Hi all,

Why is T-budding the most commonly used propagation method for citrus when chip budding offers greating cambium contact between the bud and the rootsock?

Thanks,

Jeffrey
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Weed vaporizers

No matter how large your cambium area of contact is, if the final results are high in failure, the method will be abandoned.

Most of us here, no matter how careful we do chip-budding, it is always have a higher failure rate than T-budding when grafting citruses.

For my case, chip budding citruses, success rate = 25%, T-budding success rate = 99%, bark grafting citruses = 90% success, tongue and whip = 75%, cleft grafting = 60%. The samples are not equally distributed in these non-scientific experiences as I prefer to use methods that are 90% or better success rates.

Hi Joe,

Thank you for sharing your results on the various propagation methods for citrus. Have you experience similar results for stone fruits?

Jeffrey
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HAWAII DISPENSARIES

Joe is correct of course. In practice the success rate for t budding citrus has proven to be much greater than any other method. It is hard to argue with success.

That aside, I do not accept that there is greater contact between the cambiums in chip budding. With a chip bud, or T bud, it seems to me that the same amount of cambium is exposed on the bud itself, and maybe even less on the stock, when chip budding. Even if there was more cambium exposure when chip budding, this is not the only factor affecting success. T budding is done when the cambiums are actively growing - I am sure this has a great deal to do with the increased success rate for t budding. The bud has a shorter period in which it must sustain itself. Of course there are other factors that come into play as well.

According to most literature I've read, T-budding offers less cambial contact, since most of the cambium peels up with the bark of the T-cut, rather than staying down on the wood.

As for success, I get virtually 99% with chip budding and less with T-budding. I think that just depends on the individual.

At least in Florida nurseries, there is only one real reason T-budding is done -- speed. A good T-budder can average well over 1000 trees per day, with success still well above 95%. Any other method (including chip budding) will result in hundreds fewer completed plants in a work day. It's simple economics.

In actual fact, Fla. commercial budders will T-bud every seedling on which the bark is "slipping," but will immediately switch to a chip bud for any rootstocks where the bark is not slipping. So on any given day, they may chip 5-10% of their total trees, with no significant difference in rate of success.

Four flap works bery well on citrus. Do not remeber not having one take. However t-budding and chip budding uses a lot less material. Personally i have very good takes on chip buds and t-buds.

Very interesting, thanks Malcolm & Bonnie, you have enlightened me on a few points here. Maybe my lack of success with chip budding lies in the fact that I do enough of it, or that my technique needs inprovement.

Malcolm I have often wondered what happened to the layer of cells under the flaps. Until now, I have assumed they lived, and that at least some of them stayed with the wood. So, do the cells that come up with the flaps die, serving no purpose, or, are those the cells I see at the edge of the flaps, after the bud has healed ? Also, I assume from your post that the cells that do unite with the cells of the bud, come from sides of the bud and not from beneath?

Bonnie, I don't think I have seen the 4 flap method. Is there some place on the web that describes it?

Ned here is a couple of links I have on four flap grafting..


http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/fourflap/fourflap1.html


Video of four flap grafting a pecan tree..

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/graftingmovies/pecangrafting5.html

Hope these help..
Gina *BabyBlue*

Ned, Patty posted a link to 4 flap grafting in the tutorial section (also called four flap bannana graft). I have used it on pecans and had much better success than with bud grafts. If you want cambium contact, this is it!

While four flap could be successful, there are its share of disadvantages:
1) Takes a long time to do. Imagine cutting four corners and peeling off. The same with stock and scionwood. Compare this with T-budding.
2) The longer time exposes more chance for contamination especially when there is disease pressure where pathogens are in the air. Wet or windy are examples that I can think of.
3) The cuts are a lot bigger, again, the greater the surface area for contamination.
4) just like cleft or bark graft, tongue and whip, you use a lot more planting material.

It doesn't mean I don't like doing it. Whenever conditions are good to do it, like dry and cool, barks are slipping, and I am not in a hurry, and the scionwood is crucial, then I would use it.

Thanks everyone. I had read about the four flap technique, just didn't remember it last night. I guess have never had a situation where I thought it would be an advantage so it didn't stick in my mind. Then again, it could just be a little senility kicking in. LOL

I went back and reviewed the chip and shield bud in my old copy of "Plant Propagation Principals and Practices". It is easy to see that the chip bud does put the cambiums in closer contact. It also shows in pretty good detail how the healing process progresses.

Joe, you are right about the extra time, but I think the greater surface for contamination is also more surface for cambium contact. In any case based on my experience with pecan, I would think the 4 flap technique would be more appropriate for larger (older) stock and scion wood--3/8 inch to 1 inch in diameter.

I'd say chip budding requires a more accurate cut to match scion and rootstock. I find t-budding faster but also have success with chip budding.