Flowering pear trees had started breaking buds one month ago. I just received Asian pear scions from Brady. Too much rain in those days, Yesterday and today are all rainy days. Tomorrow will be sunny, but will have rain in the evening. Is it Ok that I go to graft pear?
Wait for a dry week and bark graft them then.
Not going to be a difference between a month or 5-7 weeks.
I’ve set bark grafts as late as June. The results aren’t as good but they will graft.
Bottom line is you’re better off waiting.
Additionally, prepare your tree a few days in advance of grafting by cutting off the upright shoot where you want to lay your bark graft. Give it a few days to bleed if necessary. Then come back and if the top of the shoot is the slightest bit wet . . . don’t even graft - you’re wasting your time.
If after those 2-3 days the top of the shoot is dry, then take your knife and shave off up from the top the bark until you see it’s a crisp, fresh, green again.
When you made your pruning cut the few days prior, the top couple 1/16ths of an inch isn’t going to be healthy wood to rest your scion(s) against. So nick that off with your knife before setting your scions.
And let that ground get good and dry before you graft followed with another week of no rain.
Dax
Sofia look into forecast and if there is no freezing weather is predicted then you have the perfect weather to graft. But it is just my opinion, I do all my grafts early. If they do not take for any reason you even will have time regraft them.
My number one priority is to make sure the understock is pushing growth. I would never graft in the rain or when freezing temps are predicted but the rest is fair game. Since I wrap the full scion with parafilm and the graft union in parafilm and temflex I’ve not been bothered by rain later in the day.
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Thank all Answers. I will not put up grafting my pears since no whole dry week recently. We have a very wet spring this year, good weather for my mushroom!
I use laytex caulk when I graft but it must dry some or rain will wash it off