Wrap it with a wide rubber band and cover with graft sealer, such as Doc Farwell's. Some people use that microtape, whatever it's called. I used to use just masking tape by itself. It works if it's not raining, but it doesn't add as much sealing pressure.
John S
PDX OR
I like Parafilm, but my question was about "callusing".
I did some grafts last year and I kept them in pot in the house for a couple of weeks to heal.
Is it recommended to do a callusing process?
With the difficulty I have finding info outside a text book, I feel that it's not common to use a callus box.
Joe
To the best of my knowledge callusing is used to induce scions or cuttings to produce roots or cells that will have a tendency to produce roots. Grafts need freshly exposed cambium mated to the same. The fresh cells will the grow together and transfer nutrients etc. Callusing is used to root grape,current, gooseberry and other cuttings.
I have read where "callus boxes" are used to encourage the healing (callusing) of new apple grafts. It doesn't seem to be practiced much, or perhaps it isn't necessary.
New grafts are packed in damp sphagnum moss and kept at about 80° for a week or so... from what I've read.
Sounds like it might have been done on bench grafts and perhaps in a commercial setting. Others here have much more knowledge on bench grafts than I do. Might be interesting if it increases the odds that the grafts take. Might not be too hard to replicate the process for a small number of grafts.
It's definitely for benchgrafts.
I'll research this a little more, but it doesn't seem to be a common technique. It is mentioned in "Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices".
I'm thinking of either placing the box of grafts in our warm utility room, or placing a heating pad under a box containing the damp sphagnum moss and grafts... if I do this.
Another method uses localized heat at the graft.
"Callus" is apparently the name of the cells that form to join the cambium layers.
There's a fellow in Yoncalla that grafts in the cool of Feb and March, and just leaves the things standing in little water in buckets in his 50-ish degree garage for a coupla weeks or three. Seems to work just fine for him as he has hundreds and thousands of apple trees.
Apples, pears, and cherries don't need lots of heat to heal. Peaches on the other hand can benefit from an 80-85 degree box. Helps to have the stock active first, on peaches and plums.
A nurseryman I once worked for a couple decades ago callused difficult ornamentals that he grafted (prior to my time there). A 1/2" pvc pipe circulated heated water. A section of larger pipe encased the smaller. Notches were cut in the larger pipe to hold just the grafted section.
In this case the rootstck was heeled in to a sawdust bed and laid perpendicular over the callus tube - outside in ambient temps (Woodburn Or area)
The idea was to get some cell division going on prior to leaf out.
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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