How I graft

There are many ways to do grafts and each has its own merits, my main graft is the slant or angle graft but I also do flat graft, “v” grafts, cable tie grafts and bud grafts, I have also stated to do tip leaf scar grafts. I find the slant graft easy to do on established trees/seedlings in the field/open especially when I am doing multiple coloured grafting

I select the pieces I want to graft then walk around the seedling grow out area to try to find one that is of  a similar diameter (pic 1) then set up my tools beside it (pic 2). I like to grow all my seedlings out in the ground (much quicker growth and flowering) and keep them in a separate area so I can watch them develop. When they flower they are marked as keepers or grafters,  mostly thin petalled white flowers as the one in the pic.

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Once I have my tools laid out I cut a piece of grafting tape long enough to go up and down a cut 2 or 3 times, usually around 90cm (3′). I then cut the  root stock/seedling using my knife and the piece of cutting board held behind it to give me a solid cutting platform, I make the cut at a good angle so that the cut is around 50cm (2″) long (pic 3). I then place the cutting board onto the ground and cut the scion(piece I am going to graft at the same angle(pic 4), lift it up and make sure that the cuts match (pic 5).

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If I am happy with the cut I take my piece of grafting tape and do one wrap around the root stock just below the bottom of the cut so that the tag end is over wrapped (locked) and will not slip (pic 6). I place the scion against the root stock and them wrap the tape around it three times, just above the bottom, in the middle and just below the top and keep the pressure on it. This allows you to let go of the scion without it falling off and adjust it so that it lines up evenly with the root stock cut (pic 7). You can then wrap the tape up over the top cut then back down, back up and down again if you have allowed enough tape. All the wraps must overlap to seal the cut from the air then you simply tie the end off with the tag end you left originally (pic 9).

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I mark the root stock/graft with the variety of the scion(pic 9) and also mark it off in my mud map (each row named/numbered) so that I know what it is. In this case it was an aussie Firestorm (FSTM), you can also see the pink mark from the spray can on the side of the root stock which denotes the seedling as a grafter. I then secure the seedling to the stake (below the grafted section) and let it fuse together, this takes  several weeks but I leave the tape on for several months to be safe.

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