts.
I would allow free growth for at least one season before attempting to wire any grafted branches and, even then only if they have grown well.
Tape can be left in place until it deteriorates. I think parafilm decomposes in sunlight so does not usually last very long on the tree. I cut grafting tape off after about 6-8 months or if I see the branch/trunk swelling above or below the tape.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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So summarizing:
- Give them shade or full sun.
- Look for tape tearing, swelling, at the connection.
- Leave the tape until the shoot outgrows it, if tape doesn't deteriorate, remove it manually. Timeframe estimate: 6-8 months.
- Don't wire grafts to soon, and when you do, keep in mind the connection is weak.

Thanks for your input guys! Much appreciated!
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Armed with a small scalpel and a steady hand, I took a peek. This doesn't look good at all! Maybe I shouldn't have wrapped them so tight with alu wire. I might have pushed the scion out.
But it's growing and it seems to have fused to some extent.

Anyhow, I'm happy for a first time grafting. I need to cut deeper and inset the scion deeper as well. Most of my junipers are throwing off mad callus formation right now, so it might heal but it might show for ever that this is a bad graft. Time will tell!
Oh and yeah, the scar was there before I did the grafting, it seemed to be a nice location to hide any screw ups.

I think the take home message of this thread is that anyone can do this! It's been a major mental hurdle for me to do grafting, I didn't want to do it because I expected it to be difficult, something only the experts with lots of experience could do. But seeing the results, and knowing it only took me 30 minutes to do 10 of them, I'd say this is pretty easy.
 

Shibui

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When I teach grafting I tell students grafting is only around 40% technique and 60% confidence! It seems much more difficult than it really is.
Well done with these grafts so far.
 
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