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Heat-shrink tubing as wrapping for grafts?
On 17/05/2010 06:11, Michael Bell wrote:
Soon I am going to do some grafting of green (this year's growth) to green material, about 3 mm in diameter. I did not succeed in this last year, but then I am not very clever with my fingers. One of the things I found difficult was to bind the two pieces together. So this year I am thinking of experimenting with heat-shrink tubing and I wonder if there is any experience of this out there or any thoughts. Heat-shrink tubing is widely used in the electrical industries as a neater alternative to insulating tape. You can buy it in Maplin's or on line. It is available in a range of sizes, and a size suitable for my purpose is available. The idea is that you cut off a length of heat-shrink tubing and slide it over the stem (or wire), then you join the stem (or wire) and then slide the heat-shrink tubing back over the join and use a heater to shrink the tubing onto the stem (or wire). Various types of heater are available. I hope that will achieve two things, it will hold the joined stems firmly together and it will stop moisture loss. Obviously the stem mustn't be heated too much, but it is the tubing around it which I am trying to shrink, and the heating should be only for a few seconds. So, has anybody got any experience or comments on this? Unfortunately the heat needed to make heat shrink tubing do the shrinking will cook the plant stem. It might still be useful as an external support for a newly made graft even if it is a loose fit or tacked on with PVA or cyanoacrylate glue. Regards, Martin Brown |
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