In early November ECHO North America hosted a training on Grafting for FGCU students. During the training we grafted White Sapote using a side veneer grafting method.
The grafts completed in that session either went home with the students or stayed on the shade house floor, receiving regular water and reduced sunlight.
A month later on 1 December the grafts were starting to push new growth. Because it was wrapped in parafilm the new leaves pushed right through the parafilm without assistance.
To force the rootstock plant to continue to prioritize the grafted buds we forced the rootstock by bending it, but not removing it fully. This breaks the dominance of the apical meristem.
We allow the top part of the rootstock to remain until the leaves below are more established. Once the scion’s leaves are mature enough we will remove the rootstock stem just above the graft union. In the mean time, allowing the rootstock to continue growing helps to “feed the tree” and keep the graft union alive.
What species do you find forcing a graft helpful in your context?