I feel like the more I learn about grafting, the more there is. This year, I’m testing out:
1.) The idea of scion re-hydration
2.) Bark grafts on larger host, small scions
3.) Splice grafts on larger host, large scion
4.) Cross cambium cleft grafts
I’m also working on peach timing, spreading my grafts over a longer period. I did a few on 4/10, which was probably a bit early. Now, I’ve done another dozen+, which I think is closer to right. I’ll do more over the next few weeks, though I’m going to stop when it gets to the mid 80’s, as that didn’t work out well last year.
It’s a bit hard to pinpoint, as the 10 day forecast has a couple days in the high 70’s coming up, then another 8 days in the 60’s. When I grafted on 4/10, I had 3 days in the 70’s, but it was very early and the trees were just waking up (too early?). Now, they are finishing bloom (just right?).
I grafted my peaches and nectarines on the third week of April before my peaches flowered, we had many days of the cool weather in 40-50s during the day after I grafted them. The grafts are doing fine and growing. See my pictures above in this thread (13 days ago). Several grafts did not wake up and they probably will fail, but I think at least 75% took. I have to count the exact numbers. So far I think that grafting peaches in cool weather is perfectly fine.
Yes, I have seen it too, even with a take the graft could be poor and break, it never ends. I’m just excited that I found out what i was doing wrong. Which is waiting to long. Best to get them in ASAP. I ran into a guy who grated on his figs last year in the fall, and they did nothing till this spring. Reminds me of one of Farmer Fred’s 10 rules of gardening. “Everything you know is wrong” On my grafts every graft has leafed out, or showing signs of trying. Not all are going to take or fail. It’s a darn good sign.
I did too, and I agree, you were one of the reasons I tried earlier, and also another member here, sorry i forget who? Someone I traded with in zone 5 said graft at flowering, and it worked super well, OK true some may still fail, still I think in colder zone around flowering is the time to graft. This is why I’m excited. I almost gave up, so glad I tried this. Thanks Bob too for the wood, Lavina, Superior, and Laroda have 2 takes each. Hopefully they stay good! Really it’s nice you went to the trouble, year after year helping me out till I got it right. Thanks so much!
I remember I had one graft leaf out well, then the leaves died, the next year I removed it, and noticed the wood was good, it was not really dead! Very strange.
I do think M111 is dwarfing if we define dwarfing as “smaller than seedling”. I think Malling has an actual full-sized rootstock–I think it’s M25? I’ve seen it listed on some English sites, but I guess it never caught on here.
Anyway, if M111 dwarfs to say, 80% of standard, and you could graft extremely high and reduce that even to 65%, there might be some benefit to that.
And I’m not thinking of grafting to an established rootstock–just a benchgraft to what the Nursery sends you. I mean, for instance, with what Cummins sent me, I could set the graft union two feet high if I wanted.
If you set the graft that high from the get-go, I’m wondering if that would, for all intents and purposes, take down the ultimate height of the tree?
This seems to be a good year grafting for me so far. I have successfully top worked a rogue mislabeled peach into a nursery branch four vigorous cleft grafts. I pinched back some growth to favor the lowest and most horizontal bud, since controlling size is critical in my back yard, and I was wondering at what point people typically trim scion wood back to select? I am sure I could let both grow this year if necessary, especially if it will help that stubbed branch seal all the way over better.
Yes very apple shaped , less round than Asian pears like kg, it is an internet photo, so maybe it will be precocious and we can see what one grown in Missouri looks like in a couple of years.
Drew, I am glad about your success. I was not sure if it is just me, but it is always worked good for me. I grafted more apricots the second time instead of the several grafts that did not take. This is I like about early grafting: you still have time to redo the grafts that did not take. Also it will be interesting to compare the number of takes with the early ones.
Agree. There were only two times that I witnessed signs of girdling when I used non-stretchable waxed-string to tie the union. While things went the other way countless times, an innocent peek at the healthy growing scion, a harmless re-wrapping or a clumsy attempt of partial removal of the tapes.
The foolproof solution is simple, just leave the wrap alone :
I was looking today and my first round from 4/10 (1 day before the first peach flower opened) all seems to be leafing out, just like your pictures. Now I need to wait a week or two and see if they wilt or grow. Sounds like I should have done more peaches in the early rounds.
I’m really trying to get my grafts in now- 57 in the last 3 days, including the jujubes (ugh- hard wood).
I’m pretty sure I didn’t send you any Superior this year. I think I sent you some a year or two ago, but my tree died last year (massively over-cropped for several years in a row and not given enough water during a dry spell). You may be thinking of Loring. Hopefully you didn’t graft it to a plum, as I think peach on plum compatibility is spotty at best for most cultivars.
Two people sent me Superior, thanks, sorry I can’t remember whom? So many great traders around here! It’s been cold here, it’s 41 right now. I did at least two of each. I did three rounds. It took me that long to get them in. I seem to be slowing down a lot these days. I didn’t do that many, maybe 30 at most. I did a bunch of figs too, that was super easy the wood is soft, easy to cut.Some now are growing from multiple nodes on the scion. Fun to watch them! Soon though it’s going to be harvest time for strawberries and honeyberries. I have to protect them probably. I have been planting out peppers and tomatoes. Always something to do this time of year.
