I don’t know how these grafts will perform long term but the process has been enjoyable. Oneal and Star blooms so early the crop is reduced but it is nice to get some early berries to snack on.
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if your looking for a source of mesh bagging https://www.dollartree.com/essentials-white-mesh-laundry-bags-with-drawstrings/186720
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Another year and the grafted Oneal continues to do well. The weather has been favorable and most of the berries came through in good condition. Net goes on in about two weeks.
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Very interesting thread. Just wanted to mention this webpage which documents a similar experiment that @JoeReal quotes above in FL (blueberry on sparkleberry rootstocks)
I couldn’t find much info on the water and its pH used to irrigate these plants. Neutral pH city water and alkaline soil are probably the challenges for backyard growers here.
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A more recent report. Interesting finding is
by year three and subsequently, plant growth and berry yield of grafted plants was greater than own-rooted plants when grown in non-amended soil and yields of grafted plants in non-amended soil were similar to own-rooted plants grown in amended soil
I need to find myself some sparkleberry seeds/seedlings
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Joe.I’m also trying to grow blueberries ( new mexico )outside of their native habitat. 80 plants. Northland, Sweatheart, Bluecrop and Last Call in raised beds amended with peat moss, sulfur, wood chips. Irrigation water amended via drip with vinegar to a 5.5ph. Also a white 50% shade cloth and misters on hot summer days.
I’d like to try grafting onto Sparkelberry like you’ve
done, mainly for ph sensitivity. Where in Oregon did you get your Sparkelberry plants. I’ve got seed to plant but would really like established plants and can’t find a source.
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For whatever it’s worth, I bought some sparkleberry plants from Mailordernatives in Florida. I didn’t have great success with their sparkleberries, but I don’t blame that at all on Mailordernatives. I did wonder, though, if the sparkleberries in Florida are any different than sparkleberries from their northern range.
I have had good initial success transplanting relatively scrubby-tree-like vaccinium plants from the woods and using it for rootstock. I’d like to know what species it is. I think sparkleberry is only supposed to grow wild more or less in the Coastal Plain, and I’m on the opposite side of the Piedmont.
Where did you get your seed? Have you germinated any yet?
Floyd,
Thanks for the reply… I got sparkelberry seed on ebay from ‘gottliebraphael’. Will plant soon. Reieved on March 1st. Have been stratifying.
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@Auburn
Bill, I was thinking of grafting to a not very productive blueberry bush and I found this thread. What you did here was really great, just what I wanted to achieve.
A few technical questions:
-
I see that you used cleft and side graft, did you other techniques other than those two?
-
Judging from the first few pictures, you grafted to some relative young branches. As you grafted to lower branches, did you graft to older canes? If yes, how is the results?
3)what kind of scion wood did you use? Very young tender one or older one? Which kind gave you better results?
- Any other advice to increase the graft success rate?
Thank you for your help in advance!
These were the only two graft techniques that I used and almost all the grafts were cleft types. I didn’t do anything different. I wrap the scion with parafilm and tighten it down with electrical tape. I use this method on almost everything and it is rare to have one not take.
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I grafted both high and low. The lower grafts were on stock that grew up the previous year. The upper ones were on older wood 2-3 year. All the scions were cut dormant from last year’s wood and saved in my refrigerator. Seems like all or almost grafts survived. I prefer to graft blueberry scions onto vigorous stock.
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Thank you for the detailed info!
I think I will try a few green graft now and see if I have any luck at all, I have nothing to lose. Then, I will collect the scion wood in the winter and do cleft graft next spring.
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This past weekend I was visiting family in Arkansas and found an unusual sparkleberry tree while hiking. These are typically in semi-shade with a few tiny, insipid black berries. This one was in full sun growing out of sandstone bluffs, and loaded with blue berries up to 3/8" diameter. I was really surprised when I tasted them. They were very sweet with a little real blueberry flavor and even were a little juicy. I wouldn’t choose these over any real blueberry, but I could still eat these by the handful.
I collected a few berries and seeds are stratifying. Hoping these will eventually be useful as rootstocks, but some may be worth growing as is. Easily the most palatable sparkleberry I have ever tasted.
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Sounds like a good plan. Hope the seedling do well.
I think it’s worthwhile to pay attention to these serendipitous discoveries.
I noticed a feral Apricot tree growing in the park without sign of access to water, even temporary seasonal runoff. Reported it to County again agent. Maybe they can clone it.