Why not to trim the bud edges in T-Budding?

9 years ago

In the same way that when bark-grafting is recommended by several authors to trim the scion edges very lightly, I wonder why the same is not done for T-Bud.

In these excellent photos of Joe Real you understand what I mean (in this case, bark graft):

As Dr. Malcolm Manners says when comparing Chip Budding With T-Budding "T-budding, offers less cambium contact, since most of it peels up the cambium with the bark of the T-cut, rather than staying down on the wood"

When the used method is the traditional T-Bud way, the cambium of the bud is placed in contact with the cambium of the wood, but not with the bark cambium, where most of cambium cells are.

I understand that this is not interesting for a nursery, where they already get high success, and this would increase the labour, and consequently the costs. But, what happens when you are an amateur and you have a small budwood of a precious variety not always of good quality? In this case you have to tune the art to achieve a good success rate, it doesn't matter the time involved.

By the way, I have many years grafting, and if I have learned anything, it is that there is no 100% success with any method.

And the traditional T-Bud is not a 100% sure technique , as many say. Actually, it is a bit far from that percentage.

Lately, I have applied the technique of slight trimming edges in T-Bud (I already used it for bark grafting, but not for T-Bud) and I've improved my success rate.

Of course, I have not done a scientific study of this and I can be wrong.

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Comments (13)

pecanman
9 years ago
I never trip the edge, there is cambium layer you are trimming off.
axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
Original Author
9 years ago
I think that the cambium is exposed to the bark side, not removed.

This post was edited by axier on Fri, Nov 7, 14 at 5:36
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axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
Original Author
9 years ago
Despite I'm not a good sketcher, I'll try to clarify what I mean by two drawings, self explanatory.

{{gwi:640059}}

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johnmerr
9 years ago
Well, I don't know for sure about other species; but I do know about citrus. My nursery guru has budded as many as 5,000 trees at one time without losing a single tree; that may not be perfection, but it's close enough for me. He never trims anything; just carefully slices off a bud and slides it into the "T" cut on the rootstock; wraps it with plastic tape and that is it. Could he do better if he trimmed the buds? Hard to see how; at best it would cost him more time to get the same result.
axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
Original Author
9 years ago
It is always interesting the opinion of somebody like you, an expert citrus grower. I always read with interest your posts.
5,000 trees without losing a single tree?!! He is really a good grafter!
johnmerr
9 years ago
Axier,

First, I never claim to be "expert"; I much prefer the title "experienced student".
Next, my nursery guru is not just good, he is a magician; he works with me because he was on the Path/Sendero... I am a bit of a Taoist, and everything, but everything in my current project has reinforced my belief that I am on the Path.
axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
Original Author
9 years ago
John, I am glad to know that you are happy with your current project, I wish you luck with it.
I would like to see grafting to your experienced nursery guru. Undoubtedly, he has a perfect technique.
I am stratospherically far from him, I am just a humble amateur grafter, and people like me, usually, doesn't get the "promised" by the experts "near 100 % success" with standard T-Budding.
On the other hand, I suppose that your nursery guru works with high quality budwood and an excellent climate for grafting, things which I usually don't have. Because of this I have to fine tune my technique.
In any case, T-Budding offers an high success rate with citrus, it is really true.
poncirusguy6b452xx
9 years ago
With about 35 tries at T-budding I am running very close to a success rate of just under 1%. I graft by cutting diagonal slices from my root and scion and tape them together. I have about a 5% success rate and I quit grafting 10 years ago and grow from seed, with great success.

John Its good that when you grafted your guru to your company that the scion took so well. There are many of us that only get to dream of grafting as well as you did. You have out done Houdini. I have a very high respect for you and your accomplishments even if you don't believe in G.D.G.W. -- -- -- LOL.

Mean while I am going to see my "2 PT 1 meiwa, 2 nagami, and 1 hardy chicago fig" trees change ownership to a much more skilled tropical plant grower than my self.

Axier I agree with you. T-Budding is very hard to impossible to do for people like me. I am glad to see this post.

Steve

This post was edited by poncirusguy on Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 9:38
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years ago
It's not just 'technique' with budding. It's also knowing when is the best time of year for your region, choosing the correct maturity of wood for scion and the best rootstock variety and its age.

Lots of factors that don't always 'show up' in a tutorial on budding.

This post was edited by dave_in_nova on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 11:28
tbird2252
9 years ago
Hi John!
Enjoy yours and Patty's post among others. Have you considered doing a YouTube with your grafting technique???
pecanman
9 years ago
I have budded several hundred a year in past years with great success. Went to Belize in 1994 to help do about 3000 sour orange understock. In my younger years I budded citrus, Trifoliata In Houston TX for about 3 or 4 days at a time. Had excellent results.
johnmerr
9 years ago
Budding/grafting, as all art forms are best taught master to student; and some have a gift while others never will get it; and sometimes the master exceeds the student.
tbird, I could do a you tube video; but I am not the master... I am lucky if I get 30% success; besides, it would just be another "how to" video, which seldom helps the average person, like me.
axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
Original Author
9 years ago
I agree with you Dave, it is not just technique, and the factors you mention are very important.
I have learnt it failure after failure, but under equal conditions, the technique can be the key.