Air layered rootstock - grafting

General Fruit Growing
#1

This spring I tried air layering the first time, and if everything went right I should be ready to cut the branch in a few weeks.

The branch is from a Marianna rootstock that shot off below the graft on an apricot/Mariana tree. There’s several feet of growth above the airlayer. I’d like to take wood from the apricot, and graft, chip, or bud to the new growth, but I don’t know the best way to do it.

My first inclination is to take a chip from this year’s growth on the apricot and put it on my new branch, but I could probably also bud right now, and I might even be able to whip to the new growth

I’m interested in hearing other’s experiences and thoughts, so speak up if you like!

1 Like
#2

If it was me, I’d do all three. All of my bud and chip grafts have failed, so I wouldn’t have much confidence in them. Have you taken a peek to see if roots are in the bottle?

1 Like
#3

Do you have any pics?

#4

There were a few roots in the container but not many, and you can see where the tree has been vigorously forming a bridge to replace the bark I removed. Right now I’m inclined to just repeat the process in the spring. I did go ahead and chip and bud (and took a good budstick to try to bud and/or chip to a plum, as well) but no whip. We’ll see.

@Luongo43 I’m sorry to say that the photos I took were pretty poor. So no go there, sad to say.

1 Like