Hi Frank,

PM Sent.

Like I mentioned I have some LSU Purple that I rooted two years ago which I will experiment on, as well.  I will move them from my propagation area to a more permanent location this week, so they can reestablish roots ahead of this experiment.

I'll order BM, BI from Jon to play with when he offers cuttings in Feb.  I ordered  Col de Dame (DFIC 74) cuttings from UCD.  That will become fodder for this experiment as well.

~james

James,

Thank you for clarifying your electrical tape "air-layering" concept. Did you do the wrapping with the sticky side out or against the tree? Seems like an easy/convenient way to jump start air-layers.

I was successful with the cleft grafts I did. One Ronde de Bordeaux and on Longue d' Aout. However, I decided to wait until spring to do the air-layers.

In my opinion, grafting is an excellent way to experiment with types of fig scionwood that is less than vigorous to get started on its own roots. I haven't done it yet but I plan to graft Black Ischia and Black Madiera (among many others) sometime in late April or early May. I will use either cleft or saddle graft as my graft types of choice. I might try some chip budding as well. I plan to graft onto Celetse and one or more unkown varieties that seem to have vigorous growth habits.

I was sure I had taken more progress pics of the tow grafts that I was successful with but I can't seem to find them anywhere.

Here's one shot I took shortly after the scion had started to take off. They both grew to about 14" in lenght and had about 12 or 13 nodes on them by season's end. 

  

In post #8 of this thread Jon had asked for me to take pics of the "burying process" of my figs. I've sent him some to include in the FAQ's.
 Here are a couple sample of pics of that:

Bill,

Initially I had wrapped it with the sticky side in, but had wrapped a piece of plastic (if I remember it was a piece of a baggie) around the limb before wrapping with tape.  Then I realized I could wrap it sticky side out and avoid the tape from sticking to the bark/root initials. 

Why are you waiting until April/May?

~james

James: "Why are you waiting until April/May?"

Answer: If you graft just as your rootstock is starting to push new buds in the spring, you will be giving your scionwood the best possible chance of making it. Read; "all that upward-flowing sap will be going directly up into your comparatively small piece of scion". 

From my understandng, many folks also do their grafting with dormant scion onto dormant rootstock. And this can be done successfully if you have some dormant potted trees to work with. You would have to have some way of keeping you're graft unions from freezing temps (such as in a greenhouse). 

But I also got the feeling that just as good, if not better, succuess rates can be had if you graft dormant scionwood onto rootstock that is just starting it's first growth spurt of the season.
 
I learned a few good tips from Bass's page on grafting but I learned the vast majority of what I put into practice from this guy:
 

I think I prefer Feline Carica

I apologize for my question.  I'm used to my trees pushing new buds in Feb.  Thanks for the link.  I have been watching other videos, but they haven't been as good as the one you linked.

~james

"I think I prefer Feline Carica"
Yep, that works too.

No problem on the question. I just thought you were asking because you preferred to graft onto dormant rootstock.

I like that one guy on youtube because he seems to have sooo many videos centered around the same subject. Also I think I simply like his "matter-of-fact" way of speaking.