Putty for do-it-yourself grafts
Putty for do-it-yourself grafts
To prepare a mastic for grafting you have to start from some considerations: the mastic that we have to prepare must perform a protective function in respect of abiotic factors (humidity, wind, etc.), biotic factors (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) and assure the best conditions of precocious and perfect welding (cicatrisers, pH regulators, etc.) so that after the grafting the two parts that still have to be welded and that in the first phase is represented by a very fragile fabric, do not undergo factors that can nullify the grafting operation. The prepacked mastics are prepared with special formulations that perform all these functions.
If we think to prepare a mastic in an artisanal way with the materials we have in the company or in the garden or at home we must opt for simpler formulations and all in all even more natural. But we can prepare a fluid paste very similar to the mastics that are already on the market and with more environmentally friendly materials.
To prepare the putty for DIY grafts you can follow two options; a more traditional and a more innovative and more eco-sustainable. In the first case it is necessary to mix the vinyl glue with copper sulfate (so-called verdigris). This should be added in very small doses in the glue in proportion 0.5-1%; if it is not in soluble powder, the copper powder must first be dissolved in very little water.
The second least invasive option (remember that copper is always a heavy metal with all the negative effects on the environment) is to mix the vinyl glue with tea tree essential oil (also known as tea tree oil). Tea tree essential oil has remarkable antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties and therefore suitable for the use we need to make. In this case the proportions are about two ml (for example a teaspoon of coffee) of tea tree essential oil with about 225 ml of vinyl glue. If we want to be totally eco-sustainable, we can prepare the vinyl glue with a process all made in-house as in the following sheet.
For correct information it must be said that the vinyl glue is non-toxic for the plants, forming after the grafting (or even pruning) a natural plaster that adheres perfectly to the incision. However, the vinyl glue, being a synthetic product, always has a slow degradability, so even non-toxic for plants and animals always entails environmental pollution.
However your mastic has been prepared once prepared it should be made to adhere immediately and perfectly to the grafting and / or pruning surfaces to avoid as much as possible the contact with the plant parts with the external environment.