I guess I posted too soon because my rubysweet graft is waking up! I can’t believe all 5 took. Most insane- the crimson crisp and Galarina look to be flowering?? These were all made with the wood I chopped off my new Cummins trees when I got them in March. Whats left of the trees certainly isn’t flowering…I assume I can’t even consider letting these fruit, but, do I let them flower and then pull?
And, side note, my upcycled rubber band approach to the graft site is failing very fast.
Whereas I will probably go down to 2 or 3 varieties on the feijoa bushes just for ease of management due to their bushy structure.
I found this thread.There may be more.
Next week the night time low is low 50’s and daytime highs are upper sixties in se Ohio. Is it time to graft persimmons or should I wait for higher temperatures?
Apparently you cut off the fruiting buds used for grafting. No loss this season.
If you have a steady hand and small, sharp shears, you can cut the flower stems as soon as you believe it can be done without damaging emerging leaves. If not yet, then wait until you can. I waited with one of my first grafts (Lord Lambourne) until the blossoms were done, then cut them. The new growth became a fork, just because it emerged from a flowering bud. The following spring I cut one of the forks because I wanted a central leader.
13 years later (& last year) I did not find that grafts of Clark’s Crab had taken well until after they had already finished blooming. Standing in a concealed, congested position prevented bees from tending the flowers, so they had not been pollinated. Both were already chugging along with new growth.
Some of my apple grafts started flowering, and since these are on mature trees, I am planning on keeping the apples (after thinning), if they get pollinated. Planning to support with a splint made of bamboo.
This one has 3 flowering (of the 4): Alexander(top), Liberty(front) and NY35(right)
For persimmons, unlike citrus or feijoa, Ive never really gone by temperatures. If the rootstock is pushing growth, then its time to graft as long as we’re past the last frost date.
Ive gone high 60s this year and they did fine, but for me Persimmons are easy. Ive never had a failure. Maybe Apples might be easier but I dont grow those…
At least with bench grafts, I have significantly higher take rates if they’re held as close to 80 as possible for 10 days. I am experimenting with letting growth guid me with field grafts onto existing trees. Last year, I had perfect temps but the grafts missed the initial flush of growth and ultimately were rejected. This year, I’m doing it now while the temps are suboptimal bit growth is just about to take off.
Got 9 out of my target of 20 persimmons grafted today. I also didna couple mulberries last week that are just starting to push growth now.
Adara plum is interstem for cherries
Well, my first horrible attempts at grafting with apples, pears and plums are starting to show some bud growth, but I am sure it is too soon to tell if the grafts have taken. Still, I am excited as only a brand new grafter can be. I must check them out 5 times a day!
They were all field grafts done about 2 weeks ago. I also grafted some Reliance peach to wild American plum, but those were done about a week later. Still no signs of buds popping on those, although if I squint just right and the sun is in the optimal position behind me, I think I can see some bud enlargement under the parafilm. Probably just wishful thinking. Here are a few photos:
Looks like overwhelming success on our cordons. I’m still waiting for the interstem trees to wake up but at least one has seemed to have taken and grown. These photos are earlier in the week, most have extended shoot growth. Always amazed to see this go well. The bud10 rootstock is vigorously putting down roots, so far I’m pretty pleased with it.
I finished my grafting for this season a few weeks back.
Goumi… 3 grafts of Rain Tree select added to my RG and SS.
Plums… 3 grafts of AU Cherry plum added to my AU Rosa and Shiro trees.
Pear… 2 grafts of warren and 2 of karls favorite added to my kiefer tree. 2 grafts of bell and 2 of potomac added to my improved kiefer tree.
Apple added 1 graft of trailman crab and 1 of pristene to my novamac tree.
Added 1 graft of chestnut crab to my early mcintosh tree.
Added 1 graft of trailman and 1 of pristine to my novamac b9 espellar.
Added 2 grafts of chestnut to my daughters crab apple tree.
Added 2 grafts of trailman and 2 of pristine to my backyard crabapple.
Mulberry… 2 grafts of gerardi to BRN russian rootstock… 1 graft of Shelli, 1 of Red.
Eu Plum… added 2 grafts of green gage to my mt royal plum.
Persimmon… added 1 graft of Saijo to my wild rootstock… added 1 graft of Dar Sofiyivky to my wild rootstock in my orchard… and 2 grafts of Dar Sofiyivky to a wild dv in the edge of my woods.
I think that was all for this year.
TNHunter
Did a handful of grafts yesterday…
Green gage on Myro29C
Contender peach on a Sureprince that I chopped off. The rootstock is Guardian. I left a couple buds of the Sureprince in case the graft doesn’t take. I don’t have high hopes for it
Colorado Orange on g.890
Some VT apples from Perfect Circle on g.890 (High Lake, Cinnamon Girl, Westman Rd, and Cabot Russet)
And did another graft of Korean Giant on ohxf87 since the first one looked like an obvious fail
I have a few more apples to do and then it’s onto the pawpaws. The potted ones are starting to put out first leaves so it’s getting close to grafting time
I’ve been enjoying reading all the posts and seeing all of the pictures. I got hooked on grafting about 3 years ago. All my original grafts that seemed to do “ok” the first year eventually failed. I have a couple nice grafts from last year growing well though.
I enjoy growing out seedling rootstock and grafting onto it. I have also tracked down three wild callery pear on my property, and I grafted onto the stumps of those. They seem to be doing well. I have failed to take pictures of those. Here are a few of my apple and pear grafts that are doing well.
