Just curious about the success of this type of grafting. How many have used it and the pro's and cons. To me, it looks to be the easiest method of grafting.

Any tips or suggestions?

Betty

very low success rates in citrus. Zero % so far for me and have done some 5 of them. Why repeat when you always fail on it and there are better methods. Meanwhile, T-budding are 99% effective and have done thousands already. Tongue and whip on stone fruits, pome fruits and persimmons have been 100% for me.

It takes me 10 minutes on the average to do a tongue and whip, the longest part is matching the slices on stock and scion. It takes me about 2 minutes to finish a T-bud and if I am revved up, takes less than a minute.

I guess I'm just a bit confused when it comes to grafting in a whole. t bud grafting does look easy, just be nice to have extra good pictures to follow. I'm just unsure about the bud part. I get how and when to do the T section... just where and exactly what the bud is. I've seen the pictures... just dont fully get it. I'm a long way off till I start grafting. I'm going to have a ton of key limes, not sure if they could beused as a root stock or not, but I had thoughts of trying it. taking buds from the mature trees I'm buying next week... but my seedlings wont be mature enough for a good year at least

So, I definatly have time to get the supplies and really reasearch grafting

Does this help? A longer name of "bud" is "axillary bud".



AXIL-the upper angle between a leaf (or any other lateral structure) and the stem to which it is attached
AXILLARY BUD-a bud borne in the axil of a leaf (also called a lateral bud)
From UIUC http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/335/Vegetative/VegTerminology.html

So, cut a thin slice of stem starting above the bud and catch
the slice against the blade of the knife as the slice is cut
loose.

from the mature tree, start where you have this year's growth, then go back to the branch below this year's growth. There you find some axillary buds that are dormant but have a "pimple" on them. These are very good buds to use. Cut the leaves with a scissor, leaving a 1/4" of the petiole. Starting 1/2" from the top portion of the bud, cut the bud thinly, applying force on the budding knife, pressing it flat against the stem and then sliding forward slowly, right under the bud, it will be harder to push, so very gently rock back and forth the knife to push down slowly while still maintaining the force flat against the stem until you are 1/2" below the bud. Simply remove the knife and then cut perpendicular to remove the bud. If you remove the bud this way, you should do an inverted T to insert this bud.

Another way is to cut from below the axillary bud, moving the knife upwards, this way you will have to make a regular T to insert the bud. Practice on other trees first before you do it on the citrus.

You should try use a knife (or other cutting instrument) that is beveled on one side only. This greatly increases both the ease of cutting the bud, and the chances of a "take". The blade must be razor sharp to do a good job. Begin above or below the bud depending on your preference. I like to begin above the bud for inverted T's, and below for regular T's. I also find that beginning above the bud is easier for me, which makes me perfer the inverted T. As Joe said, the blade should lay flat against the budstick. The idea here is to let the budstick guide your knife on a flat plane as the knife travels under the bud. It is good if the knife exits the cut on it's own, but I have never been able to make that happen as often as I would like, so I find I frequently need to cut the bud off the stick, as Joe describes.

I do try to use a slicing motion when pulling the knife blade under the bud. If you think about slicing a tomato, vice pushing the knife through it, I think you might see the value in this method. This does sometime require carefully removing and reinserting the blade to complete the cut.

As was previously mentioned, try practicing with some stems from plants that are expendable. Shoot to have your buds fairly thin, smooth and flat on the side that goes to the rootstock.

Grafting and budding are learned skills that take practice. With practice, you will develope your own methods. When I began, I was lucky to get 10% to take! You too, must kill a few buds while learning!

Ned

I want to thank everyone for their responces. I'm starting to understand it a bit more. I think I will do as suggested and go play with the local trees... just to try slicing the bud off and then practice the T or inverted T. tonsa and tons of trees around here, more aren't the greatest. defiatly wont ry grafting with any of them. just to learn the steps and then do it once I have the proper root stock and stuff for my citrus

It is actually very hard to imagine how it is done if you don't see it inactuality. Go to your nearest plant nursery and ask for a demo. I am sure one will be willing to do it for free if you ask.
I was lucky I knew Joe to do it for me but when I went to Menlo growers, the guy in charge were going to do it for me too when I asked him.

I doubt thats an option for me around here. Our local nursery has 2 lemon trees... been struggling for years to get more for sale. I'd think if they knew anything about grafting they wouuld have done it. But, doesn't hurt to ask. Maybe they do grafting wit their other item and just never thought of it for lemons. I know they made comments about trying to start from seed, to try cuttings.. Maybe I'll have to teach them something. They definaly deal with more flowers and landscaping

You can just try to learn from pictures then. Just don't be afraid to make mistakes. But the main thing is just do it.
It took me 5 years to have the courage to do it. I should have done sooner. Now, I am experementing a lot because the first time I did it took and I've been sampling the fruits since 2 years ago. At times the next year you can sample the fruits already spec on peaches and plums. They take so easy and outgrown the mother tree.

As for me whip and tongue is my favorite because it's easy and higher percentage of take. Today I am not cutting crosswise. I just cut both longidtudinally and tape both. I don't know what will happen.

That would be called side veneer grafting, similar to chip budding, only that you are using more than one bud along the longitude.