I wanted to get a feedback loop going on a subject I’m exploring. Most everyone here knows how to graft and is an active grafter… but we all remember a time before that was a skill we possessed. My farm has a large cultivar library and I’m thinking of offering “pick your own” cultivar multi-graft (Frankenstein) trees as a product people order a year in advance to be “made” for them.
My question is this: Why would a small nursery NOT want to bother with this service? What’s the downside?
-Kevin
You could do “State” Heritage tree series to preserve germplasm too. Might take a few trees for some states.
It’s a good question. I think to put it simply, if you only have a few customers for it, it’s not worth the effort even though not huge.
I have seen some nurseries offer a custom grafted tree though, so they are getting their compensation for the work ahead of time.
State Heritage Trees is an extremely good idea. I’ve never thought of that before but that would absolutely appeal to fruit collectors I think.
Do you remember what Nursery you saw that offered the service. I’m curious, I haven’t seen it offered.
Hmmm. I’m sorry I don’t at the moment.
Did a search. Raintree lets you send them your scion and they will graft for you. They may do multi. Contact Ms Laura over there.
39th Parallel offers grafting, Cummins used to offer grafted trees with a choice of scion from Geneva (that may have been paused with Geneva’s fire blight outbreak). @Everett is offering it at Hobbs Horticulture.
Raintree offers multi-graft trees, though perhaps not custom ones. They seem to have a lot more availability in containers for local-ish retail sale compared to bare root mail order. There are some meaningful hurdles to consider and which you’ve probably considered (balancing vigor is the big one) but it’s definitely a more fiddly process so make sure that you charge commensurate with effort. That may be one reason it isnt done more if customers don’t understand how much more work it is and therefore wont pay the true cost.
The big problem for the grower is unequal vigor of the cultivars. One cultivar can dominate the whole tree unless the grower knows and practices some pruning.
I thought about offering that when I was selling fig plants. But never went beyond grafting a high dollar variety onto a lesser value variety that I had too many of. That allowed the buyer to acquire both varieties. It did seem to raise auction prices to some degree.
I’d love to make some Georgia Heritage Trees. Only problem is an utter lack of scions right now.Wagon Wheel has a lot of them, but does not sell scions. Horsecreek is ??? Sabbatical??? Emailed Kelly Farms and he is too disabled to work the trees. Century has some Southern Heritage; but does not sell scions either. TOC has some but…lots of trees and does the best they can.
If I did something like that; I’d start with G.969 and top it with self-fertile and tough Shockley and Yates. And graft the others onto it with a few crab grafts as well.
I think you should do it. It is a service that would be great. Perhaps start with very limited numbers to see if it is worthwhile.
The down side is effort and ensuring you have customers.
Nurseries graft the same two varieties on the same rootstock, two piles of scions, it’s quick and requires minimal effort. If one graft doesn’t take, then it is not a problem because there are plenty of others. You look for buyers after the grafts have taken, and the buyers in this scenario generally have little idea that there are different varieties of nectarine other than ‘yellow’ or ‘white’.
If you offer a choice of say ten different varieties to choose from there is extra time and effort of collecting correct scions. You may want to do two trees of each in case one graft does not take.
People are fickle and inconsistent. If someone orders a certain multigrafted tree, how do you ensure that they collect their tree and pay when it is ready? They can’t pay before the season. Do you ask for a deposit, and you would need to have clear rules around when they get their tree and what happens if they don’t turn up by the pick up date etc.
I am not saying this in an effort to discourage you, I think you should do it. I regret not doing this when I had acreage and small orchards.
Prior to learning how to graft, I would buy such a tree if I saw it. I did order a 4-in-1 Stark Asian pear but it was pricey. Two varieties had to be removed due to fireblight, so now a 2-in-1.
Heritage trees does sound like a good idea. How long to get to a tree like that from a rootstock? Three years?
For states with many heritage apple; make a series. Put one popular variety on the central leader; attach 3-4 lesser known ones. Have how ever many in the series to complete the collection.
I have a 3-on-1 Asian pear from Groworganic (Peaceful Valley). It was $59.99 plus shipping (part of a bigger order).
If you don’t do custom to order grafts, you have to pick trees compatible with only certain growing zones, so you already are limiting your customer base. So creating trees before customers pigeon holes you a bit on the sales side
Perhaps they could be sold to local nurseries for local resale…but then you are sharing the profit.
I’ll be finding out in the next few years about varying vigor issues on this tree and another Asian pear I’ve grafted to.
We have a point of sale shed on the farm so it’s possible for me to sell anything here to locals if they’re interested in the “ideas” other people had that ended up being leftovers at the end of the process.
I’d stick to cash now ideas. Anytime you stretch something out it’s going to get complicated. They don’t pay, want to change varieties over and over, variety death after grafting, ect.
Pre-made multi-grafts like the heritage idea would work great. Or the clasic early-mid-late kinds. As a side note: I have many multi-grafted trees and there is always one variety trying to take over.
This reminds me of that TV program Shark Tank.
I just picture one of us walking on to the set, standing in front of the panel of “sharks”, and getting grilled by Kevin O’Leary, the bald Canadian guy, and being grilled, “What does this cost you to make? What do you sell it for? How many have you sold? In what “channel” to you sell it? Have you talked to any of the big nursery or home-product store chains?”
Actually, that TV program gives a person a lot of insight in what it takes to establish a business, even a small one that could pay you a living wage and make it more than a hobby.
Not that there is anything wrong with a hobby-scale enterprise, if that is for you. Just don’t expect paying the bills with what you earn nor attracting any investment capital.
Something that would be popular to those on here would be a red fleshed multi graft. Another one I haven’t seen is an edible crab multi graft.
Or a Pollinator Special Crab multi-graft. Chestnut-Indian Summer-Pear Leaf. The entire year covered well.
Or very nearly the whole year{not quite} with big apples Zestar-Honeycrisp-Golden Supreme.
Or different cider apple blends.