I got so excited about my new cuttings today and did a few more root grafts, this time with fat ones as fat as the cuttings, wrapped them and in the sweat chamber they went. 

I feel my cuts are getting better, but I have to do a lot of adjustments to make it fit snuggly.  I guess a grafting tool would be good for this. 

Shall update any news.  

I am open for ideas, please share your thoughts.

2-21-2013 - EDITED  ADDED 2 UPDATED PICS

wow! very interesting !

AUSTIN

Grasa,

I think the best graft for a "snug" fit is the step style graft introduced to the forum by Handarius.

I have been using a razor knife. When the blade gets dull, just swap it out. It works pretty well for wood up to about half an inch.

Very nice Grasa!

I am still dumbfounded that a root can be grafter to a stick thus making a tree. How are the older ones doing?

You are the ninja of grafting.

Dear whack job, thanks for sharing some more! ;)

I'm not sure what the step graft is that James refers to.  I think your graft will be fine but one weakness in it is that half of your scion is not going to be fed by the root as it is cut away.  It should still be fine and will probably form roots on that side anyways unless your strong root takes over.  I don't cut out a V in my stock when doing a cleft graft, just make a horizontal cut to slip it and force the wedge of the scion into it.  It risks splitting but is rarely a problem.  Your grafts have been working well so far so I suggest you keep doing whatever sort of "whack job" idea pops in that brain of yours! :D

To be clear, no offense intended at all, just having some fun along with compliments.

Dave, I had that huge gnat attack and many have wilted leaves (to gnat, soaking soap, soaking mosquito dunk) and excess moist from the baths I gave them, but today I noticed that some are putting out new leaves. I am not checking the root situation until I repot them.  All I am interested in helping them survive the gnat/insect larvae munching.  

A week ago, I put several of them in cups and they are doing very well,  I had soaked their cup soil with mosquito dunk before planting in cups and they are sending out amazing roots (3-4 days). I am hiding them from  the gnats inside of plastic bags that come with comforters. I have several traps in there, so far, so good. 

Here are a few- this batch has thin/small roots put in:

Harvey, I am not sure I understand you... you don't think the semicircle would attach with the semicircle of the root?  See this root was so hard to cut into, I had to split it...so it occurred to me to carve the cutting to fit it. I did not cut a "V" in the root.  Must be the way the picture was done.

It is in chamber now, so  I will take more pictures in a week or so. I am excited about this, I think it will be awesome.

Harvey / Grasa,

I was not suggesting this grafting technique is better or worse than above... I was only saying when I tried it, I seemed to be able to fit the two pieces together much easier than with either a whip or cleft graphs.   I also found it easier to effect than a whip graft.  It does seem, though, it will be more difficult to tell where the union is in the future. 

This is the type of knife I've been using.  They are inexpensive, and it is easy to swap out the blade (push a button and pull the blade out).  I have found it easy to use.  The only complaint is the slanted shape of the blade holder makes it more difficult to work through thicker pieces of wood.

James, I had that utility knife also, but the blade is too thick, so I use the other one to polish the edges to adjust a close fit. I don't know names of parts, I just want them to work and my roots handle the million of gnats out there. My chickens are having a party every day, scratching the roots, I am sure they are finding bugs in there and my tree is strong, so, it is a thought.. will know in a few years, maybe in decades, my great grandchildren will talk about it when they pass on to their own heirs.  For what I do, I don't think it really matters where the union is, since my root is not going to send out suckers, or will it?

I remember having seen the pictures of this graft you linked to.  Very nice indeed.  perfect sharp edges. I had to put a popsicle stick to help  hold my root and cutting together when I banded them.

Grasa, he bark thickness of the stock and scion are rarely the same so I doubt that the semi-circle sections have cambium layers lined up very well.  I think most of your union is going to be in the V section.  Your photo isn't in focus real well so I can't tell for sure, but the cuts for the V section appear a little bit uneven but probably good enough to work.  Holding onto that razor blade and cutting is dangerous and hard.  I know a lot of folks use the disposable utility/razor knives but I am so used to using my strong and very sharp Tina grafting knife that I wont have it any other way.  I did use a pocket knife once in a situation where someone in Arizona asked me to do a graft on their mulberry.

I think your graft will work, I'm just pointing out my perceived weakness in it.  You have already done quite a few things that I would have predicted to have failed!  (mostly unwrapped grafts in soil at risk of contamination)

It is failure if I don't try, you said... so I will keep trying and learning and I appreciate all input. Many thanks for the wise comments.

It was impossible to cut a green scion from an apricot in July and graft it.  Until a friend of mine showed me that it worked for him.  I've since done similarly myself.  We're on a ride on this planet together learning as we go, hopefully!

Grasa...when it comes to grafting, you have magic hands...good luck with your little trees...and please keep us updated...very interesting posts and great pictures...very instructive.

Hey Grasa ,

I find this topic very interesting , especially all the step by step pictures .
You're passion for this hobby shines through in your work . There will be disappointments along the way but the efforts you are making will pay off .
In the meantime we will all benefit .
I for one am glad you decided to be a member of this forum . New ideas and people keep things fresh .

John

Grasa,
I see you did not follow exactly the instructions from the link you presented to us. You made the cleft in the root and not in the scion. Probably you had some reason by doing that. However, from personal experience I know that the split branch has more springing power than the split root. Therefore the branch will hold titer the root in its cleft than vice-versa.
Anyways, I appreciate sharing your experiments with us and the link provided. I wish you success with all your plants.

Well, Boris, I am one of those people who cannot walk a straight line, cannot follow instructions - this is playing and enjoyment for me. Really! I may be reinventing the wheel, but only time will tell us.  if the graft works, GREAT, if it does not, I know it will force the cutting to root. I don't think this will cause me to ruin the cutting, or would it?  At least I did not plug the cutting upside down...(I did that on another one!)

Awesome SADDLE GRAFT. You did good but i agree grafting knives work better, zip ties are awesome too, and clamps at home depot. I believe your grafts will take. AS MUCH CONTACT AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. Cambium meet cambium :-)

We are all on the same boat and we are all WHACKY in our own ways- lol. Your a nut job with a great set of skills, others are nuts over cold hardy figs, some are whacky over leaves and color of figs, your not the only one so be proud, shoot I am. It's SAFE . Keep it up. Take your title and wear it proud.

Jennifer

Nope, we will not call you a whack job.  We will call you the inventor of the cutting to root graft, i.e. the Grasa graft.

Grasa. A whack job you are most certainly not :-) ! I love the twist of ingenuity you've added to our fig world with all this crazy (figuratively speaking ;) root grafting stuff.

I really appreciate that root grafting link you provided in another thread. I am excited to learn that others have had success using this method on many other types of fruit trees. Can't wait to try it on my apples, peaches, plums, etc.

@ Steve, I like it. The famous "Grasa Graft". Just rolls right off the tongue :) . 

 

News: 2 days later the root is showing a lot of white eyes for lateral roots.  I am happy.

Fabulous!  Have you found the cutting itself sending out roots quicker after you graft a root onto it?   I would expect it to root also, but this is a nice little kick start!

Yes JoAnn, but this one since I put such a fat root and wrapped, I cannot see what the cutting is doing at that bottom. Others have form a very nice callous ring much quicker. 

Grasa, that is a work of art! I would be shocked if that graft does not take. From my limited experience, I know how hard it is to get the dimensions carved out just right. Congratulations.

Possible alternative to stem-root grafting??:
I have lots  of healthy 1 gallon potted figs from last Fall's air layering extravaganza. I am using them for rootstock.

My one concern with grafting stem to stem is the risk of losing the grafted end to a late freeze (something that stem to root grafting would mitigate). However, if the stem to stem graft is done close to the soil level and the successful graft union is later buried below the soil, would that not resolve the problem? Or am I buying a new set of problems?

As much as I admire the stem-root grafting technique: to first bare-root a healthy plant for rooting material, then make the graft and then incubate the graft before replanting it, makes it a much longer process.