Advanced fusion techniques, anyone got any ?

[Biofusion]

I have done a few fusions, most with moderate to good success, just wondering if anyone has some ideas on different approaches to fusing rather than just strapping them together and feeding them?

Things like type of fertilizer (NPK content for instance), preferred type of soil, ground grow or pot grow, type of strapping material (if used in the technique) and different techniques used, just like the root fusing technique shown by grant on his black pine.

Would be very interested to hear if people also find different techniques work better on different species as well.

[Drac0]

A couple of things I've done and/or am trying:

I don't like just strapping them together, I think just waiting for the bark to grow together possibly slows things down. So I use staples/brads/screws to form a connection & it holds them together much better. I then tape over that with grafting tape.

What I'm currently trying on a few plants is where they meet I'm scraping some of the bark off to form a cambium to cambium join. A slow process if doing a major fusion job though. No idea yet if it will speed things up, but

I thought of using a high nitrogen fert to push growth forward but was concerned at what it might do with things like internode length.

Will be interesting to hear what others do.

Cheers

[Biofusion]

I have also scraped cambium and then fertilised as normal .

Usually I'm fusing young stock, so internode growth usually isn't a concern for me.

In any case, that long internode growth pushing large shoots would be thickening the trunks more creating a faster and better union I would think. But people with more experience in the matter may have a different opinion.

I have even had cambium joins fail , this time, on a fig , I have not removed any cambium but strapped it up really tight with raffia, and am determined to simply leave it on until it falls off.

[fae]

I have plaited some trident whips, Sao tome azaleas and a fig.

Fiona

[Paulneill]

I have 6 trident whips I am attempting to graft. I cleaned the bark on all of them before with a nylon brush .
I then bound them together using heavy duty elastic tape followed by raffia . They were in a pot all of spring but decided to remove the base of the pot and let the roots escape into the ground . I will let them grow strongly for the next 2 seasons before having a look. I will be using high nitrogen as a had good results thickening trunks last year using extreamly high nitrogen ferts something like 50 /6/6 . I got it from the reject shop but they stopped selling it so I'm on the lookout
For more. The long internodes
Won't be an issue because all branches will be removed after fusion.

[Paulneill]

[mugen]

Here is a fusion project I've been working on with ficus natelensis two years old or there abouts there is heaps going on below the soil but you get the idea.