Fruit Tree Grafting

I’m wanting to graft a bunch of pinky sized branches onto my existing, mature apple trees.

I have no experience grafting. I’m looking for advice on what to buy supply wise. Do I need the wax, tape, both?

Do the grafting tools that cut a matching male/female end work? Are they recommended?

Any advice or resources appreciated. Thanks

Never done it but understand the concept so I won't offer advice but will be following. I've been told that it's not particularly difficult.
My understanding is the two keys are properly matching cambium to cambium layer and protecting the union from drying out while it heals. The specific tools and methods are what I lack knowledge of.

Wax keeps the bugs out, tape keeps the cambium layers in contact. Both would be recommended, but, nether is 100% necessary.

I don't know what exactly that there fancy sounding tool is, but, I am sure you can get along without it.
That photo looks like it is just a stump, but, look to the lower right. You will see a necessary branch to draw sap.

My grafting tool box is pretty much just a sturdy, stiff, short blade to separate the bark.

That’s helpful T-Rex, thanks. That picture really has me thinking.

I've only done it once, with a mediocre success rate. I just used a knife to cut the branches, and black electrical tape to bind them.

I'll be following the post too.

I tried last year on a pear tree. 100% fail rate. Guess I'll watch some more youtube videos and try again this year.

I've done quite a bit of grafting of different styles. Here is the main thing: Take your scions (the wood you wish to graft on to your host) during the month of January or early February while still completely dormant. Hold on to them in a refrigerator with some moistened towels to keep them from drying out. Wait until your early spring weather starts to warm up before attempting any grafts. Callusing of the graft unions requires temperatures in the mid to upper 70's. Some folks will tape a little baggy around the graft union to create a miniature greenhouse to get the temps up. (Probably more important with hard to graft species like nut trees).

You can use electrical tape..but I prefer that green trellising tape or even strips of clear plastic that I cut from zip-loc baggies. You will want to wrap it tightly around the graft union so that solid contact is made with the cambium layers of your host stock and scion. After 3-5weeks and evidence of callusing you will need to cut the tape so that so that it loosens up enough to allow for expansion. If you don't it will girdle the union and fail. If you have two buds on your scion rub the inferior one out so that it doesn't create too much demand on the flow of sap to scion.

Finally the actual cuts made on the scion to fit into the host stock are important in that you need to line up that thin white cambium layer on both scion and host. This will require some skill with a sharp knife...but honestly any fool can do it. I'm as big a fool as any and get 90% or better success.

Got questions...I'm here just reach out.

thanks beaverpeeler, good read,

I still have my 2 bladed "budding knife" from budding pecan trees when I was younger.
The brand name is Tina, for sale on internet.

Beaver Peeler has some good information. I own and operate a fruit tree nursery business with my family we do thousands of grafts a year. If you are grafting to an existing tree timing is important. The best success will be when the buds on the tree you are grafting to are just showing a touch of green. That is a good indication that sap is flowing, which is what you want. Apples and pear trees will begin forming that callus tissue at temperatures as low as 50 degrees we callus our benchgrafts at 60- 65 degrees before we plant out. However, bud development on the existing tree is a better indicator if you are grafting to an existing tree. You can typically leave the binding (multiple materials to choose from) on until mid summer. Then yes girdling can become an issue. Bark grafting into a cut stump or limb stub is pretty easy and as a high success rate if your timing is good and scions have been stored properly. Should be able to find a YouTube video on that fairly easy. After you cut the binding you need to provide support to the the active growing graft shoot. A high wind will break that shoot out especially for the 1st year or 2. A piece of wood lathe or another straight branch taped to the tree will work for the support. You can reach out to us directly at our website if you more questions. turkeycreektrees.com