Hello In your opinion what is the strongest graft? I have done both w&t and cleft but the cleft seems a lot stronger than w&t. The whip looks pretty but it seems not to be as strong as the cleft when done properly with a long cleft not a short and stubby. So my question is what is the strongest graft? I live where their is a long of wind and have some whip grafts fall over almost break and start growing at a funky angle.
Saddle graft is the strongest with great cambium contact. Wrap the whole scion in parafilm to keep it from drying out and use white vinal electricians tape around the graft for strength. I write the name onto the white tape and replace with an aluminum tag later when the scion grows.
To make a Saddle graft I cut a chisel like point on the rootstock using a utility knife. On a piece of dry wood I cut a "V" down into the scion and make adjustment cuts to the rootstock to fit.
[quote="macmanmatty":8ydhinck]Hello In your opinion what is the strongest graft? [/quote:8ydhinck]
That depends on what you’re grafting to… If you’re placing dormant scions on dormant rootstock the whip & tongue is plenty strong for me, and all I’ve grafted them for.
The only time I’ll use a cleft graft when bench grafting is if the rootstock is much larger than the scion, and I’ll generally stick in two, two-bud scions. On larger stock the scions are pretty-much held in by the retracting force of the stock; on small stuff, I wrap it tight with the same large Budding bands I use on whips … with name & date felt penned on bright surveyor’s tape to locate it and be replaced with a permanent tag if all’s well.
…not to discount the saddle graft, but what keeps a smaller diameter scion from ‘drifting’ away from the cambium (of one side) while wrapping? When I make a whip & tongue, the tongue is what keeps one edge of a generally smaller scion in place. I suspect ‘pinching while wrapping’ will do it with a saddle ...if one can keep their fingers out of the way?
Though a very subjective question 
" title="Wink" /> wrapped tight with a large budding band I’ve watched a robin land on a finished whip & tongue scion and it remain stable… but I’m not all that familiar with Florida hurricanes 
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