Interesting stuff:)

as some IBC members are aware, I'm a big enthusiast of grafting conifers. I've been experimenting with different techniques and times of season for grafting buds and branches. In mid-spring 2010, I clipped a shoot from this japanese black pine and grafted it on to itself in a redundant area just to see what would happen (without holding back the bud for several days by placing it in cold storage). There were two more needle pairs that had turned black from fungus. As the terminal bud casing was black, too, I assumed that the entire shoot had died.

Well, when unwrapping the grafting tape from the shoot for removal, I noticed that two needle pairs had survived, so, I wrapped sphagnum moss around the area to keep the moisture high. The terminal bud had died, though. Knowing that japanese black pines are prolific at producing adventitious buds, I waited a year to see what would happen.

Upon checking my project today, I discovered the emergence of an adventitious bud on the graft, even though the terminal had died last year. kewl

thats pleasure ........

Congrats onthe graft. Hope it takes off for you.

As for this

peter keane wrote:(without holding back the bud for several days by placing it in cold storage).

Interesting, can you explain this? I have never done this step and get decent grafting results. I usually go straight from the scion cut to a graft, keeping the scion moist.

Rob, I can't answer for Peter's reasoning but the refrigerating practice began as a question of logistics. The nursery industry generally harvest scion wood in bulk inorder to supply their grafting needs. And, like a lot of other things the original intent is sometimes not understood and propagated (pun intended)
Wood

Rob Kempinski wrote:Congrats onthe graft. Hope it takes off for you.

As for this

peter keane wrote:(without holding back the bud for several days by placing it in cold storage).

Interesting, can you explain this? I have never done this step and get decent grafting results. I usually go straight from the scion cut to a graft, keeping the scion moist.

Hi Rob. I've heard from several people that for grafting pines, or other conifers, to place the scion wood in cold storage for a week or two. This is to allow the root stock a head start in growth while the prolonging dormancy for the scion. This supposedly, betters the chances of grafting success. These people are quite certain that it works. This past winter, I've grafted mugo pine to ponderosa in seven areas, applying this technique. None of the shoots survived. I contacted someone knowledgeable about graft compatibilty between mugo and ponderosa pine and was assured they are. I don't believe it's my grafting technique.

In the previous year with a japanese black pine, I've attached scions from the same tree to itself in another part without the scions being in the refridgerator and had success. This is the technique I'm going to stick with.