I’ll never come close to Scott’s trial numbers, but I do have some oddball newbies here that might provide valuable info…
I have ambitions of grafting plums, cots, and plumcots today… if it will ever stop raining.
Matt,
Do you know if this “Fuji Red Sport Type 2” is the same cultivar as the Red Fuji BC2?
I have been wondering about this. I grafted this variety last summer and hope to be able taste it next year.
The deluge just stopped here a few minutes ago … sun is even coming out now!
I’m finally going to be able to graft my peaches this Sunday! 
3 Likes
Scott, Matt (my local mid-Atlantic peeps) -
I haven’t done any grafting yet, and certainly not peaches! Looking ahead, they calling for low of 37 (Sunday morn), then 46, 51, 53, 43 (thur morn), 45, and 42 (next Saturday) at my orchard location. My temps are usually a couple degrees cooler than the Weather Channel forecasts, (although sometimes they’re warmer)
With upcoming temps in the low 40s is it safe to do apples and pears? Afternoon highs will be from the upper 60s to about 80.
Thanks!
Forecast says just first 3 days next week in 70’s. After that back to 60’s. I’m guessing this is pretty much the forecast for you? Is that enough heat for peach grafts?
Thought I would throw in a pic of some apple grafts I did over the last 2-3 weeks. The 5 i did on 3-18-17 all starting to show growth on the scions.
6 Likes
Hi Bart, at this point I would wait to the weekend when it will be warming up. It would be OK anyway but will be better this weekend.
@Susu, I have had success with two good days in a row. I am going to graft Sunday afternoon in the warmest part of the day, so they get some sun heat then and then they have three nice days to callous. Its hit and miss with peaches, you don’t want to wait for the absolute perfect stretch because it may not ever come.
1 Like
Thanks Scott, but I’m confused. Are saying wait until this weekend (in a day and half) or next weekend, 8 days from now?
The temps I quoted above were for this weekend and next week…a couple nights in the low 40s.
Good to know. I’ll do it on Sunday too.
I meant this weekend after the Sun morning low of 37 is over. They will take whatever you do though, its no big deal. The main thing to avoid is grafting really early before the trees have gotten going. I assume you trees are in bloom or thereabouts, thats where mine are.
I just got some Prunus Americana seedlings that I was planning on using as rootstock for peaches. The smaller diameter ones I think I’ll just plant out in a nursery bed and try to bud them later when they put on some growth. I’d like to bench graft some of the larger ones, but wasn’t sure about the best way to do that with peaches. I’ve done a bunch of apples and pears with good results, but wasn’t sure what works with peaches.
These are dormant now, sitting at room temp to get them to start waking up. Should I just go ahead and bench graft them and let them stay semi-protected while they callous then plant them out in a few weeks like I do with apples? I can leave them at room temp or about 10 degrees cooler in a crawlspace under the house. Or do I need to plant them out first and wait until they start to push some leaves? Or should I try to hot callous or, or, or…?
Any insight is most welcome.
Bart,
It’s go time for apples and pears.
2 Likes
Yes, I believe they are one and the same. This is the version of Fuji that Boyer’s Nursery sells. I’ve tasted it, and it is fantastic. It is one of the best keepers, and is absolutely delicious eating in March if kept in cold storage all winter.
1 Like
I am so frustrated, I can barely stand it. It poured here for 7 straight hours. I only got two (2) grafts done all day!
During a 20 minute break in the rain, I did a rind graft of Hesse, and a cleft graft of Lasgerdi Mashad… and that’s it! It rained buckets on my head. The electrician’s tape wouldn’t even stick. I sat in my car for hours while the thunder rumbled-- terrible.
Maybe this has been answered, but how do you know when it is too late to graft?
1 Like
I’m trying to do an early round of cots and plums. If they don’t take, I can always try a second pass.
I keep thinking it’s too early!
Plums you can graft now anyway, they are pretty reliable. I did all my plums last weekend. Apricots are approaching peaches in difficulty so I am holding on them til Sunday.
I found an odd thing when I grafted the plums, my Black Ice scion from Richard Fahey (Singing Tree) was mostly dead. He is usually very reliable. The very tip still had some green so maybe it will make it anyway.
My Black Ice from Singing tree looks fine but my Robada from him maybe dead, at least the buds up and down the whole scion were all clearly fried
( look just like my Orangered after 5F night.)
This is my first year ordering from Singing Tree…