20 days of consecutive grafting a Competition

[Inyan]

2018 Trichocereus Grafting Competition

 

20 consecutive days of Grafting

 

Rules for the grafting competition

 

1.Must not of grafted before December 2017 to win first place.

 

2. Must be willing to try to make 20 grafts

 

3. Must be willing to graft with parafilm

 

4. Each graft must be made on a different day and posted the day it was grafted.

 

5. If grafts are done on Pereskiopsis quaibentia, Pereskiopsis spathulata, etc. they must be planted in a single seed tray and the seed tray photographed in its entirety. Each successful Pereskiopsis graft will be awarded 5 points.

 

6. If grafts are done on Trichocereus an additional 20 points for the first two successful Trichocereus grafts will be awarded. Additional successful grafts on Trichocereus will be counted the same as successfull Pereskiopsis grafts which will be awarded 5 points. Trichocereus stock must be 31 cm in height at a minimum.

 

7. Those wishing to try grafting to Trichocereus stock may submit 2 additional Pereskiopsis grafts on the same day as the first two Trichocereus grafts. However, only 2 of those grafts will count towards your total.  

 

8. Each graft must show some proof of the day the graft was made such as a local newspaper date beside it.

 

9. Seedlings used in competition must be no older than 2 months or no larger than a standard pencil eraser.

 

 

 

Example submission:

1.  2 stock Trichocereus grafts successful = 50 points

18 stock Pereskiopsis grafts successful = 90 points

Total = 140 points

 

2. 2 stock Trichocereus grafts successful = 50 points

18 stock Trichocereus grafts successful =90 points

Total = 140 points

 

3. 20 stock Perskiopsis grafts successful = 100 points

 

*In the event of a tie, an additional point will be awarded for each variegated, albino, crested, monstrose, tricotyledon, quatrocotyledon type seedling.

 

I will personally award the first place winner via post 7 of my own seed grown specimens. One of which will be crested and/or variegated.

 

2^nd place winner will receive one variegated specimen with the potential to have colorful flowers and 3 additional seedlings from my collection. 2^nd place winner may come from either the pool of those who have never grafted prior to December 2017 or from the pool of experienced grafters.

 

 

Start date will be determined after we have 7 people sign up and post pictures of their stock, seed packets, and parafilm. Contest is not limited to 7 people. Anyone can participate. You will have 20 consecutive days to perform your grafts. Each graft will be confirmed to have taken when active growth is seen.

 

Purpose of competition: To provide a friendly atmosphere in which to learn and practice grafting. This benefits us all as the more people we have grafting the more eye candy can be shared. For those familiar with other methods of grafting, it simply can't hurt to learn other methods.

 

You must indicate in your post whether you have grafted prior to December 2017 or whether you are an experienced grafter.

 

I cannot guarantee delivery, as only you know the rules of your post. Do not let that keep your from participating however as you may have your cacti sent to anyone you wish to award.

 

If anyone else wants to step in and sweeten the pot by offering an additional prize or prizes to anyone by all means do that as well as I am sure there is no such thing as being gifted too much.

 

I will exclude myself from being able to receive any points/prizes in this competition, but I reserve the right to participate in the name of fun. 

 

Lastly, if you are not 1st or 2nd place winner, price of admission is agreeing to send one of your successful grafts, if you have more than one successful graft, to our first place winner. If you have no successful grafts, you will agree to send 3 seeds or seedlings to our first place winner.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Inyan
To ensure admission price is paid

[DualWieldRake]

Now thats an awesome competition

 

Is plastic wrap allowed or does it have to be parafilm?

[Inyan]

Must be parafilm my friend. Now, for the obvious...1 inch rolls work best for those that don't like to cut and or tear when working with small seedlings. 0.5 inch rolls work best for the horizontal portion that you wrap around the stock, but I generally just use the 1 inch roll for both and rip it in half for the horizontal wrap around Pereskiopsis stock or even Trichocereus stock. A little experimentation will show you how to rip parafilm in a straight line versus stretching it to cover your scion. You can also purchase a much larger sheet of parafilm... works just the same, but you will want to cut it. https://www.amazon.com/Parafilm®-Grafting-Tape-Genuine-Clear/dp/B0085OFNVE

 

That is the one I use, but feel free to source elsewhere if $5.00 is too much. I've done over a thousand grafts with one roll and had plenty left over.

[Inyan]

A quick example showing the progression of a seedling grafted to Trichocereus (SS02 x SS01) x Red Grandiflorus  and how she looks now. I'd like to point out that while variegation was evident in the first picture, the variegation actually got a bit better as this one grew. This same cross was available with a Red Grandiflorus parent that was variegated as well if memory serves me. That cross would have likely thrown out even more variegates. 

 

Not seeing a lot of people affirming they will participate in this contest so I'm going to up the stakes a bit by adding a piece of one of my very specials to one of the winners plates.  I'm thinking a chunk of this one might be able to entice some of you all to join in the fun? For the winner or winners that uses at least 2 Trichocereus as stock for their seedlings? I'll even make this easier by allowing you to use any size Trichocereus  stock to be included for that last little one, but mind you... no bonus points to be given for Trichocereus under 1 foot in height after cutting. This addendum means you can use Trichocereus of any height for your grafted seedlings with the understanding that Trichocereus stock not 1 foot tall will still be counted the same as Pereskiopsis stock grafts.

. +   for example would only give you 10 points, but would be enough to give you a chunk of variegated crested pachanoi if you were one of the winners chosen to receive this one. I'm going to reserve the right to pick which one gets this special though if both winners achieve this desired goal.

I'm partial to things like seedlings grafted that are no bigger than the largest seedling I've posted pictures of for instance. If I see a winner has consistently chosen smaller seedlings to work... that is going to significantly influence my decision as to which winner to give it to should I have to chose between two winners.

[od101010]

Any 1 know of a parafilm source in aus that's reasonably priced?

Edited March 17, 2018 by od101010

[Inyan]

1 hour ago, od101010 said:

Any 1 know of a parafilm source in aus that's reasonably priced?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-Roll-1-x1080-Clear-Parafilm-Nursery-Tape-for-Grafting-and-Budding-/121136518679

 

Found this for you my friend. 

AU $6.58

Should last you a thousand seedling grafts or more. 

[Gimli]

2 minutes ago, Inyan said:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-Roll-1-x1080-Clear-Parafilm-Nursery-Tape-for-Grafting-and-Budding-/121136518679

 

Found this for you my friend. 

AU $6.58

Should last you a thousand seedling grafts or more. 

 

Postage:

Doesn't post to Australia

 

Try this

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Paper-Parafilm-Florist-Floral-Tape-Wedding-Bouquet-Stem-Wrap-Craft-Waterproof/302559987943?hash=item4671fb08e7:m:miPEV5ojVZcRFOG6k7aUYPA

[Inyan]

Thanks Gimli. I've not grafted with the colored parafilm, but light colors I'm betting will be best. Colors like yellow, pink, etc. should allow one to see through the graft better when the tape is stretched. I like to see what I'm doing. 

 

With that being said, If we can get some interested people to try grafting for the first time and or simply get some old grafters off to trying a different technique I'd be tickled pink.

 

I've been grafting up a storm today as you can see from the one little baby here.

[Gimli]

Inyan, with so much flesh exposed, do you not hit with sulfur?

[Inyan]

10 minutes ago, Gimli said:

Inyan, with so much flesh exposed, do you not hit with sulfur?

Sulfur does tend to dry things out a bit and at the same time help prevent infection. Definitely a good way to go so long as one is careful not to get any dust in the graft union itself.

 

This is not a finished graft though.... as I generally cover and hold down with parafilm, string, co-ban, etc. depending on what the graft is asking for or a combination of two or three materials sometimes. 

[od101010]

I looked on ebay i didn't know if that stem wrap the same as parafilm when i was looking i thought i read it was made of a different material.

I did see some 1" stuff from china.

 

[Inyan]

38 minutes ago, od101010 said:

I looked on ebay i didn't know if that stem wrap the same as parafilm when i was looking i thought i read it was made of a different material.

I did see some 1" stuff from china.

 

You bring up a good point od101010, just because it looks similar and has the same name doesn't mean it may not be different enough to affect the graft unfavorably. With that being said, 1 inch stuff from China as you say might fare better for you. I personally prefer the 1 inch wrap as opposed to the 1/2 inch stuff as I can also use it for my larger slab grafts.

 

This stuff, I guarantee will work. I've used this in the past to graft trees and cacti. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Box-Parafilm-M-Laboratory-Seal-Film-Width-4-101mm-Length-38-Meters-125ft/371397806399?_trkparms=aid%3D555019%26algo%3DPL.BANDIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D50686%26meid%3D1e19f1fd447e424eb65b485167c81c89%26pid%3D100506%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D371397806399&_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226

 

Of course, you'd have to be a grafting fool to use it all on seedlings. 

Edited March 18, 2018 by Inyan