Pretty Poison (36 page)

Collect budsticks from young, firm stems of the plant you want to graft.
Wilted budwood won’t make a successful graft. Place the sticks in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel or a little moist peat moss, then seal the bag with tape. Store it in a cool spot, out of the sun. It will last several days.

Cut surfaces will dry out quickly and hurt your chances at a good graft.
It’s important to cut, match, and wrap the graft as quickly as possible. Some gardeners put the cut ends in their mouths to keep moist while they’re working. But beware of poisonous plants! Don’t let cut ends come in contact with soil.

After joining plant and budstick, wrap grafts with clear polyethylene budding tape.
Stretch the tape almost to the point of breaking. Then seal with tape. A graft is usually wrapped three to six weeks, depending on the type of plant being grafted. A callus should develop on the cut surfaces. This is the healing tissue of the plant. It’s a small drop of white or tan spongy material. When you see this, the graft is ready to be unwrapped. Cold-weather grafts should be left longer. In colder climates, fall grafts are sometimes left wrapped until spring.

Not all of your attempts will work, but this can be an interesting way to create your own new plants!

“Longwood Gardens was created by industrialist Pierre S. du Pont (and is sometimes referred to as the DuPont Gardens) and offers 1,050 acres (425 hectares) of gardens, woodlands, and meadows; 20 outdoor gardens; 20 indoor gardens within 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of heated greenhouses; 11,000 different types of plants; spectacular fountains; extensive educational programs including horticultural career training and internships; and 800 horticultural and performing arts events each year, from flower shows, gardening demonstrations, courses, and children’s programs to concerts, organ and carillon recitals, musical theater, and fireworks displays. Longwood is open every day of the year and attracts more than 900,000 visitors annually.” [
www.longwoodgardens.org
]

Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit their Web page,
www.longwoodgardens.org
, or write: Route 1, PO Box 501, Kennett Square, PA 19348-0501, USA, or call: 610- 388-1000.

 

 

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