Awesome grafting tool/trick

[Gollum]

I've just been doing some surfing on the world wide web as came across this little do-hiccy. Anyone seen or used this method before? It look pretty cool. Might give it a go when next lot of seedlings are ready to be grafted.

[Berengar]

This looks pretty cool, very elaborate, nice idea, but IMO, too much work for something that 1X1 cm square piece of parafilm can do better.

[Evil Genius]

Have one of them somewhere. But haven´t really used it a lot because i don´t graft on Peres oftenly.

[coolname]

I got a similar contraption in a cactus grafting kit that a friend got for me. I haven't used it yet, but think it would be handy for grafting columnar cacti that are too tall to graft my usual way with cling film. I will try and remember to take some pics tomorrow and post them here

[hostilis]

I just set the seedlings on top and they usually stick. Never understood the need or pressure on seedling grafts.

[Auxin]

In the pic it was a pup and not a seedling ;)

One major problem for me with naked seedling grafts is the peres rounding up and detaching the seedling. Happens in humidity chambers and my ambient 30-40% RH alike.

Do you starve the peres for water until it droops or something to prevent that?

[Optimystic]

I've grafted larger scions on older salvaged stocks from previous grafts and have nearly a perfect success rate even with year old
stock... they grow quite a bit faster but grafted pups usually grow quite a bit faster than starting with seedlings...

I can see where the tool would come in handy but I agree, seran and clothespin works just fine and I think in some cases
the seran gives me more flexibility to line up the rings

@ Auxin, i've seen the pere's do that mounding effect but usually the grafts grow just fine even if they look crazy... i've had plenty look like they are barely holding on and end up growing well... they're just connecting or something.. since I do most of my pere grafts semi hydropinically these daze, i empty the resevoir for several hours before I graft tho but thats to prevent scions from floating off.. still they mound on one out of so many grafts and I think nothing of it usually unless the scion looks funny... i've had shriveled scions come back to life too ... even after months lol

Edited November 24, 2014 by Optimystic

[coolname]

I just set the seedlings on top and they usually stick. Never understood the need or pressure on seedling grafts.

I was getting less than 25% success when I first started peres grafting without any pressure, and was very close to just giving up on it. Then I tried using cling wrap and a clothes peg and have had atleast 95% success since I started using it

[Berengar]

^^ Agreed.

But after a while I found cling wrap too unwieldy and difficult to work with, then switched to parafilm which is much easier to work with, sticks to itself so it doesn't require a peg, allows gasses to pass through and simply rips apart when the scion starts growing.

[Señor Corrochio]

Someone posted this pic on Facebook a while back. It's pretty neat but I also wouldn't use extra pressure. With seedlings that small keeping up the humidity should be the main factor not pressure.

[modern.shaman]

I have near 100% success rate using cling wrap method. Besides providing pressure that is needed when the pereskipsis oozes; also provides high humidity without moving the pots from their location and doesn't take up space, like a large humidity dome.

Everyone has their preferences and this is pretty cool however its not for me. I haven't tired parafilm however I'm satisfied with cling wrap.

Small seedlings like aztekium do need pressure no matter the size although that's the only exception that I can think of.

[hostilis]

Coolname, I get a 95%+ success rate with grafting and I use no pressure. The failures have all been with variegates and albinos too recently. I just dry it out for 3 days before hand and don't water for 10 days afterwards. No water comes through and pushes off the scion. I could totally see that being handy for pups and stuff though.\

And modern.shaman. All of my aztekium seedling grafts were done with no pressure and they've all taken.

Edited November 25, 2014 by hostilis

[modern.shaman]

You got pups and seedlings that were removed from humidity dome to take? Congrats; I've always had trouble with those and read lots of others do as well; but I do treat my pereskiopsis differently then what you described. I do stop watering a few days before but I water as soon as I remove the cling wrap... after 2-3 days.

IDK I guess it just me?

PS: Are your grafts outside? Perhaps that's what causes my troubles when not using clingwrap?

Edited November 25, 2014 by modern.shaman

[hostilis]

Not pups, just (tiny fucking) seedlings. I've gotten 4 to take, 2 still going now and a couple others died after a bug infestation treatment.

I stop watering the pere 3 days before grafting. Put leaf juice on the wound, place the seedlings (I placed two thinking one wouldn't take but they both did, had to cut one off later and try to regraft to selenicereus but failed since my method of applying pressure failed once it dried out a bit), put a tiny layer of vaseline around the seam of the pere and seedling, put in darkness for 3 days with bag around the pot for humidity, then put in low light for a week in humidity, start watering/put in higher light/still in humidity dome for 2 more weeks, then introduce them to the outside conditions after it starts growing for a bit.

These are inside. The humidity level in here is 30%. Temps around 60-70. Here is a picture of one of my aztekium seedling grafts. I wish it wouldn't pup like it is, but there's not much I can do. They basically just look like weird lumps of cactus flesh at this point.

Edited November 25, 2014 by hostilis

[Berengar]

Just a couple small examples of what a parafilm graft looks like. Here shown is on Selenicereus, but is even easier on Pereskiopsis.

Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but I would honestly recomend parafilm to everyone who is not satisfied with their current method. 6 bucks of parafilm with free shipping can last you many years grafting.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Tangich

[zed240]

I cracked and bought some parafilm earlier today because of all the posts of yours I've seen about it recently, Tangich!

I'll come knocking on your door to get my 5 bucks back if it doesn't give me 100% success rate and a daily blowjob. ;)

[Berengar]

Well, I guess if you wrap it around real good, and use some tingly lubricant...

I wish you luck man, I really have had amazing success with it on all rootstock I've tried, and for side grafts. If you have any questions on using it (for grafting ), please feel free to ask!

[Gollum]

I guess it could be useful for bigger pups as opposed to seedlings. Say you wanted to trim some small pups off a loph that were around the 5mm mark and graft them then it might come in handy. Never the less, I will be keeping an eye out for parafilm.

I think its cool that from a pic/post of a grafting tool i had never seen before, Tangich has shared the parafilm tek which may be even better! God I love you SAB forum! A gold mine of knowledge to be found here.

[Berengar]

I appologize for hijacking your thread, I do rattle on about parafilm every chance I get.

Only one more thing I'd like to say about it, you can also have fun with it and make multiple grafts on one stock, I made a detailed pictoral about it on another site, I think there is a photo of a Pereskiopsis with 15 scions somewhere on here or in my galery.

This plastic tubing looks like it could be useful even without the pressure, with the top covered, as a tiny 'humidity chamber', much better than setting up plastic bag over a large pereskiopsis or trying to cover it with jars etc.

[hostilis]

This plastic tubing looks like it could be useful even without the pressure, with the top covered, as a tiny 'humidity chamber', much better than setting up plastic bag over a large pereskiopsis or trying to cover it with jars etc.

That's a great idea!! I have been using bags over the top of the pot. If I would just put a little tube on it would be so much easier to handle/water the young grafts.

[Auxin]

If you get parafilm, guard it.

I once got a 36 x 3600 cm roll of the stuff and my addled mother swiped it and used up the whole roll wrapping cookies for a church fair.

Not surprisingly, the stuff makes an effective cookie wrapper

[doxneed2c-me]

I never use humidity chambers over my grafts and I rarely have issues with my grafts.

[zelly]

I never use humidity chambers over my grafts and I rarely have issues with my grafts.

more info please.....

do you perform all your grafts indoors under artificial lighting?

specific indoor ambient conditions?

outdoors in dry / full sun / hot desert conditions?

[hostilis]

Where I live the humidity levels are anywhere from 10-30% so humidity chambers are required otherwise the recently cut seedlings just shrivel up within a few days.