I ask because I might have access to an established apple tree. Does it matter the type of apple tree or variety for grafting? Based on what I have read here and elsewhere, I think the answer is no it doesn’t. I was hoping to verify if I’m right.
If I buy an heirloom scion, for example, can I graft it on somebody’s regular Granny Smith, Fuji, or Golden Delicious?
Any apple to any apple.
What @franc1969 said. But be aware that sometimes some combinations do better or worse then you might expect. I can barely get Macoun to grow on my Liberty, but Prairie Spy, Calville Blanc, and Karmijn de Sonnaville seem to do just fine. No idea why.
Many scions don’t take off as well if they’re not grafted fairly high up on the tree, where apical dominance is less pronounced. (You can at lease partially overcome that by notching just about the graft, see: Notching to remove apical dominance - #7 by jeremybyington
What about trees only a few years old?
Agree with Mark, any apple can graft and be compatible to grow, but if they are not self fertile, then you may want to investigate what variety you need to grow fruit! There are cross pollination charts you can review to determine which varieties can pollinate others. This may be you most important research
Dennis
Kent, wa
Most rootstock is only a year old, maybe two, seedlings a year. Age is not the thing. The younger and smaller the tree, the more your grafted variety is part of the larger structure, not just a branch.
Read as many threads here as you can- get familiar with what is done. Particularly the graft compatibility thread. Then you know what can be, maybe stretch it a bit. I assume from your previous questions that you haven’t tried much- just go ahead. Next year you will do more, the next year even more.
I’d prefer to be grafting to a 3 TO 6 year old tree…but it"s not a critical point.