Poll
Question:
I think one should graft
Option 1: never
votes: 0
Option 2: exceptionally for saving some difficult and/or rare plant
votes: 0
Option 3: only for being able to grow a few the most difficult species that otherways wouldn't grow in particular conditions
votes: 1
Option 4: mainly for accelerating growth of seedlings; the grown-up plants should be degrafted and re-rooted
votes: 1
Option 5: for breeding purpuses only; collection plants should be all on their own roots
votes: 1
Option 6: for man-made cultivars only (fe for cristatas, variegatas, monstruosas and alike)
votes: 0
Option 7: for different reasons, but mainly on possibly low rootstocks that do not force scions to grow unnaturally big or deformed
votes: 3
Option 8: whenever it comes to mind and on any rootstock that seems suitable
votes: 2
Option 9: whenever possible, own-rooted plants grow too slowly
votes: 2
Option 10: other (please give the details in a message!)
votes: 0
Please do feel yourself free to comment your choice and explain reasons! Every opinion is appreciated.
I voted n° 7, but it is the sentence that works for me, for my plants in my collection.
I think other persons should do what they consider best for their plants! I rispect other ideas, of course!
Andrea.
Hi, I usually graft a part of all my sowings. I do, to see, in a short time the appearance of the plants and flowers that are usually cultivars or hybrids. The rest of the plantings I try to keep her own roots. Sometimes I do it to save plants that are dying. The rootstock may vary, according to what I then do with the plant, keep it as a mother plant or take it out of his roots. But there may be other reasons for which to graft depending on the case, even though I love having plants own roots when possible.
I graft mainly cultivars, incl my own crosses, and plants of some too slow growing genera. Or the plants that are too difficult to grow in my conditions. Or the plants I want to propagate rapidly. Or... well, I find a reason if just want to graft. ;) Fe this year I grafted Opuntia humifusa and O. fragilis onto O. ficus-indica - for to have more grafting stocks. I had hoped that O. ficus-indica also is suitable for astros - but it was not and thus, I regrafted the two freely growing plants with other opuntias.
if you need some opuntia humifusa i can give you quite a lot.
Thank you for your kind offer! Nevertheless, I already have quite a lot of them myself - pads from grafted or own-rooted plants as well as seedlings. :)