Grafting plum & other stone fruit

General Fruit Growing
#1

I have had success in my experimentation with apples.

Now I have some pears and plum scion coming and was wondering if there is any other factor I should take into account with the plum especially.

I know to wait until the tree is actively growing, But anything else of import???

Thanx
Mike

#2

My concerns are about what technique to use, cambium alignment, covering to prevent drying while the graft heals, and proper temperature for callusing. Usually the later is OK if the rootstock is growing. I’m not very good with the bark type grafts but have had good success with cleft, W&T, and simple splice grafts.

I just got some parafilm M and it doesn’t seem much different than what I already had. I’m going to try it for rooting fig cuttings this spring along with grafting nectarine and peach.

I don’t like the split open limb that cleft grafting leaves behind but think it’s really not much of an issue. The tree handles it pretty well and it’s a strong graft.

#3

The tree doesn’t need to be actively growing, it only needs to have the sap flowing, and that will be indicated by bud swell. Use the same techniques you used on your apples.
Fruitnut, it’s funny, but I find bark grafting to be the easiest method for me.
Figs are the easiest things to root. Take your cutting and stick it in a one gallon pot filled with good potting soil. Water it thoroughly and place it in the shade and don’t let it dry out. When the leaves begin to appear, move it to full sun and keep it watered. You don’t need parafilm or anything else for that matter. I’ve never had a fig cutting not take.

#4

Ray:

You’ve got humidity. Out here it can be below 1% humidity in spring. Others rot their fig cuttings mine just set there and don’t root. I did get 50% takes last spring but some only after upping water.

#5

I haven’t had Rayrose’s success with grafting stonefruit early, just as they begin growing. My success rate went way up when I waited until plums were in full leaf before grafting, and this involves scores of grafts (probably a couple hundred). However, this is with splice grafts, which is not the most common approach with stone fruit. Maybe results would be different if I was grafting onto larger wood.

#6

Fruitnut,
Are you rooting your figs inside your greenhouse or outside?

Alan,

Dave Wilson has an excellent video on bark grafting (top grafting)
3 varieties of nectarine onto an older nectarine that describes
exactly what I do and when to do it. I’ll post it, once I figure out how to post it.

#7

Here ya go Ray.

Link

#8

Also here is another link that describes different methods of grafting onto smaller rootstock.

#9

Thanks Sean,

That’s the video that taught me how to graft. There are also several follow
up videos that show the progression of that graft. Although there are countless grafting videos, IMHO this is the best one.

#10

Ray,

That original video is what really grabbed me by the ankles and drug me to the point that I am right now in my fruit tree adventure. If I have time today I’ll post in the “Meet Me” thread.

#11

I’ve had good success using whip and tongue grafts with prunus americana and myrobalan. Bench grafting using dormant rootstock and top-working in-ground trees at green-tip both worked for me.