Budding new low scaffolds onto the tree itself

General Fruit Growing
#1

I have inadvertently allowed a few of my stone fruit trees to get too tall so the fruit is out of reach but with too much of the real estate on the trunk being bare .

I want to try to create new lower scaffolds on the existing trunk without having to cut off all of the scaffolds above. I do not want to sacrifice all of the scaffolds that are bearing and are within reach.

I plan to accomplish this by EITHER (a) doing a whole bunch of bud grafts at different points and levels on the trunk of (b) by grafting scions onto the trunk. I want to graft the buds and scion of a tree ONTO ITSELF.
THE QUESTION THAT MY FEEBLE MIND RAISES IS: Usually when we bud graft or scion graft, we are grafting onto younger branches or a cleft type graft on a trunk or branch that has been beheaded. But, the bark on the trunk is much thicker. So… how do I bud graft or scion graft onto an area where the bark is so much thicker?

Thnax

Mike

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#2

Hey Mike:

Don’t waste time trying to bud into that thick bark. It won’t work. If you cut back some scaffolds and get vigorous new shoots you can bud onto those. But I think you’d do better grafting onto scaffolds you cut back next spring. If you cut back say half of the scaffolds that should give enough vigor to get those grafts to push. Then in another yr or two you could cut back the other half and graft those. That would give a whole new tree.

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#3

@fruitnut

Thanx

Mike

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