Grafting Cannabis

phatlip

Active Member
i was curious to see if anyone has ever tried or heard of a successful graft of two cannabis strains... grafting is what they do with roses if u dont know... they take two different kinds of rose, make a slit type thing on the stem and slide the other type of rose in the split... just curious, in theory, i dont see why it wouldnt work...
 

Da Chef

Member
i have seen similar threads that pose this question. and an interesting question it is, but no one seems to have any experience doing it. i also did a google search for grafting cannabis once and did not find much on the subject.

if i were you, i would just try it. it wont kill the plants. tell us how it goes.

the results could be very interesting. multi-strain mother would be so rad.
 

moash

New Member
i was curious to see if anyone has ever tried or heard of a successful graft of two cannabis strains... grafting is what they do with roses if u dont know... they take two different kinds of rose, make a slit type thing on the stem and slide the other type of rose in the split... just curious, in theory, i dont see why it wouldnt work...
it talks about grafting in this book i have called marijuana botany
 

phatlip

Active Member
heres a pic of it
picture doesnt work... link? or maybe post again as attachment... i have to plants i have just been playing with that i can try it with... any tips on how to do it... i have never grafted anything...,
 

Brick Top

New Member
i was curious to see if anyone has ever tried or heard of a successful graft of two cannabis strains... grafting is what they do with roses if u dont know... they take two different kinds of rose, make a slit type thing on the stem and slide the other type of rose in the split... just curious, in theory, i dont see why it wouldnt work...


You can graft marijuana plants, I have done it, but just like any other grafted plant the portion above the graft will only have its original genetics. It will not create a cross or a combination of the two different genetics.
 
What can be fun is to start a number of clones of different types when another plant or plants are in flower. Time it, as best you can, so your clones are very sturdy when you are ready to harvest your flowering plant or plants.
 
Instead of taking/harvesting the entire plant you do more like you are going to re-veg the plant, leave some of the lower portion/branches. Then graft different clones of different strains onto the single plant. You start out with a fully established root structure and you get a plant that will give you a variety of different strains to enjoy later.

Of course you will need to pick strains with the same claimed flowering period length or else you will have to later harvest different portions at different times, well that is still likely but if you chose right it will not be all that spread out. If you graft a number of clones of one type then harvesting would be no different than in a normal regular grow.

Of course you would have to decide which type of grafting method would work best for you .. but research should help you out there.



Grafting

Grafting and budding are methods of asexual plant propagation that join plant parts so they will grow as one plant. These techniques are used to propagate cultivars that will not root well as cuttings or whose own root systems are inadequate. One or more new cultivars can be added to existing fruit and nut trees by grafting or budding.​
The portion of the cultivar that is to be propagated is called the scion. It consists of a piece of shoot with dormant buds that will produce the stem and branches. The rootstock, or stock, provides the new plant’s root system and sometimes the lower part of the stem. The cambium is a layer of cells located between the wood and bark of a stem from which new bark and wood cells originate. (See Fruit chapter for discussion of apple rootstock).​
Four conditions must be met for grafting to be successful: the scion and rootstock must be compatible; each must be at the proper physiological stage; the cambial layers of the scion and stock must meet; and the graft union must be kept moist until the wound has healed.​
Cleft Grafting

Bark Graft




Whip or Tongue Graft
Cleft Grafting
Cleft grafting is often used to change the cultivar or top growth of a shoot or a young tree (usually a seedling). It is especially successful if done in the early spring. Collect scion wood 3/8 to 5/8 inch in diameter. Cut the limb or small tree trunk to be reworked, perpendicular to its length. Make a 2-inch vertical cut through the center of the previous cut. Be careful not to tear the bark. Keep this cut wedged apart. Cut the lower end of each scion piece into a wedge. Prepare two scion pieces 3 to 4 inches long. Insert the scions at the outer edges of the cut in the stock. Tilt the top of the scion slightly outward and the bottom slightly inward to be sure the cambial layers of the scion and stock touch. Remove the wedge propping the slit open and cover all cut surfaces with grafting wax.​
Bark Grafting
Unlike most grafting methods, bark grafting can be used on large limbs, although these are often infected before the wound can completely heal. Collect scion wood 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter when the plant is dormant, and store the wood wrapped in moist paper in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Saw off the limb or trunk of the rootstock at a right angle to itself. In the spring, when the bark is easy to separate from the wood, make a 1/2-inch diagonal cut on one side of the scion, and a 1-inch diagonal cut on the other side. Leave two buds above the longer cut. Cut through the bark of the stock, a little wider than the scion. Remove the top third of the bark from this cut. Insert the scion with the longer cut against the wood. Nail the graft in place with flat-headed wire nails. Cover all wounds with grafting wax.​
Whip or Tongue Grafting
This method is often used for material 1/4 to 1/2 inches in diameter. The scion and rootstock are usually of the same diameter, but the scion may be narrower than the stock. This strong graft heals quickly and provides excellent cambial contact. Make one 2 1/2-inch long sloping cut at the top of the rootstock and a matching cut on the bottom of the scion. On the cut surface, slice downward into the stock and up into the scion so the pieces will interlock. Fit the pieces together, then tie and wax the union.​
Care of the Graft
Very little success in grafting will be obtained unless proper care is maintained for the following year or two. If a binding material such as strong cord or nursery tape is used on the graft, this must be cut shortly after growth starts to prevent girdling. Rubber budding strips have some advantages over other materials. They expand with growth and usually do not need to be cut, as they deteriorate and break after a short time. It is also an excellent idea to inspect the grafts after 2 or 3 weeks to see if the wax has cracked, and if necessary, rewax the exposed areas. After this, the union will probably be strong enough and no more waxing will be necessary.​
Limbs of the old variety which are not selected for grafting should be cut back at the time of grafting. The total leaf surface of the old variety should be gradually reduced as the new one increases until at the end of 1 or 2 years, the new variety has completely taken over. Completely removing all the limbs of the old variety at the time of grafting increases the shock to the tree and causes excessive suckering. Also, the scions may grow too fast, making them susceptible to wind damage.​
Patch Bud
Budding

Budding, or bud grafting, is the union of one bud and a small piece of bark from the scion with a rootstock. It is especially useful when scion material is limited. It is also faster and forms a stronger union than grafting.​
Patch Budding
Plants with thick bark should be patch budded. This is done while the plants are actively growing, so their bark slips easily. Remove a rectangular piece of bark from the rootstock. Cover this wound with a bud and matching piece of bark from the scion. If the rootstock’s bark is thicker than that of the scion, pare it down to meet the thinner bark so that when the union is wrapped the patch will be held firmly in place.​
T-Bud


Chip Bud
Chip Budding
This budding method can be used when the bark is not slipping. Slice downward into the rootstock at a 45o angle through 1/4 of the wood. Make a second cut upward from the first cut, about one inch. Remove a bud and attending chip of bark and wood from the scion shaped so that it fits the rootstock wound. Fit the bud chip to the stock and wrap the union.​
T-budding
This is the most commonly used budding technique. When the bark is slipping, make a vertical cut (same axis as the root stock) through the bark of the rootstock, avoiding any buds on the stock. Make a horizontal cut at the top of the vertical cut (in a T shape) and loosen the bark by twisting the knife at the intersection. Remove a shield-shaped piece of the scion, including a bud, bark, and a thin section of wood. Push the shield under the loosened stock bark. Wrap the union, leaving the bud exposed.​
Care of Buds
Place the bud in the stock in August. Force the bud to develop the following spring by cutting the stock off 3 to 4 inches above the bud. The new shoot may be tied to the resulting stub to prevent damage from the wind. After the shoot has made a strong union with the stock, cut the stub off close to the budded area.​
 

satch

Well-Known Member
What would be the benefit of a graft with MJ? Grafting normally takes a whole growing season. I'd think it would be better to just reveg over and over if you're trying to keep one. My dad was telling me, this morning about an old hippie he used to buy pounds from who had one he'd been revegging for 6 years. After the growing season he'd bring it inside and throw it under lights just like you would a pepper plant.
 

seedlessMilf

Active Member
My dad was telling me, this morning about an old hippie he used to buy pounds from who had one he'd been revegging for 6 years. After the growing season he'd bring it inside and throw it under lights just like you would a pepper plant.
that's funny, your dad must know my sancho cuz he does the same thing! he's a firm believer in revegging
his plants. as far as the whole grafting thing goes, i think in theory it should work, but it ultimately doesn't seem to be the best way to cross breed. IMHO the best way is to keep the male's balls frozen and when you wanna cross breed, simply pop open a ball and dab it with a qtip. Take said qtip and dab the female plant's hairs in certain locations and mark the locations with a twist tie. the areas touched should be the only part of the plant you get seeds.
 

phatlip

Active Member
well ya of course normal propagation is the best way, if grafting worked petter thats what people would do.... what it would allow u to do is have a few different strains growing from the same stalk.... so rather that having four plants, u can have one with four different kinds of strains... seems to me it would be best used when space is limited and u want to grow more than one strain
 

satch

Well-Known Member
well ya of course normal propagation is the best way, if grafting worked petter thats what people would do.... what it would allow u to do is have a few different strains growing from the same stalk.... so rather that having four plants, u can have one with four different kinds of strains... seems to me it would be best used when space is limited and u want to grow more than one strain
It would be pretty rad to have a giant to reveg with two completely different genetics. In theory it should work, but the time and effort to do it might not be worth it.
 

phatlip

Active Member
ya it would def be sweet to have a mother that has been grafted with a few different srains ... 3 mothers in 1
 

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
Other than "just as a novelty", what is the point? Roses are grafted to get a robust "rootstock" together with a beautiful "flowering top" section. Beautiful hybrid Tea Roses and robust rootstocks seem to be mutually exclusive, therefore grafting is a requirement!

None of the strains of cannibis that I'm familiar with suffer from a weak root system. Now, if you could graft a good cannibis top onto a Kudzu rootstock - you might have something, "The Pot Plant that devoured Cleveland"!
 

IvGotCandy17

Active Member
so if I wanted to give grafting a shot i just cut off a bud like normal harvest the slice it a little and fit a clone in the slice? Please let me know I have two strains that I love dearly and it would be sick to have a huge beast with my two favorite strains, or perhaps a variety bush with 3 or 4 strains maybe some cool color combos lol/
 

satch

Well-Known Member
Odds are if you're asking how to graft, you won't be successful at it. I've been trying hardwood grafts forever, haven't yet to get one to take.
 

phatlip

Active Member
ya its difficult... but in a nut shell ya cut ur slice and slide it in... if u want to try it and have never grafted before, look up how to graft roses... thats your best bet
 

madazz

Well-Known Member
no benifits the only thing u would get is say a bubblegum plant with a big bud branch grafted to it. it cannot be clonned and contine to grow both fruits unles each diff branch is cloned and re grafted again. it can take a few weeks for the graft to take. wasting prescious growing/flowering time. Also pot (marijuana) is a annual it normally dies each season, so once the grafted plant was flowered for it to be re used and worth even grafting in the 1st place it would need re veg which can take more weeks. in my opinion not worth doing. Its done with plants mainly as the stem say on a particular rose its roots are weak and no good so they graft the stem to a root stock which has fast growing roots. Also done with apples as each yaer they will produc the diff fruits. my 2 cents.

Madazz:weed:
 
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