With this unusual weather, I see more grafts failure this year, even with the pears☹️
I had 81 out of 110 takes, but now have had two wilt aand die. 
I had a bad year too. Only Sugar Pearl apricot is still green out of 5 types of apricot. Persimmon is still green buds but not progressing. Magness pear graft was broke off by something. Apples, pears and plums all seem to be okay so far. Victoria peach is doing well. Jujubes sugar jar and Li are waking up. I’m blaming the weather.
I had low percentages with persimmons this year. Got lazy and did some quick Zenport V grafts that resulted in about 15% takes. Had 100% takes on them last year when I used time consuming “Z” grafts. I noticed mold in the failures so late season rain may have been a factor too.
Apples, pears, cherries, plums, hazelnut, and peach have all taken reasonably well.
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29 out of 29 but I too have had two wilt and die since. Graft union broke, wind or bird landing on I suspect… Possibly a 3rd one won’t make it. Ah well, I saved a bit of the scion of each, to graft on other 2-3yr old established trees. Assuming that can be done now without issue…
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You’re probably right. So after the tornado warning lifted, I went out side with my flash light to check on them. The one in the second picture is finaly expanding that top green shoot. The others still look halted. I will for sure cut off the side branch when I get back from my trip next week. Hopefully the other two will start to push by then also.
Last fall my wife told me that at her work was an apple tree loaded with red apples falling on the ground and nobody was picking them. I picked 15 gallons of them. The tree is neglected, never been pruned or sprayed. The apples had little damage of any kind. We made cider and ate them. They were the best apples we’ve had in years. The cider was great and great for eating. I think it might be some type of Winesap. The tree seems to not be grafted, no signs of disease on foliage or branches. It looks to be a spur variety. It was loaded with blossoms this spring, and seems that it has self thinned down to one fruit per blossom grouping. I ordered five G-890 root stocks to try to graft and propagate the tree. I have never grafted before, but thought I would try my hand at it. April first (I’m in 5B) I went and cut some scions. At the time I didn’t know how to discern age of scions. There weren’t any water sprouts, so I largely cut two year old material. I whip and tongue grafted them with electrical tape, utility knife and beeswax. Accidentally I grafted one with one year old wood. It took and is doing great. It looks like three more are beginning to sprout from what were dormant hidden buds, They are swelling and showing green, So I think I’ll get 4/5. I’m pretty tickled with my first attempt. It has been 8 weeks and finally they are waking up. I also cut my thumb and had to go to the emergency room.
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Sorry about the cut. Getting cut with a utility knife is kind of like getting stung if you’re a beekeeper. It will happen.
But, hopefully doesn’t require the emergency visit again!
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@Masbustelo.
Always nice to see a person learn to graft.
The cut thumb is a hard lesson.
Maybe invest in some Kevlar gloves, so you won’t be hesitatant next time.
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Did anyone else experience low take rates with Bud 9 rootstock? My take rates are currently at 20% on Bud 9 compared to 80% on 111 and 935. I think one of the scions I received was bad, and if it was my takes on 111 and 935 would have been 100%.
My ‘take’ rate on B-9 this year was 87% (Over 10 percent better than my average). Same last year, B-9 was better than G30 or seedlings.
Only thing that took better than B-9 this year was B-118 at 91.7%.
G202 and G890 and Antonovka brought my average down.
The Antonovka, G890 and G202 were near end of March, B9 and B118 were in early April…this possibly had some imfluence on things. Graftings to seedlings already leafed out got better results than when they were dormant.
Weird. My 111 and G935 were in March and the Bud 9 were in April, so the exact opposite of what you experienced. At least one of my Bud 9s is looking like it just flat out died, which is unfortunate, because initially it appeared to have taken.
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I did my first grafts this year, and it’s been a blast to see most of them take. This picture is of one that seems to be struggling. It’s Korean Giant grafted to a seedling pear sucker I dug up by the road. It tried to grow once and all the leaves either fell off or got munched by something… I figured it was a goner, but now it’s trying to push growth again, and the leaves are looking deformed or munched on again. Any ideas?
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It looks like my persimmons do when psyllids attack it. Insecticide soap and net it or sevin spray. Whichever you prefer.
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Earwigs do this at night to many of my young grafts.
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All my bank grafts are looking great
JT-02 aka Mikkusu
Vegas Booty Jujube
Kentucky Champion seedling paw paw
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Tony,
I meant to ask you. What is the material of the blue string/wire you use to hang the tags, please? It catches my eyes.
Small plastic coated copper electrical wires. They lasted for a long time.
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Small plastic coated copper electrical wires
This is the same thing I use. I salvage old discarded telephone supply cable. The cable I use has four wires inside the plastic sheathing.
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