Mango scions to refrigerate or to refrigerate not

[snowjunky]

There's a lot of mango scion exchanging and mango grafting going on around here . 
What is your experience with storing mango scions?
I got kids and work and sometimes can't graft my scion promptly after receiving them in the mail. 
I store citrus and other hardier scions in the refer for a while to extend their viability, but can mango scions store in the 35F to 39F degree range?

I received some nice mango scions from Oscar that took and stored the extra in the fridge for 2 weeks before I also grafted the extra. 
The extra still looked green and fresh inside and out after 2 weeks in the fridge, but none of them took. 
Maybe they were too cold or maybe they were just too old.  If it's too cold, then would 45F or 50F be ok?
Please share your experience!

Thanks,
Steve

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

I Would't refrigerate them, as they go not viable within days as i have noted, graft them immediatl y

[Mark in Texas]

I've had good takes with mango and avocado sticks that were in the fridge 6 weeks or more.  Viability and success really depends on the conditions of the sticks selected.  For example, if they were clean, firm and green they'll last a long time with a slightly damp piece of paper towel or just a flick of your wet hand into the baggie before sealing.   If they were limp had some black fungi going on, well.......

[snowjunky]

I've had good takes with mango and avocado sticks that were in the fridge 6 weeks or more.  Viability and success really depends on the conditions of the sticks selected.  For example, if they were clean, firm and green they'll last a long time with a slightly damp piece of paper towel or just a flick of your wet hand into the baggie before sealing.   If they were limp had some black fungi going on, well.......

Ok then, it might have been my grafting skills or the root stock gone dormant for the winter, too.  That's good to know Mark in Texas!

Agreed with grafting mango scions asap though since they don't seem to last as long as other plants.  Especially in the summer heat, which is when people collect mango scions and graft them.

[Raulglezruiz]

I don't think low temperatures are good for mangos, I constantly receive mango scions from Florida some of them travel between 30/45 days in transit and still have a take of 70/80 %, so my advice is a ziploc bag with some vermiculite and very, very few water just to keep humedity inside the bag, that way they can last easily 3/4 weeks...

[Lory]

Raul you let the sender strip the scion leaves 3-4 days before cutting it in order do have the buds swelling?
You usually go with cleft graft?

[snowjunky]

I don't think low temperatures are good for mangos, I constantly receive mango scions from Florida some of them travel between 30/45 days in transit and still have a take of 70/80 %, so my advice is a ziploc bag with some vermiculite and very, very few water just to keep humedity inside the bag, that way they can last easily 3/4 weeks...

Wow! that's a long time Raul.  What grafting method do you prefer and are you grafting on mature trees or seedlings?

Raul you let the sender strip the scion leaves 3-4 days before cutting it in order do have the buds swelling?
You usually go with cleft graft?

Yeah that's a very good tip.  I think I saw that on youtube.
It also allows the sap to dry and seal on the cut leave stems, therefore allowing the tree to replenish the sap in the scion before the scion is removed. 
That's what I do with fig cuttings.  More sap equals stronger scion I hope.

[Raulglezruiz]

Raul you let the sender strip the scion leaves 3-4 days before cutting it in order do have the buds swelling?
You usually go with cleft graft?

Hi Lory, most of the time senders haven't strip the scions before they send, the most and basically only commercial kind of mango graft here is side veneer.....

[Raulglezruiz]

I don't think low temperatures are good for mangos, I constantly receive mango scions from Florida some of them travel between 30/45 days in transit and still have a take of 70/80 %, so my advice is a ziploc bag with some vermiculite and very, very few water just to keep humedity inside the bag, that way they can last easily 3/4 weeks...

Wow! that's a long time Raul.  What grafting method do you prefer and are you grafting on mature trees or seedlings?

Raul you let the sender strip the scion leaves 3-4 days before cutting it in order do have the buds swelling?
You usually go with cleft graft?

Yeah that's a very good tip.  I think I saw that on youtube.
It also allows the sap to dry and seal on the cut leave stems, therefore allowing the tree to replenish the sap in the scion before the scion is removed. 
That's what I do with fig cuttings.  More sap equals stronger scion I hope.

I'm grafting on seedlings....

[Lory]

Muchas gracias Raul! 

[sapote]

" the most and basically only commercial kind of mango graft here is side veneer....."

I thought it makes more sense to do Cleft graft (vertical cut down center of root stock) on seedling since the rootstock trunk is small. How can you do side veneer on a pencil size root stock?

[behlgarden]

" the most and basically only commercial kind of mango graft here is side veneer....."

I thought it makes more sense to do Cleft graft (vertical cut down center of root stock) on seedling since the rootstock trunk is small. How can you do side veneer on a pencil size root stock?

with Veneer you tend to keep the top part of rootstock with leaves intact and can be reused if graft fails, with cleft, not so.

[sapote]

It makes sense now. Thanks.

[Mark in Texas]

" the most and basically only commercial kind of mango graft here is side veneer....."

I thought it makes more sense to do Cleft graft (vertical cut down center of root stock) on seedling since the rootstock trunk is small. How can you do side veneer on a pencil size root stock?

Actually side veneer grafting is the easiest and most effective way to match up the cambium on greatly unmatched girths.  Just make the width of the cut on each about the same width.  Sure helps having someone hold the scion in place while you wrap.

[sapote]

Actually side veneer grafting is the easiest and most effective way to match up the cambium on greatly unmatched girths.  Just make the width of the cut on each about the same width.  Sure helps having someone hold the scion in place while you wrap.

Very true on unmatched girths. As I did this few weeks ago using Walter Zills method, I was thinking this is a perfect graft for small scions and larger rootstock. But the method should have same merit on small root stocks too. The only thing I don't like about side veneer is it is impossible to seal off the water from entering the wrapped up union, as compare to a perfectly sealed Cleft graft. I ended up cut some small holes at the bottom of the my poorman "parafilm" wrap in case water got in from the opened top.

[Raulglezruiz]

Actually side veneer grafting is the easiest and most effective way to match up the cambium on greatly unmatched girths.  Just make the width of the cut on each about the same width.  Sure helps having someone hold the scion in place while you wrap.

Very true on unmatched girths. As I did this few weeks ago using Walter Zills method, I was thinking this is a perfect graft for small scions and larger rootstock. But the method should have same merit on small root stocks too. The only thing I don't like about side veneer is it is impossible to seal off the water from entering the wrapped up union, as compare to a perfectly sealed Cleft graft. I ended up cut some small holes at the bottom of the my poorman "parafilm" wrap in case water got in from the opened top.

For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm, by the way the rootstock in the pics are reused from failure grafts attempts, (not by me) the scions in the pic are Cotton Candy that travel in zip log bag with vermiculite for 45 days in transit and 2 out of 3 arrived fine...

[sapote]

"For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm"

I did, but I uncovered the top of the scion after it sent out new growth. Then, how do you stop rain going in and pool in there?

[Lory]

Excellent job Raul 

[Raulglezruiz]

"For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm"

I did, but I uncovered the top of the scion after it sent out new growth. Then, how do you stop rain going in and pool in there?

The best thing would be to put under some roof assuming is rainy season, anyway if the scion broke off most of the time is taking, then what you did opening the lower part to leak I think is fine..

[Raulglezruiz]

Excellent job Raul 

Gracias amigo! 😄

[Mark in Texas]

"For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm"

I did, but I uncovered the top of the scion after it sent out new growth. Then, how do you stop rain going in and pool in there?

It's not going to get in if you wrapped it properly starting from the bottom up and past the top of the rootstock about an inch.  Each wrap overlaps the previous one.  Here's a Reed I did May 2012 that is kept at 10' and bears well.



3 mos. later in August.

[Mark in Texas]

"For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm"

I did, but I uncovered the top of the scion after it sent out new growth. Then, how do you stop rain going in and pool in there?

No need to cut parafilm.  Leave it alone to decompose on its own.  I've seen scions push thru regular tough vinyl tape.

[snowjunky]

Yes

"For preventing the water from getting in just cover the hole scions with parafilm"

I did, but I uncovered the top of the scion after it sent out new growth. Then, how do you stop rain going in and pool in there?

No need to cut parafilm.  Leave it alone to decompose on its own.  I've seen scions push thru regular tough vinyl tape.

Yes it's safe to leave the parafilm to fall apart on it's own 95% of the time. 
I have had a few growing grafts die from mold because of the parafilm retaining too much moisture.
If you see heavy condensation inside the parafilm then you should remove or puncture a hole in the parafilm to prevent rotting.

[fruitlovers]

If you are planning to graft in just a couple of days then leave the mango scions out of the fridge. If you are planning to graft in a couple of weeks then i would put them in the fridge. But use only the warmest part of the fridge, which is about 40-50F, And that is the area with the produce bin, usually on the bottom of the fridge.

[snowjunky]

If you are planning to graft in just a couple of days then leave the mango scions out of the fridge. If you are planning to graft in a couple of weeks then i would put them in the fridge. But use only the warmest part of the fridge, which is about 40-50F, And that is the area with the produce bin, usually on the bottom of the fridge.

Thank you for your input Oscar.  Now we know!