Sealing your scion wood

[SmallChunk]

What are you guys using?

Last year I used the black tar like sealant and that seemed to help.

I got some scion from somebody that used a wax of some sort and that was the freshest and kept the best of all of them that I had recieved. Some others used a wax mix that was super sticky/messy that I didn't really want to try and some used wax that fell off before I could use it.

What do you find that works well?

 

[yoderjac]

It depends on how long I plan to keep them. If I'm grafting soon after collecting them I do nothing. If I need to keep them for a month or more I'll seal them with Doc Farwell's. No heating, just a quick dip and let them dry. To be honest, I'm not sure how necessary it is. The purpose is to keep them from dehydrating. With a little damp sphagnum in the bag, I don't find much difference except at the very end and I prune that off anyway before grafting.

It certainly doesn't hurt to seal them.

Thanks,

jack

 

[sandbur]

What are you guys using?

Last year I used the black tar like sealant and that seemed to help.

I got some scion from somebody that used a wax of some sort and that was the freshest and kept the best of all of them that I had recieved. Some others used a wax mix that was super sticky/messy that I didn't really want to try and some used wax that fell off before I could use it.

What do you find that works well?

How did my scion store for you? Did a lot of wax fall off?


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[NE PA QDM]

I use canning wax. Stuff works great. The buds break through it easily in the spring. I coat both ends of the scion and then just knock off an inch or two near where the graft union will be prior to grafting.
Pretty clean and easy to use, readily available and inexpensive. I just fill a mason jar with it and slowly warm it in a pan of water on the stove, dip scions in the wax then in cold water, repeat 2 or 3 times and done.

 

[greyphase]

Gulf wax.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ Grey & NE PA QDM - Gulf wax isn't too brittle ?? Doesn't flake off ??

 

[greyphase]

^^^^ Grey & NE PA QDM - Gulf wax isn't too brittle ?? Doesn't flake off ??

No not that I have noticed.

 

[Barndog56]

I didn't put anything on the scions I received from GRIN last year, and they did fine after spending 3 months in the fridge before grafting.

 

[H20fwler]

I use wax from whatever candle my wife has on the dining room table at the time. I just dip the tips same day I cut the scions and then put them in moist paper towel in a freezer bag in the fridge.
Do the same when I package scions to ship out around the country.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I use wax from whatever candle my wife has on the dining room table at the time. I just dip the tips same day I cut the scions and then put them in moist paper towel in a freezer bag in the fridge.
Do the same when I package scions to ship out around the country.

Ditto!

 

[chickenlittle]

I use toilet bowl wax if I dip scions and for my grafts. Have added paraffin or even expensive grafting wax before but my pot should mostly be toilet bowl by now.

 

[cavey]

I use wax from whatever candle my wife has on the dining room table at the time. I just dip the tips same day I cut the scions and then put them in moist paper towel in a freezer bag in the fridge.
Do the same when I package scions to ship out around the country.

Second the above statement - its good advice ,

I wouldnt cut scion... or do cuttings to be stored without sealing the ends, ever... I have a small cast iron pan that I have melted wax in, when liquefied I can dip then by the handfuls. The cast iron holds the heat and I have never had any issues with the candle wax cracking. If its a prized scion, I often have a cheap candle in the truck and can seal the scion in the field with but as long as I can get the cut scion into a zip lock bag I will usually wait till I get home but the scion is sealed the same day I cut it. I dont think it really matters what wax you use as long as you seal the ends, I would guess even electrical tape would work. Take the time to do it right, start and finish with care... scion and root stock need moisture - not to much and not to little but dont risk all that hard work by not doing something as simple as just sealing the ends.

 

[Benja]

Does anybody else also use melted candle wax to seal the top of cleft grafts?

 

[SmallChunk]

How did my scion store for you? Did a lot of wax fall off?


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I would say about 1/4 of them fell off, Art.

Grey, I think yours was the one that seemed to work the best!

 

[Spur]

I use 50/50 Gulf wax and bees wax. It gives you the pliability and the seal you want. If you use straight Gulf wax, it chips off extremely easy and the scions will dry out quickly if it does chip. If you use straight beeswax, it is expensive, it gobs up, and it is extremely sticky. Combining the two is the best combination in my opinion and the scions will last for months if you encase the entire scion.

 

[Telemark]

I like toilet rings. It is still a bit pliable when cool, so it doesn't flake off, and buds grow through it no problem. Paraffin, bees wax, and candle wax, can be blended in. I have used cheese wax, and it was a disaster. Flaked right off when cool. Toilet rings make a great cheap base, and I use it on my mushroom logs now as well.

 

[SmallChunk]

I ended up going about 1/2 bees wax and 1/2 candle. Was looking for something to use to melt the bees wax in and we had a candle that had burned out. Just threw that on the stove and dumped in the bees wax! Seemed to work okay.

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[Bowsnbucks]

I just bought 1 1/2 lbs. of bees wax in blocks from a bee keeper near my home. I'll try the 50/50 mix of Gulf wax and bees wax. Seems like a sensible mix of good traits. I'll be sending scions to 3 guys on here this March.

 

[chummer]

I just bought 1 1/2 lbs. of bees wax in blocks from a bee keeper near my home. I'll try the 50/50 mix of Gulf wax and bees wax. Seems like a sensible mix of good traits. I'll be sending scions to 3 guys on here this March.

Bows, have you tried grafting yet?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Chummer - Yes I have. Last year's grafts - only 6 trees - all died because the rootstocks all died. The previous grafting attempts were pretty good with about 60 to 70% success. I've only tried grafting 3 different years. I'll keep grafting in the future, but very few will be for my camp - we're pretty much planted full. We'll probably lose a few trees to bear damage, and I can use grafted trees to fill those in. I'm also keeping a few spots open for some seedlings I hope to grow from crab seeds from someone on this forum. The other trees I graft I'll either sell locally or give some to some of our camp members for their home locations. I may plant a few in "sneaky" locations on other hunting grounds.