Questions on Apple Grafting.

[nickdub]

I find cleft-grafting a lot easier and with better success too, than other methods - it does depend on the size of the stock - I'm usually working with older trees.

[GF3]

I grafted the scions yesterday (8/4/22). I used PTFE tape and electical tape to bind the grafts and I covered the entire scions with Parafilm (Parafilm "M" Laboratory Film by Bemis). Today I noticed condensation under the parafilm, is this OK?

[Dave8abond]

I would think you'll probably be OK. I don't normally wrap the entire scion when top working, just one small wrap at the tip.

[GF3]

Thanks for the reply.
There is not a lot of condensation but I will keep an eye on them..and if it looks like it could be a problem I can always remove the parafilm. I bound the graft points with Gas PTFE tape (its stronger and stretches less) and put electrical tape over the PTFE and then the parafilm went on last, covering the tape and the scion to the tip. So it will not be difficult to remove the parafilm without disturbing the tape around the grafts. I covered the entire scion to protect them from drying out, I had seen people do this on youtube.

[GF3]

Hello.
I just thought I would post an update on my first attempts at apple grafting. At the moment (6 weeks from the day I did the grafts) of the 10 grafts I did 7 look good. 1 is still alive and has a very small green shoot (variety Honeycrisp) and 2 don't look dried out but the buds have done nothing. I had 4 scions of Winter Gem from which I got 8 grafts (4 good scions and 4 very thin scions) it is 2 of theses thins scions that are not doing anything, the other 6 are leafing out.
My main reason for posting is with the 1 scion I did of variety Topaz. Which looks like it has taken, but unlike the winter gems the Topaz appears to be pushing out blossom not a leaf. Should I just let this flower?
I have attched a photo.

[ameno]

Whether a bud is a flower or leaf bud is set the previous year, so it's quite normal for scion wood to end up having flower buds on it. You should remove the flowers, though, taking care not to damage the leaves behind it too much.

[Dave8abond]

Like ameno says, remove the flowers carefully. New vegetative growth will follow.

if you want you could scratch a very small section of the this scions with a sharp knife. If green shows there is still hope.

[GF3]

Hello.
I undestand that there is no precise answer to this question but any advice would be welcome.

When should I be looking at removing the grafting tapes? Of the 10 grafts I did on 8th April nine have leafed out, one has done nothing. I have included a photo showing two grafts with the largest and smallest growth. the others fall somewhere in between with about 2 to 4 inches of growth. The growth from the winter gem is 10 inches - I have made a splint to support this as it can get a bit blustery here.

[Dave8abond]

Winter gem is a great apple!

Leave them as long as possible without the risk of girdling. If your worried about girdling as they grow maybe unwrap and then recover any gaps in the cleft that haven't healed over.

They look fantastic, nicely done!

[GF3]

Many thanks.
Is it OK to prune back some of the new growth to cut down the chance of it getting caught by the wind? Or is it better to add support with splints and let them grow fully through the summer? Does it take a long time before the graft healing process gains some strength?

[Dave8abond]

I would only prune if it helps achieve what ever the desired form is in the long run. The only 'graft' I've had fail due to wind was a t bud. If it worries you I'd splint, especially if it is growing particularly vigorously.