Clair Lammers of Fairbanks sent the following email on April 23, 1998.

“I tried something different while grafting this spring. I dipped 64 grafts in HORMODON 1 (Indole-3-butyric Acid 0.1%). Only one of the dipped grafts failed to grow. Also, I only dipped the graft that was not a complete fit (slightly mis-cut, to a cut to long/short). After dipping, I slightly tapped the graft on the edge-of a can (to remove excess) and grafted normally. I’m impressed with it. When my Honeycrisp arrived, having only 8 rootstock left, I grafted those 8-5 were dipped and 3 not. The five started to show green tip 3 days earlier than the other 3. I feel that dipping them improved the ‘take’ and also starts the plant earlier. Our weather has been GREAT-chokechemes have leaves 2 inches long. All apricots (are covered with buds), most plums and cherry plums are in pop-corn bloom and all crab and apple crabs and some of the apples are well into green tip. On the pm cherries, you can see the individual blossoms. It is too EARLY.”