Apples will likely be ok. I have had it get that cold after I grafted them.
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This morning I took pics of a few of the grafts I have been doing . Not worried much about the parent tree on most of what I have done if the grafts for some reason fail.
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I noticed you used shorter scion than I usually do. I think in some instances I should cut my scion in half and get two grafts out of each one.
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Jason,
Most of the time, one bud on a scion will do. You can have more scions to graft that way. I usually left 2 buds per stick of scionwood.
Tony
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It could really be important in certain circumstances. I did make some mulberry grafts with some really short scion a week ago, some just one bud but I wanted to use every scrap of scion I had.
Looks great! Nice job grafting.
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I’ll be super interested in how those big bases react. I did this to a few trees planted 50+ years ago by my grandpa. They’re on their way out, just from old age (losing vigour etc…), so I figured that I’d give it a try. My biggest worry is how those big stumps act with diseases and such.
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Jason,
I like to use a bud or two as well because they grow fast and they don’t get broke off as easy early on. I’ve always thought the grafts take better if they are shorter because it takes less for the rootstock to feed them. Most of the time I cut my grafts back since they grow very fast. Some people stake their grafts which is a good way to go if you have just a few to do.
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Most all the grafts in my pics are one bud. And yes on some I had limited scion wood and using one bud made it go further but for the most part it is simply easier to just use one bud.
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It will be a learning experience watching how the really big cuts grow and heal over. I tried to put enough grafts per cut to keep it alive all around and will regraft any that don’t take even if it is something that will just get cut off later. Three of the trees in my pics are over 100 years old and still put on new growth like crazy every year !
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Those trees are in some good soil!
If you’re into big trees, I’d take some seeds from those apples for rootstock!
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I topworked an old Black Tartarian (the blackbirds ALWAYS got em early) to a Windsor last spring using this method … they leafed out well last summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4ReeuSPGh4
last spring:
But this spring it looks like they are all dead!
So just an update on the apple grafts they are budding very slowly since they were grafted very late but they look good and I would estimate 100% takes.
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An update on some of the top worked grafts. Tried to keep them in the order of my original pics but didn’t get pics of the last one.
The grafts in this pic without leaves are some new ones I tried just to see if the take this time of the year
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Going to start grafting pears today and holding off on apples a little longer. I have few like these that need top worked this year but I thought I would revive the thread for anyone who might need it for a reference.
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Freezing rain here overnight so no plans to work on trees today but have been marking branches and water sprouts for grafting (as well as pruning )over to the many varieties of scion wood I have sitting in the fridge. Will be at least a month before I can start though. Many of the grafts I did last spring grew a couple ft .
Last year I tried wrap and seal with sealer, and seal first and then wrap. The fact proved that seal first and then wrap had almost 100% percent success with grafting. Two of wrap and seal way died. This year I did cleft grafting by tighting with wire and sealing without wrapping. I will update the results.
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Introduce my name Anis. I want to ask permission to copy this photos about apple topworking.
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Yes you may copy the photo. What will you use it for? Bernie in Canada asked permission to use some top working pears photos a year or so ago to share as an instructional for users in Canada. I like to share fruit growing concepts with others but i suspect if you read many of my posts you already know that.
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