AusBonsai

Hi All,

Where would i find putty suitable for a thread graft on an olive? About to duck down to Buzzings to check if it's in the garden section, or is this type of thing primarily used for woodwork or something?

I'm after something like what's used in this thread (no pun intended) on grafting a Japanese Maple.

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=7263&hilit=thread+grafting

Thanks

Hi Birchman,

I don't know that you can get that particular one anywhere else other than a bonsai nursery or on line.

If you are remote from the Capital cities you may have to try some thing else.

Some people have used silicon.

Grant

If you do not have putty or would sealant, then a bit of petroleum jelly will do instead or so I am told.

( I use Japanese cut paste from Ray nesci)

Kne

I just went to see my local bonsai nurseryman, he's getting some in soon so i'll leave the graft til then. The purpose of the putty is to keep water out of the drilled hole right?

Hi Birchman , i would use extreme caution with silicon as its acetone based , but i have and do use Selleys No More Gaps .Yes i can hear the guys laughing . It is acrylic /water based and does fill well .It tends to shrink as the graft / layer or cut grows ,but the bark follows suit , if in doubt simply apply some more . Taffy put me onto Kids playdo a few years ago , that works a "treat" however it melts around 30 degree plus in direct sun . I have had excellent results with Japanese Maples , Acer Campestre Trident maples and a couple of Ornamental Maples thread grafting new branches and root thread grafting using Playdo as a sealant , even below ground level .. Cheers Alpineart

Did a thread graft on a maple last spring and used a second thread to fill out the drilled hole to tighten it all up. Used a little cut paste but it was that tight I couldn't get much in the hole. Wrap it all up with Grafting tape to keep out the water and you should be ok. You can lose the filler thread when your ready to detatch the main thread, the trunk should have consumed that as well as it all heals.

Plastacine, chewing gum, dirt mixed with spit, Taffy's playdough, anything that will stick to the tree will surfice in a bind, I have even done thread grafts without using any form of sealer as well - just make sure the thread is really tight in the hole and it should be OK. Oh yes and I have even used Cut Paste and that other sticky paste stuff that comes in the yellow tube as well

Just re-read your original post. Do not be in to big a hurry to cut the backside of the graft. Olives seem to take a long time to form a unison with the trunk when using the thread graft type of graft. I don't know about other forms of graft, but I have had grafts fail when cut before a year. These were pencil thick grafts as well. I have a couple of grafts on one of my Olives now and to be honest I am frightened to cut them off as they don't seem to have joined the trunk yet and they are way over a year old now.

Sealing a graft is primarily to stop the newly forming cells from drying out so they can continue to grow, heal the wound and (hopefully) unite with the new cells from the other piece. I don't think you want to get it into the joint or it might prevent the growing cambium (just under the bark) from joining up. Just apply it to the outside of the bark and over the grafted area.
Grafting mastic is often available from reasonable nurseries and works nearly as well as the japanese cut pastes, just a bit messier to work with.