When to release Apple Grafts?

[Garden_Chris]

As in the title really.

I've had one successful (out of three) graft. Even at this miserably low 33% success rate, I've learn't a lot and immensely enjoyed spring grafting. Now the time has come, when the new growth has reached 5-8cm in height, and I'm wondering when should I release this from the tape I've used to bind it?

I used the saddle graft (see "Saddle Graft" in YouTube by Stephen Hayes, Fruitwise.net) from one of his scions of Pitmaston Pineapple. It's on M26 Rootstock, if that should change anything.

I can provide pictures if necessary, but I believe this to be advice which may not require it. Hopefully the description provided will suffice - otherwise, I'll happily load one up.

[zazen999]

I just leave them to fall off naturally...

[FB.]

Depending on what you used to bind the graft, it may not need releasing.

This year's grafts were done with Parafilm, which is starting to split as the stem swells due to growth of the plant.
Most grafts should be reasonably well healed now (the scion shoot will not grow if the graft hasn't "taken"; it'll just sit there with a few tiny leaves) - but the spring grafts are not yet strong enough for rough handling, shipping or wind-battering. That'll take another several weeks for complete internal healing; at the moment the grafts will be mostly connected by the wound tissue from the outer cambium layer. There may not be much inner wood yet.

[Garden_Chris]

Depending on what you used to bind the graft, it may not need releasing.

This year's grafts were done with Parafilm, which is starting to split as the stem swells due to growth of the plant.
Most grafts should be reasonably well healed now (the scion shoot will not grow if the graft hasn't "taken"; it'll just sit there with a few tiny leaves) - but the spring grafts are not yet strong enough for rough handling, shipping or wind-battering. That'll take another several weeks for complete internal healing; at the moment the grafts will be mostly connected by the wound tissue from the outer cambium layer. There may not be much inner wood yet.

I used cling-film and then sellotape at the top and bottom to ensure it remained fixed in place. I'm guessing that the plant wont break free due to the pressure I used to bind it in place.

The past months weather has been windy and rainy, so I'm guessing if I did remove the binding now it'd fall to pieces in the wind. Perhaps I could unbind it and move it into the greenhouse?

Is that entirely advisable - i.e. would it improve the rate of growth/heal if it were in the greenhouse? So would you - on the basis of 'it'll take several weeks for complete internal healing' - reccomend I leave the clingfilm on for longer?

[FB.]

Sellotape will soon need releasing as it's quite strong and might nip them a bit as they try to swell.

They probably won't fall to pieces; the graft should be half-healed - healed on the outside but not deeper inside.
They'll be about half as strong as they will become later in the year.

Take them somewhere sheltered and carefully pick the tape off one of them. You'll soon find out if it's able to hold together.


I'll go and unpick some parafilm in a moment if it's still light enough.

[FB.]

This is the best I can offer in the fading light, but I can probably do better tomorrow.
Between the stock and scion is a cork-coloured layer of scar tissue.

The two different sides of the same graft (with the graft zoomed-in to the right of each picture) - it holds together jsut fine, but is only about half as strong as it will become by the end of the season (if you'd broken a bone, it'd usually be adequately healed after a month or two, but would be somewhat longer before you ought to be playing rugby!):

[Garden_Chris]

Thanks for the update FB!
I think I'll release it tomorrow. I'll use a knife to slice through the tape and clingfilm and then place it in the greenhouse to ensure it's not blown in two by the wind.

If I find the time, I'll post a picture update.

[FB.]

From the same batch of pics but not directly related to grafting......

Here's a M25-rootstocked maiden apple "tree" in its second year, using its impressive strength to simply grow through and shrug-off a huge aphid attack which curled all the early-season leaves. Most dwarfs would have been crippled by such a heavy attack.

[FB.]

Thanks for the update FB!
I think I'll release it tomorrow. I'll use a knife to slice through the tape and clingfilm and then place it in the greenhouse to ensure it's not blown in two by the wind.

If I find the time, I'll post a picture update.

If you use a knife, don't go around the stem or you'll risk severing all the sapflow vessels which run up and down (effectively "bark-ringing"); make up/down cuts so that the knife doesn't damage more than a few of the sap-carrying vessels.

[Garden_Chris]

I've just managed to get into the Garden and cut away at the tape. Some serious heart in mouth moments when I certainly felt I was going to cut the scion straight off, but thankfully the clingfilm came away with ease, and I had to do a sawing method (nuts, right?) with the selotape, I'd applied it that thickly.

Anyhow, these are the results - make of them as you will! I for one am thrilled that they've taken, although it does indeed look a little messy..

Just a quick note; sorry about my hand being in the pictures, it was the only way I could get the darn camera to focus on the plant rather than whatever was in the background!

Pictures below:

[FB.]

The appearance of your graft is fairly typical for this stage of healing. The cracks and gaps will gradually fill themselves in.
If you live in a wet area (don't we all, this year!), be wary that water and canker spores don't get into the not-fully-healed graft.
So perhaps just wrap it with a single piece of clingfilm to keep it clean while it finishes healing.