Like a dream, Dax! Just like a dream...
1)What rate of success do you estimate for this year's batch?
2)Do you have an aproximate order of what species' grafts usually break buds first, next and last???

Best regards,
Fotis

Hi Fotis,

first are the soft pines, larch about the same time; then the firs; then the hard pines; lastly the spruce. I'm grafting at 99-100% on takes. They must make it until mid-summer and inside of the shade cloth for the better part of one month and then it's a solid idea on the percentages. So far, excellent of course.

I've had a few cultivars - all die. either they were in not so good of shape (cut when too cold outside, i.e.) or one fella told me that the (3) Abies concolor 'Pendula' I grafted - that all died were because 'it is a difficult cultivar to graft'. Otherwise I'm 100% with one loss a few weeks ago and another I found a few days ago. Of 330 or so to lose 8 or so... I'm in pig heaven... 'Quill Pig' heaven that is.

Thanks,

Dax

Awesome stuff, Dax. You have earned the right to be proud. I gotta ask, though. Do you think that stake is big enough for the 'Quill Pig' in the second pic? It looks "hog-tied". ;-)

tj

;-)

...Dax

Yeah! I would be in some kind of heaven myself in your green house (suppose it was mine!)
No need for the tennis raquet though as I am on the other side of the Antlantic ocean...

Thank you for the feedback!

I'm sorry for too many questions but I would love to know what range of tempratures you have in there now and what light hours do you use (if you give artificial light that is...)

Thank you in advance,
Fotis

I can keep the closed chamber below 80F / 27C quite easily. It's all because.... I have my greenhouse a)connected to my basement & a window connecting the basement to the greenhouse - that really draws heat from the greenhouse. b)I have 60/40 shade cloth (most folks buy 50/50) but I bought more dense cloth because I see a lot of sun in Illinois... especially now thru Fall of this coming. and c/d would be that I have a dutch door that can bring air from outside (which is always cooler - no matter what) then inside of a "glass house".

Today the temps shot up to 85F in a matter of 1/2 hour and it's cold outside... however it's very sunny today. I opened just the basement window & turned on an oscillating fan attached to my back wall up high, and I had the temp down to 76 in less than 1/2 an hour.

This "is" a full-time babysitting, job. I have a temperature moniter that I can always see the temp in the chamber, and I, watch it like a hawk. Each morning I open the chamber up and let it air out. I wipe the poly the chamber is made of, drying it off completely... then drop the cloth again and I don't water much. The cuttings I do keep evenly moist, however.

No artificial light... the grafts basically wake up very slowly. The buds may have been swelling for over a month - however they don't do much growing, until Spring, is here, also.

Dax

Nicee!

The Abies concolor 'Violacea' is a beaut!

does the variegated mugo have a name????

ken

Hey Dax - will see you about 8 or 9 May and can't wait for a tour. You've came a long way since our last visit.

I sure have. Thanks a lot Marshall for da compliment.

Dax

Beautiful grafts, Dax!

Josh

Ken, I don't know off hand. I just remembered it was a mugo from when I grafted.

Thank ya Josh.

Dax