Hibiscus Propagation
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With Cuttings By Grafting Marcotting From Seeds Using a hotbed
GRAFTING TECHNIQUES
This tutorial was made a few years bac ! I"#e $ust edited it for this web site u%til I ca% re#ise it o%e day& 'See the To( Grafter )rafti%) (lier o% *im Ra))ett"s site+
Propagation
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" and A History #oss Gast $etters Species Culture Pests and %iseases &urseries Societies (ools) Cuttings or pots of rootstoc*+ Message Boards *nife+ tape and labels, (hen go find a (he e-er.popular+ easy side.graft, Sites to 'isit scion, &omenclature Photography Site Map
My fa-ourite+ the /edge /hich can be as little as a single node 0bud0,
(hinner /ood on a thic*er rootstoc*,,,this is an e1cellent solution
G#AF(2&G is 3ust a method to connect the sap.flo/ of the rootstoc* to that of the scion and it doesn4t need much, 24-e seen all sorts of funny results /ith only a fraction of the cambium sap layers ma*ing connection but the plant still thri-es, 5f course+ the 0e1pert0 /ill boast about getting the rootstoc* and the scion to line up 3ust
about e-ery/here, 2 remember my early grafts /hen 2 labelled some as 0unli*ely0+ others as 0certain0 and 2 can assure you the results /ere often the other /ay round, (here are many other grafting methods e-en as simple as 3ust clefting the top, (he cambium connection is all that matters, Some are more aesthetic in appearance than others+ but if it4s 3ust for yourself+ it doesn4t matter /hat type you use, A humidity hat is important if you don4t ha-e a humid igloo.type room, (/o /ee*s is about all the hat needs to be on and the tape can be remo-ed from 6 to 7 /ee*s according to /hether it4s /armed up or not, Any remaining eyes on the rootstoc* are then remo-ed as /ell, See also ho/ to recycle a failed graft . e-en using another method+ the /hip.and.tongue graft,
Side graft on a broom stic* Plastic bag hat is important Wedge graft on a standard, #ind or bar* graft sho/ing standard, 2nsert helps sho/ for about t/o /ee*s 2nsert is supposed to help88 one on each side of pole, union,
The Side Graft
As stated earlier+ this is the easiest techni9ue for many, For a rooted cutting in a tube+ it is necessary to pull up/ards /ith the left hand /hile applying do/n/ard pressure /ith the cutting blade at the right angle, 5ther/ise the pressure may brea* the roots off,
Ma*e sure the angle stays constant /ith only a firm pressure Use a roc*ing for/ard.bac* motion+ not a hard sho-e (ry not to 0scoop0 . no cur-ed cuts8 (ry to cut the scion /ith a 0flat0 cut /ithout scooping Practice on scrap prunings for you /ill need lots of practice
Unrooted cuttings from pencil to finger thic*ness /ill do #emember+ tough tape can pull 0soft0 /ood in to close gaps888
Here is a picture se9uence /hich may help gi-e the idea,
Other grafting sites of interest are provided by:
$arry :ohnston :im Purdie
Practise the angle
&o/ apply pressure
#oc* for/ard
(hen bac*
For/ard again
Bac* again,
(est the cut depth
2nsert the scion
%o/n she goes8
(he fit4s 5;,
2t4s a /rap88
he !edge "raft
2 li*e this techni9ue and use it mostly, (he local citrus nursery no/ uses it on thin s*e/er thic*ness plants /ith single node 0chips0, As before for a rooted cutting in a tube+ it is necessary to pull up/ards /ith the left hand /hile applying do/n/ard pressure /ith the cutting blade at the right angle, 5ther/ise the pressure /ill brea* the roots off, (his time t/o cuts are made+ the bottom cut more li*e 6< degrees, (he scion needs a long cut on one side and a short 6< degree one on the other to roughly match the slot,
Ma*e sure the angle stays constant /ith only a firm pressure Use a roc*ing for/ard.bac* motion+ not a hard sho-e (ry not to 0scoop0 . no cur-ed cuts8 (ry to cut the scion /ith a 0flat0 cut /ithout scooping Practice on scrap prunings for you /ill need lots of practice Unrooted cuttings from pencil to finger thic*ness /ill do #emember+ tough tape can pull 0soft0 /ood in to close gaps888
Here is a picture se9uence /hich may help gi-e the idea,
Bottom cut
$ong cut as before
Scion long cut side
Short cut under flap
$oc*ed in
=.node sample scion
>.node /ill do
he #ind or $ar% "raft
So often+ a hybridi?er gi-es you a piece of /ood and as*s you to graft it /hen you learn ho/! hoping to get the plant bac* in the future if he@she loses it for /hate-er reason, 2f it4s a thin piece+ this techni9ue is a lifesa-er, (hin rootstoc*s are not al/ays successful, (hic*er ones ha-e a much better ta*e rate for me,,,almost >AAB, (his time+ lay the *nife along the bar* as sho/n and gently push all the /ay in to the 0/ood0, With a gentle t/ist each /ay the bar* is lifted from the /ood, Go opposite the e1isting node for one graft+ or one.9uarter each /ay and ma*e t/o slits to insert t/o,! Cut the scion /ith a long flat cut from side.to.side, Bac* trim a little ledge on the bac* side to slide under the bar* more easily, &o/ trim 3ust a fine /his*er do/n each edge to bare the cambium sap line to better connect /ith the flo/, Here is a picture se9uence /hich may help gi-e the idea,
Gently cut to /ood
$ift the flaps
(he thin one
$ong 0/edge0.type
Cdge close.sha-ed
Bit more trimming
#eady to insert
#eady to /rap
Grafti%) Sta%dards or .Trees.
Scions should be D or = branched pieces to gi-e a full top of foliage as they ta*e,
A number of long cuttings should
D or = e-en slots should be spaced
(he scions re9uired need only
around the cro/n of the freshly topped a simple '.trim 0broom stic*0 be struc* a fe/ /ee*s in ad-ance
"rafting a &$room 'tic%&
2nsert the scions /ith the retained branches pointing out/ards
Wrap the /ood together to maintain good contact of the cambium layers to get the sap flo/ started,
(his ?ip.loc* bag /ill maintain the humidity from transpiration and pre-ent dehydration of the scion /hile a good sap flo/ gets started . usually needed only a couple of /ee*s,
Recycling the Failed Graft
(he recycling is finished abo-e . sho/n /ith more old grafts at the side . these /ere reco-ered from year.old 0bonsaied0 by neglect material in the old shed, Belo/ can be seen the material 2 started /ith and the half.processed grafts, Eou4ll notice 2 repotted the final plants to gi-e a better sap flo/ through the graft union and the bags maintain humidity for about D.= /ee*s before remo-al, (here is no need for misting as that is used essentially to root cuttings by creating a temperature difference bet/een the tops and bottoms of cuttings, (hese plants /ere hea-ily rooted e-en inside the tubes after the e1cess roots /ere pruned off, (hey /ill no/ be /atered about t/ice a /ee* under FAB shade, Belo/+ the discussion continues,
(he old graft scar on the left may be compared /ith the one on the right that has been sha-ed, Eou4ll notice the cambium is fresh all round and a ne/ scion could be cut to fit, (he centre /ood doesn4t regro/ any/ay and all gro/th comes from the edges . ho/e-er+ it doesn4t loo* -ery attracti-e, (hat4s /hy+ as seen belo/+ if the root.stoc* /as long enough+ it is better to cut the /hole top off and do a /edge or side graft, (he centre one sho/s a /hip.and.tongue graft /here a DAB or so angled cut matches the t/o surfaces, An e1tra cut parallel to the stem is made about a third of the /ay do/n and e1tends till le-el /ith t/o.thirds, (he t/o pieces 0loc*0 together using the centre sli-er of /ood to slot in to the cuts+ one from each,
