VdB is slow rooting for me, so, on Dec 5, 2012, I grafted  a root and a piece of a local fig that had roots to the bottom. 
On Dec 12 I planted in the cup as the roots were sending out new growth, I burried the rubber bands with it.

Today the roots were exploding from the cup, it was time to move to larger pot, so I opened to document this experiment. 

What do you think? How many times should it be repeated to assert that this is not pure luck, but that actually works?

Here it is:

So, do the grafted roots actually get attached to the cuttings and sending out more root branches from the grafted roots? I'm sorry, it's a little hard to tell from the pictures. Something to try if this actually works.

Peter, on first picture you can see a white band above a red band, the white actually is securing a patch that contained 2 roots, I grafted like 'bud graft' ( I am learning) then, I also grafted a small piece of  my local tree branch that had roots, that is  secured with red bands...On the horizontal picture, you can see where the roots were sending little white specs, that is when I put in the cup with bands and all. 

On the last picture you see all the massive rooting is from the graft, the cutting itself never sent out any roots, it is exactly how it was when I first grafted it. Now cannot say this will survive. I will continue monitoring now that has no bands and it is in the larger pot.  My goal is to have strong trees that can handle the cold...so, only time will be able to help with that.

Impressive, you got me thinking Grasa i have a grafting tool that does a cleft graft (cuts out a notch like a puzzle piece) i will be grafting some apple trees for a friend here soon. but i am wondering do you think if you had a kind that roots really easy and is common (brown turkey, etc) that has a root mass on the bottem could we use that graft tool to try and graft a single node or 2 of roots to a rare or harder to root cutting. i would proply want to use teflon tape (plumbers tape) to wrap the wound but it should work. i to try alot of differant things. i would like to here more about your testing, and am willing to share what i know, maybe together we can come up with somthing awsome.

Dave

Dave, I am clueless about botany, but I know with strong roots the tree is more likely to survive my weather (cold and soggy) all the bottoms I use are from trees I know grow well here.  It is an experiment, so, we shall see.

Grasa, you are one determined lady!  Wow!  Good luck and keep us posted!

Nice photos too!

Suzi

Grasa,very nice. Thanks for sharing.

I guess we can say it works when you have a plant that is growing the variety that is grafted on the top... this looks promising!! keep us posted on the progress!!

Grasa. Those root grafts are looking great. 

It looks like in pictures 3, 5, and 8 that the grafts are holding without the bands now. Is that correct?

This seems like such a great idea to me. So I am imitating your lead on this Grasa.  I've started a few myself. I will gets some pics and progress up in another thread soon. It will be nice to compare ongoing notes.

If this works, it will greatly reduce the number of root stocks that I've been needing for my spring grafting projects. Most trees tend have more available roots than branches.

Great stuff here ;-) !

Grasa,

You're my hero!  I can't wait to get some trees old enough to try grafting and also your root grafting method.