I am about ready to graft some new rootstock (emla 111) each with one whip I will be grafting on (I had to get 50 rootstock as minimum). Do you think it is fine to grow one year planted in a garden to more easily water them and then transplant again next february? not really planning to pot them but just plant in ground. I moved a couple of fruit trees that were larger 2 years ago because the ground was too wet from natural springs and they did just fine.
Either way will work. In my opinion potted plants are a pain to keep watered for such a long time. The smaller trees are easier to plant and you also have an option to graft the M111 root before planting. To me the ideal situation would be to W&T graft the desired scion and then immediately plant in their permanent location. Bill
3 Likes
I bench grafted a pile of various apple varieties onto Bud9 last spring. As I grafted them, I potted them up in “Tall-One” Tree-pots, which are 4" across x 14" tall. The trees all grew pretty well last year, with most putting on about two feet of growth. I know that they would have grown much more in the ground, but I needed the flexibility to move them around. I did not find them too difficult to keep well-watered. I kept them groups of ten in large ten gallon pots. I buried the large pots in mulch to protect them for the winter.
3 Likes