I have been doing a good bit of fall citrus grafting and most seem to be taking. Mostly just moving varieties in my yard, but I have grafted a few for one of my neighbors and my sisters. My sister Beth bought a couple Owari Satsuma trees this summer and both of them sent up rootstock shoots that I grafted---I did a bark graft on one that is already growing in just 3 weeks-- I hope it has time to cold harden before frost.

If you did a bark graft, doesn't that means that the bark was still slipping. I've been trying some regular whip grafts on an old citrus tree(rootstock took over the tree), because I couldn't find any loose bark even two months ago. So far the whip grafts aren't looking that great, slowly loosing their color.

Can you tell me if these were regular bark grafts, like those I've seen in Joe Reals tutorial, or is there a fall modification that is working for you?

John

Yes the bark is usually slipping when I do bark grafts-- I follow Joe's tutorial, but often use toothpick size budwood on pencil size stock. I find the bark grafts will work when it is hot (>90F) whereas buds do not do well above 90.

I should add that I find I can do bark grafting when the bark is not slipping well, but T-budding requires bark that slips easily.

I did three budding attemps, too.
Bark was slipping, not well, but well enough for a try.
I was trying to bud Citrus hystrix on my Citrus clementina, to establish a second cocktail tree. I did here one T-Bud attempt and one chip bud attempt.

The last attempt was on my usually well set cocktail tree, were I choosed a lemon twig and did a T-bud attempt.

Now, in a few weeks I will see if the buds have been taken of if it had failed.
I guess it will get a fail, but was worth a try.

I've been thinking about doing some fall budding also, but temps have been pretty high still. I also haven't planned well since I haven't lined up any budwood. I'm thinking about a multi-grafted mandarin tree. I've got the Gold Nugget already from my own yard. Maybe I'll add a Kishu and Page later if I find budwood.

Phillip

I'm buying new trees that I want to graft onto this fall. Any new tips or hints for fall grafting.

I had late spring successes and early/mid summer failures.

Just wait until high temps are in the 80s and 70s and graft away. You will then have to wait until the first flush in spring to force the grafts.

Thanks. I still have some that I grafted in May that are still green but have not sprouted yet. Some of these other May grafts just died a few weeks ago so hopefully the ones that are still green will make it to spring.

What is the "rule" for removing rubber bands or Parafilm tape? On the grafts that have failed it looks a little moist under the tape. On the grafts that are still alive but not sprouted, I peeled off the tape and things look solid. So as not to weaken the union I put another light layer of tape back on. On the grafts that have sprouted and producing nicely, I'm afraid of moisture getting under the tape and rotting the union. When is it safe to remove the tape? Or is it safe?

In my first attemp at grafting several yrs ago, I had several buds that did not break the following spring--I then learned about blind buds and figured that the ones that did not break were blind buds. However, the following spring, 2 of the buds that had not broke, finally did. I still have 2 buds from that grafting that did not break--they are probably true blind buds.

I usually shave the ends to a tapered point that I use for cleft grafting so I'm pretty confident I cut off the blind buds. Hopefully, they'll break next spring.

With cleft and bark grafting, you have a lot more chances (more buds), but it could be possible to do a bark or cleft graft with blind buds. Blind buds can be in the middle of a budstick--depending on how it is cut. The first 2-3 leaves of each flush are usually blind. I like using the growing tip of a limb with bark grafting--that way you always get active buds.

I did three grafts of Sanguinelli onto Tarocco a week ago and I already have two that are starting to sprout. This is my quickest result yet. I also did two Moros onto this tree but nothing so far.

I'm so excited. Last spring my quickest sprout was two weeks.

[ z

My sister lives in Alabama, plus I have a place in Alabama. I just can't take Florida stock over there or bring Alabama stock here.