Basic Tips For New Grafters #3a: What Graft For What Species

This section could almost be called “Pomes, And Everything Else And Don’t Forget Persimmons And Nuts”

My experience indicates that the these species work with the indicated grafts:

Pomes and plums: Almost any graft.

Everything else: Nothing. Well, that’s just me. Other people happily graft all those stone fruit, persimmons, hickories, and so on but aside from apricots I’ve had no experience with them, and the 'cots have been a failure (probably temperature related).

So I really wish somebody would finish this section for me. Please.

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Stone fruits are no different than pomes and plums. Just about
any graft will work with them too.

I’ve had many failures with apricots, one success! But as I say that’s probably temperature related. And plums are OK for me too. Never have needed to graft the others, but I gather they can be tricky, no?

I don’t grow apricots so I don’t have any experience with them, but peaches
and nectarines graft just like anything else.

I’ve had limited success grafting…

I can say that cleft graft worked well for me with regard to persimmon (hybrid to American rootstock)

whip and tongue worked for my 2 (of 5 attempts) successful plum grafts.

Apples (which are rumored to be simple enough that one can just throw a scion onto the tree and have it work) have proved to not work for me at all (whip and tongue and one of those fancy omega cut grafts). Pawpaws, I tried cleft and was unsuccessful as well, though I blame timing on this one

Scott (who isn’t even trying this year because he was too busy recently to hunt down the scion he would need)

Yes, Ray just has it down, the rest of us are not happy with success rates. It appears timing is everything, and also having good wood. I notice peaches take longer to callus and this often leads to failure from drying out. So you have to keep these moist longer. maybe presoaking in Super Thrive and rooting hormone. Using something better than parafilm like buddy tape, and maybe even wrapping the graft in plastic. I’m going to try some other grafts this year The Z graft, and the companion graft for figs. Besides your normal everyday grafts.

For peaches and apricots its more timing, quality of stock and scion, and aftercare - the type of graft is low on the list of variables that matter.

The only type of fruits that seem inflexible on graft type are the nuts. I only tried a few myself and found them very challenging, even with the 4-flap graft.

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