Grafting tips (particularly kumquats)?

[Dr Bob]

Long time lurker, first time poster!! I have really enjoyed learning so much from this forum, helping me foster my citrus tree growing hobby (“obsession” per my wife, but I disagree).
I have kept a finger lime, variegated pink eureka lemon tree, and Meyer lemon tree alive for the last 2 years, so have branched out to try to graft some new varieties, more to learn the skill than really branch out into new varieties. I have an unnamed kumquat variety I managed to repot and keep alive for the last year from a big box store (guessing it is a nagami but don’t know). However, I would really like more varieties of kumquats. I bought budwood from Madison citrus nursery (great place!!), but had meiwa and variegated centennial bud grafts fail, and have a second set about one week old now, but they aren’t looking great. Rootstock is rubidoux and from what I could tell there shouldn’t be any clear incompatibility issues. I am also in zone 6b (Kansas). Weather has been very hot but they get around 5 hrs of morning to early afternoon sun.

Any tips on getting grafts to take?

[caladri]

It's hard to give tips on getting grafts to take without knowing what you're doing. Say as much as you can about your technique, the state of your rootstock and budwood, and the environment the grafted trees are in after grafting and the rootstock beforehand.

[Seanny]

I did 2 kumquat grafts using inlay bark graft, to an unknown kumquat tree.
I had ziplock bags over grafts, sun block over.
Both stayed dormant for 4 months.

Now both grafts have short shoots with a few leaves.

Provide weather and sun protection and wait it out.

[Dr Bob]

I followed fruitmentor’s video guide on the chip bud graft (very new at this but couldn’t get back to easily slip for at-bud graft on the rootstock, right around pencil thin). The first set I put two on each rootstock, but didn’t keep the trees out of the sun. I had them wrapped in parafilm and white stretch tape, tried to keep them slightly slanted to match up cambium layers, but after 3 weeks all had failed, brown/dead buds on all kumquat grafts(my two shiranui grafts took easily, however, using exact same technique). The budwood was 5 days old from the nursery through the mail.
Second time around I have done similar chip bud grafts, on same rootstock, but I have pulled them out of the sun which I am hoping will help. I have also turned the buds even more (not quite 45 degrees but up to 30 degrees to increase likelihood of cambium contact in more than one spot). Hoping the combo of increased bud rotation and keeping out of direct sunlight will help!
Didn’t know if others had had similar experiences in getting kumquat bud grafts to take vs other varieties, o it is just my inexperience showing. I am very willing to accept that!

[caladri]

I'd start with encouraging you to try T-budding again; if the bark isn't slipping, that may be because the bark isn't slipping, and it's not a good time to bud. If you're really striking out with budding, I'd recommend a Z-graft, as something which is a lot less fussy, and may circumvent whatever problems you're having with budding.

[Dr Bob]

Thank you caladri, appreciate the input. I actually had one Nordman seedless budwood stock that I didn’t take buds off of, and ended up trying a cleft graft in a smaller flying dragon rootstock I have been growing from seed. I might just do some Z-grafting instead of bud grafting if this round doesn’t take, just seemed a little easier to take just a bud and graft from what I had been reading. Will also try t-budding again at some point!

[botanical pilot]

Glad you got the bug and welcome to the forum, Dr Bob. The more participation we have the better the forum becomes.

My best advice is to keep practicing and trying new techniques! Resources like the Citrus Clonal Protection Program, https://ccpp.ucr.edu/, make it easy to order material to expand your collection and skill. I tend to have better luck in the spring/early summer when my citrus are actively growing.

I used aluminum foil this year to insulate my grafts from the sun and that seemed to work out well.

[Dr Bob]

I was also curious what people wrapped their grafts with. Just parafilm? Parafilm and tape? Parafilm and aluminum foil? Hadn’t tried the last one and saw it in the fruitmentor video, thought it would be fairly cheap/affordable si sprays have some foil on hand!

I am also assuming the grafted tree should stay in the shade until it is clear the bud graft has taken? All my citrus are in pots given my zone so freely mobile.

[caladri]

I used to use parafilm and now use buddy tape. I had some failures this year that I'm pretty sure were largely down to not doing a rubber band wrap to ensure good contact, and next year I'll probably go back to doing a rubber band over top. I think Dan talks about that in some of his videos, too. I keep my grafted trees in an overall more mellow environment while healing: less heat, less sun, etc.

[grant5185]

Cleft grafts work best for me.  A second vote for buddy tape- I buy from eBay.

[growinginphoenix]

I have gotten about 75% success chip budding kumquat using buddy tape, rubber bands, and aluminum foil.

I think the time of year when the root stock is growing vigorously is also very important. This might be more important in my climate than in some others. I'm not sure.