So this was my first time grafting both sweet and tart cherries. I read and researched a lot, because many were saying cherries are amongst the most difficult to graft. I’m very happy to report I’ve had 100% succuessful takers.
Here’s a few pointers I followed
- I only grafted scion tips
- I cleft grafted all of them
- I wrapped tight with parafilm and sealed with treecoat
- I pruned off all but the top root stock bud.
- Used mazzard rootstock (bundle of 10) from fedco, arrived budding.
- I kept the roots good and wet until the grafts took.
I might add, the fedco mazzard root stocks were very good quality. I had to trim the roots to get them to fit into my makeshift coffee can pots. I also potted the trimmed roots as root cuttings. Hopefully they grow into more mazzard root stocks.
Hopefully this may help someone.
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As I learn from my first attempt at bench grafting sweet and tart cherries, i’ll update this thread.
The cleft grafts have busted the parafilm and treecoat so I will wrap the grafts again with parafilm and treecoat. I’m a little consened about water getting down in the grafts and creating problems.
Open cleft graft.
Stella showing off 
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The best part of wakin’ up…
Great job. You probably know, those flower buds are from last year : )
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Both of the north star and both stella cleft grafted tips have cherries growing on them, pretty crazy to me actually.
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Someone’s showing their age! And I guess I am too since I got it right away… 
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End of growing seasion is wrapping up… here’s a pic of my pear and cherry bench grafts from this spring. I had 100% takers on both pear and cherry, simply cant ask for anything better than that. I remember my pears were whip and tongue and cherries were cleft grafts.
I plan to plant these in the ground in the new few weeks when they go dormant.
Some cherry cleft grafts healed over nicely all the way around, others not so good on one side. The ones that didnt heal well on one side are the scions that were smaller than the root stock, that I had to push ovet to one side to align the cambium. But they all took and grew, I even got a few cherries also so it’s all good. I think they will all be ok though.
Just a little update… i’ve read cherries are one of the more harder to graft. Cleft grafts worked well for my first attempt grafting cherries.
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Really nice outcome! Great start!
How did the root cuttings do ?
I hope they have made some leaves by now ?
I will try to do the same when my bare root cherry trees arrive.
Good ideas
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I will get a picture tomorrow. I had a bunch sprout and one grew into a nice size for a rootstock. I think I put too many root cuttings in the pot to be honest, I couldnt keep up with the water they needed.
I had several sprouts but only got one mazzard root stock that grew. It was my fault really, I let the pot get a little too dry. Life gets in the way sometimes… in hindsight i would have put the root cuttings pot in a kiddie pool with drainage holes about 2 inches from the bottom. Its a little extra assurance when I cant be here to water when needed.
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