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ralphglass

Grafting Experiment

ralphglass
12 years ago

So heres the deal, I've wanted to try grafting for a couple years now and i just dove in head first! The perfect candidate [patient) is this real leggy Golden Rainbow.



The plan is to turn this into a shortened, more compact plant, the areas in red will be removed.



Using a "V" type cut for graft



Heres the finished product, less than half the original height!

Comments (17)

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    theres a few more photos here

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadsocal/

  • nativec
    12 years ago

    You are a brave soul! LOL I'm fascinated! Keep us updated please!

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    haha, Well ultimately i want to make multi-colored plants from grafting

  • nativec
    12 years ago

    I think you are well on the way! I cringe every time I have to cut any plumeria. I commend your bravery! So we should expect pictures sometime around 2014 of your fabulous trees that have a different flower on every branch! :) I'll be on the lookout.

    In all seriousness I know Upland Nursery offers them but I've never actually seen one. I believe they offer 2 and 3 color combinations. I think of all the space I could save in my yard by combining trees! LOL Good luck!

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I was as Upland Nursery this morning, a generic 4 color, was $329.00

  • nativec
    12 years ago

    Ahhh! $329.00 Thats absurd! I keep saying I am going to visit Upland Nursery since I'm not that far away. If anything maybe you can start a business with your trees and you can do custom orders. I would like, Metallica, JJ's Scentsational and Wildfire on my first order...LOL Thank you for sharing!

  • pcput
    12 years ago

    GOOD JOB ralphglass !!!! It looks fantastic !!!! I think you will have no problem grafting the different colors on one plant. Think of all the money you can make selling them. Congrats !!! Peg

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Wow, thanks for the great comments, I'm not in it for the money, id rather trade cuttings and teach/help others learn to graft. Think of the incredible possibilities of combinations of colors!! This took less than an hour to do today, if all goes well, we could have some spectacular plants!

    Ralph

  • elucas101
    12 years ago

    Cool! I'm looking forward to following your progress with this, thanks for sharing it. Any particular issues you experienced cutting / fitting or was it smooth sailing?

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    smooth sailing all the way, it was actually really easy, once you get past traumatizing your baby! I guess its my Paramedic background that got me thru it, lol!

    Ralph

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    12 years ago

    Hey Ralph,

    Simply... FANTASTIC!!!

    What a wonderful job you did and i can't wait to see the outcome like all of the above posters..

    What type of tool did you use to make your cut?

    I am very impressed..

    BRAVO!

    Laura

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hi Laura,
    Thats where it gets really top secret! To make the grafting cuts i used a ..... very high end.....utility knife blade (razor blade)!! LOL

    Ralph

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    12 years ago

    LOL...

    Don't worry...i won't tell anyone!!! : ) Shhhh!!!!

    You did a great job!!! : )

    Laura

  • jandey1
    12 years ago

    Looks great, Ralph--you're a brave man! I imagine the success rate is much higher for self-grafting than for grafting scion onto foreign root stock. Let us know how it progresses!

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    12 years ago

    Wow, maybe you can open up a business for plumeria reconstructive surgery.

    Any special treatment of that plant while it is convalescing?

    Do you keep it in the shade?

    Did you pin the sections together? Because as they 'heal' they sort of shrink back a bit.

  • jimithing78
    12 years ago

    Very cool to see someone try this at home. Regarding the height of the plant - won't the branches you've grafted just grow out again below the graft?

  • ralphglass
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hey There!

    Dave, no, i thought about it but i didn't pin them, they all fit really nice. Hopefully ill be ok.

    jimithing78, you mean they'll grow again?? LOL, it was more of a grafting experiment than solely to shorten the plant, as i argued with the voices in my head that was the justification i came up with!

    Ralph