G202 rootstock quick to wake up in spring?

General Fruit Growing
1

Hi everybody,

I planted some G202 rootstock last year planning to graft this year, and I’ve noticed that it seems to be breaking dormancy significantly earlier than the few pieces G41 rootstock that I’ve been growing out after graft failures the previous year, and even earlier than most of the trees I have grafted on G41. I would estimate about a week earlier than the G41, and maybe two weeks earlier than the earliest of my grafted trees. Somewhere in that ballpark anyway.

I’m curious to know whether this is a recognized phenomenon and what the practical implications might be. For me, living in 5b Western Massachusetts, I felt like the G202 was actually getting going a little earlier than I might have liked for grafting purposes, in terms of potential frost exposure. But I’m also curious whether/how the wake-up time for rootstock influences the wake-up time for a grafted tree, and if so, whether there might be circumstances where a quick-waking rootstock might be beneficial. Possibly if you were trying to grow a variety that ripened very late for your area?

Interested to see if people have any thoughts.

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2

Last year I had 6 each of B118 and M111 that I did not graft. This spring the B118 is a couple days into leafing out, while the M111 has not started yet.

I was wondering the same things as you, if the rootstock will affect the grafted variety. If it does, a later waking rootstock might be beneficial to those battling late frosts.

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