Dead Graft
As you can see the rest of the plant is doing great, but the grafts I posted about several weeks ago didn’t make it.
So the lessons for me seem to be the following:
- Citrus bud grafting is normally best done in summer or fall
- I should have taped the graft tighter, and SHOULD HAVE USED PARAFILM TAPE.
- I probably should have done something more to keep the scion wood from drying out. For some time I had a plastic bag covering the entire plant, and Christina has a good way to do this with parafilm tape.
Well in a few weeks I plan to have another go with some apple trees… Maybe this summer I’ll try something again with citrus.
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The parafilm seems to have been effective–one of the pieces has budded through the tape now, and the other two are swollen under it and appear alive. I was hoping for at least one to take, but I’ll be very happy with the three! This was my first time grafting, and I’m hoping to have many more experiments with it.
I know folks who’ve done a lot of citrus grafting around here. Next time I see one of the local experts, I’ll ask for some of their tricks. If they’ve got anything worth sharing, I’ll send it your way.
The rootstock that you have looks really interesting–what did you say it was again, flying dragon? I’ve heard of folks making marmalade from the fruit of citrus trifoliate, and I’m certain the flowers smell good, so you may have some great benefits, even without a graft that takes. But of course, I hope that you’re able to make the magic happen.