tree grafting

Anyone out there been grafting?

So far this year I have grafted Carpathian Walnut on Black Walnut rootstock. I have my pecan ready to go if it will just stop raining a little..

Today I am practicing with apple.. I had never done fruit trees before.

I would love to hear what you are grafting..

I just grafted 3 apples this spring, and they are actually ALL growing now. I may have grafted a little too high because I had a couple of sprouts off the rootstock. I just picked those off and killed them. I hope that works okay. I'll take photos if I can.

This year, just two varieties of apples - Freyburg and Fenouillet Gris. Both took and are growing out well

I would love to see your photos when you have time.

Beth, Where did you buy your rootstock?

I am new to grafting so I took a one day class in it, and the instructor provided the rootstocks. One of my new little grafted trees is blooming! It's cute but I'll probably pick the blooms off so it can direct its energy into growing. I took pics yesterday evening but forgot and left my camera at home so I'll have to download them next monday. I don't have a computer at home, sorry!

I spent the afternoon grafting pecans. I have native pecans here.. They are widely scattered..

I took some classes this year too. And belong to the Missouri Nut Growers Association.
The Missouri Nut Grower's have been an incredible resource.

Okay, I took a photo. My grafting bands seemed to dry out and crack in the sun and are falling off. Does anybody know if that's normal? The graft seems to have grown together already since they are budding, but I don't like it that the bands fell off so soon.

Beth, the rubber bands are designed to disintegrate so as not to bind the trunk. I wouldn't worry about it. I use parafilm myself, on some types of grafts keeping it sealed can help takes. For apples the rubber bands work well.

I grafted around 30 new varieties this spring. Mainly apples plums and grapes but a few peaches, apricots and a medlar.

Scott

Scott,
What should I do about the one that has a couple of blossoms? This is my first time grafting and I don't know if I should pick them off or leave them.

Beth, Your grafts look good. I am waiting anxiously to see if any of mine are going to take.

Scott, What varieties of apricots and plums did you graft? I am not familiar with medlar. going to have to google that.

edtied to say that Medlar sounds fascinating.

This message was edited May 12, 2008 8:53 PM

Beth, pluck off the blossoms so it doesn't waste energy on them.

KathyJo, I am doing a white apricot experiment so I grafted Zard, an obscure white apricot. I now have around ten different white apricots. I am glad I am trying so many, because most of them don't seem to want to produce any fruit for me. I also topworked a Harglow tree (too bland fruit) over to Jerseycot, which is supposed to be one of the best for the east and midwest climates. For the plums I am trying to find ones which are more disease-resistant yet produce tasty fruit. This year I grafted Purple Heart, Gracious 4285J, and Sprite. Plus I added a couple plum/apricot crosses: Apex and Yakimene. These crosses are often not very productive but I am trying them out for fun.

Scott

I am especially interested in trying some different varieties of plum grafting.. The farm I live on has many many wild plum trees. Some large ( for plums anyway ) older trees that I am hoping at some point to graft some different varieties of plums onto.

I am off from my regular "payin" job today and am going to graft ( I think the variety is Rosyanka -- or something like that ) persimmon onto one of my smaller native persimmon trees here.

My apricot trees are tiny.. Just have been in the ground a year. Sounds like you have been working on yours for a while. I would be interested in hearing about your white apricot experiment.

Two years ago, I thought I would start pear rootstock from seed.. I had lots and lots of baby trees.. and as you can imagine.. They all looked a little different.. I have lost most of them to rabbits damage.. Really frustrating for me. Fun to watch the amazing variety of leaf shape,leaf color and growing habit from the seeds of just one pear tree..!

I bought a cherry-plum tree this year... Still a baby of course.. Sounded fun though.

Has anyone been using the 3"N"1 Grafting Tool ? I found them in B&T Grower Supply, Inc. It looks very simple to make clean grafts in three different patterns. I plan to purchase one and was thinking--will these make good grafting on Citrus Trees ? I have plenty of Citrus that needs grafting. Will i also need outside calipers for measuring ? Thanks for any feedback.
Larry

I have seen someone use a grafting tool and I think they are pretty cool.. I would love to get one at some point.. The ones I have seen are pretty expensive. They work amazingly well.

Some people seem to have a way of matching up the size of the branches without a lot of measuring.. I just hold up my scion material to the branch I am going to graft onto. The need for a caliper would be dependant on how well you can eyeball it I would think.

Kathyjo

Thank you for your input Kathyjo, i will be ordering mine next week. I think they cost around $ 62. I've always wanted to master that skill. I think the cost will pay off after just a few graftings. Does it work with citrus fruit? Thanks,
Larry

Does anyone else use this tool?

You all sound pretty serious about wanting to update your grafting skills. Can I give a plug to NAFEX? It's core group appears to be pros that work with fruit trees (such as plums) for a living and know a whole lot about grafting. I do know that apples, plums, peaches, etc all respond differently to different kinds of grafts and that each type of tree has a "best" grafting season and temp for grafting. It's a worthwhile group that someone here recommended to me last year.

Also, Scott, I keep hearing hints about white apricots, but have not run across any sources for them. Care to start a thread to share your knowledge?

krowten, I have found lots of "duds" amongst the white apricots so I'm a bit reluctant to stir up any interest based on how they are working for me in my climate. I think in a few years I may find a couple of them work. If you want to try some, Bob Purvis the NAFEX apricot chair sells a couple that some people have had luck with in the east and midwest: Sukphany and Afghanistan. There is also the new Sugar Pearls apricot which Henry Fields sells - a new white apricot from the New Jersey breeding program. I have yet to eat a single white apricot myself, but four of mine are bearing fruit this year so maybe I will get my first taste!

Scott

Scott, Thank you for the information. I've so little space left here that I don't have much room to experiment with the tree fruits unless I move. Also, while I have not tried to grow apricots here, it is commonly held here that they will not survive for long in the local climate. Still, the unusual fascinates. Be sure to let us know how the fruit turns out!

Scott, it sounds like you might be a fellow nafexer. Drop me a private d-mail with your nafex id, if interested.

John

I haven't ever eaten a white apricot either, and it will be several years before I get the opportunity.. My two trees are just two years old.

I have never heard of NAFEX, but will certainly look into it.

I am still working at my grafting techniques.. It seems to open up so many possibilities with the trees.. fun stuff..

My dream is to get enough trees grafted now that I will have some wonderful fruits and nuts to harvest by the time I can retire in 10 years or so..

www.nafex.com is a good place to start. I am working on grafting gooseberries to make standards. My goal is a 3-4' tree with two or more gooseberries growing at the top.

John, yes I am a NAFEX member. I enjoy reading the Pomona and I also follow the online bboard. You can see me over on the bboard, I'm Scott Smith there. I agree there are some real experts in that group with unique knowledge.

Scott

I had absolutely no idea you could graft gooseberries. Please explain exactly what you are grafting the gooseberries to to make a tree?

Kathy, You can use many types of currants as root stock, as well as other gooseberries. In my case, I am working with an upright var of gooseberry that quickly forms a vertical stalk then will graft a couple of buds from other gooseberries. It is my understanding that a number of gooseberries can be grown as standards, it just takes patience with the pruning to get there. I have a couple of "stalks" ready for the first grafting attempts later this year. Choose a vertical stem, keep pruning off the side growth. If the leader starts going crooked or you have other issues, cut it back to just before a bud and let it grow. Takes a few seasons. Gooseberries with spreading or lateral forms are more of a challenge, but they are the ones that are good candidates for grafting to the tops. I can't say that this is common to graft gooseberries or even if it will work, but it is the project I am working on. Who knows, it may work!