Something like Joe's grafting tutorial?

Joe's tutorial is, in a word, wonderful.

I'd also recommend learning whip and tongue- looks hard, works easy, at least on apple and pear. Lots of information if you google it.

Just make sure you have a sharp knife, and some tape (black plastic, masking, parafilm, polyethelene) and some time to slice and splice some pruning samples, and in an hour or two of practice you'll be ready to tackle it for real.

Here's a useful technique if you want to do whip and tongue or whip grafting. (Instructions for a right-handed person).

Hold the knife firmly in your right fist with the blade sticking out above your thumb and the edge towards your right side. The point of the knife aims towards your jaw.

Hold the piece to be cut in your left fist with the piece horizontal -level with the ground- and pointing to your right.

Hold your right fist-with-knife firmly against your breast bone just above your solar plexus. Don't let the knife move. Think "My right hand is a vice."

Bring the left hand with the piece to be cut into contact with the cutting edge.

HOLD THE KNIFE RIGID. Draw the wood into the blade with one smooth stroke so that a nice taper is cut.

Do the same on the other piece. If you put them together they should form a straight piece. You could whip those together, and it would probably work (that's a whip graft) but you can increase the mechancial strength and gain a little help if you cut a slice back into each diagonal cut to form a tongue. Then when you marry the pieces they will not be so prone to slipping around when you do the whipping. Align the cambium layers carefully and gently. Try not to fuss around with it to much- line it up, slide it together smoothly, tweak it a bit to guarantee the alignment.

That's it. Wrap it to hold them together and to prevent them from drying, and in a few days or weeks you'll find out if it took!

It's a hoot. Have fun.

Best,

M

I was pondering the same thing last week and at the same time perusing our book case for something else. What a suprise, there was my plant propagation text book from college with very nicely detailed directions, reasons and illustrations! Score!

Hello grafters...
bark grafting is my preferred method, ...this modified bark grafting give's you a fast grow start and better healing properties to form a solid union in one season when joining to root stock or top graft trees not larger then your thumb.
Have fun!
Konrad

Here is a link that might be useful: modified bark grafting

There's quiet a few videos on YouTube about grafting.

But..don't do it like this.

Here is a link that might be useful: grafting

IMHO, the best:

http://www.jardin-mundani.com/English/GRAFTS/Grafts.htm

Mundani is an experimented grafter from Majorca island.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mudani's grafting site

you can check it on. http://www.treesofjoy.com/grafting.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: whip and tongue grafting toturial.

well .... as always thanks all !

special thanks to konrad - yep, thats the exact pics i was wanting to study and mark - for saving some band aids. i didn't even have to have a dry run to realize the wisdom of moving the wood instead of metal for accuracy and safety.

got everything i need ! will practice plenty before butchering scions and rootstock.

just wasn't getting exactly what i needed googling and yahooing. i'm sure i'm just making more out of a simple thing because it's important ( enjoyment ) to me.

thanks,
wildlifeman