Buddy Tape Grafting and Budding Tape
Our absolute favorite grafting tape and the only one we ever use. We’ll never go back to parafilm tape after using Buddy Tape for the past 5 years. Grafting success is much higher, especially on species that can often be a little bit finicky to graft. Buddy Tape is very easy to use and a single roll will last you for a very long time. Though $40 might seem like a lot for a roll of grafting tape a single roll comes with about 900 perforated pieces of tape and we typically use a single perforated piece for two grafts. At 900 pieces per roll it costs about 4 cents per piece of tape. Not too bad!
Buddy Tape is an innovative tape for budding and grafting devised with a unique formulation and properties to allow easy and rapid application, reduced labour costs, and high success rates in the crop.
This unique product was developed in Japan in 1985 and has been used throughout Europe and North America for the last fifteen years. In order to fully utilize the unique characteristics of Buddy-Tape, we recommend that it is stretched gradually as it is applied.
About Buddy Tape
Biodegradability
The tape biodegrades naturally in exposure to sunlight, eliminating labour costs necessary to cut away standard tapes after use, and providing an environmentally responsible answer to the problem of waste.
Elasticity
Buddy Tape can be stretched to upto eight times its’ original length. The elastic nature of the material allows small pieces to be used for the application, and ensures an extremely tight grip on the bud or graft to keep it firmly in place, as is necessary to allow successful growth. Elasticity also means the tape expands as the plant grows, avoiding cutting into the plant which is a common problem with standard budding and grafting tapes.
Self-adhesion
Buddy Tape is not adhesive in its’ normal stored form, but becomes self-adhesive when stretched. This allows quick application with no need for tying knots, and combined with the firm seal created by the film’s elastic nature, means that the bud or graft is kept in place even in windy conditions.
Water-Proofing
The film has a wax content to keep it waterproof, so the bud or graft will not dehydrate, but air can pass through the permeable tape allowing the bud to breath. The wax content also means that use of Buddy Tape can eliminate the need for waxing in covered areas.
Complete bud cover
Buddy Tape is pierced by the bud as it begins to grow, and because the permeable nature of the material allows the bud to breath, the bud can be completely covered. This provides protection from infection and insects.
For more info check out buddytape.com