Ky Champion has been the first to leaf out for me for the past 3 years. I have two different Ky Champs so I’m thinking this variety just breaks dormancy earlier than the others.
It’s too small to bloom yet.
I do plan to keep better track of bloom times in the future.
First to bloom this year on the multi graft tree was Overleese by a week.
Susquehanna blooms seemed late in comparison with the first open flower being around 10-12 days behind Overleese first bloom.
Allegheny, Shenandoah, Wabash, Sunflower all had their first full blooms in between Overleese & Susquehanna.
They all overlapped enough that pollination wouldnt be an issue. Only the first few Overleese flowers to open may have missed being pollinated.
Here is the tree.
It is 6-7ft tall and had its first small crop last year. I plan to evaluate ripening times and any other difference i can observe.
Planting site and possibly the rootstock will have an impact on when the trees break dormancy, bloom, fruit etc. For instance my Sunflower planted on the front of my house was 2 weeks behind the Sunflower in the backyard.
I use electrical tape. The tape in the photo is similar to electrical tape but textured more like fabric. I don’t know, it was on the shelf at the hardware store and I tried some out, it worked fine. The stretchiness of electrical tape really helps cinch grafts on tight.
Chip buds typically work great for me, but they don’t always push, depending on the placement on the tree.
For pawpaws, I like cleft, whip, and chip bud, in that order.
I concur with what AaronN said. I just wanted to mention that I use flagging tape for grafting purposes and it has worked very well for me. Its stretchy and has a tight hold like electrical tape but doesn’t have adhesive. Either are good options.
I’ve also had some success with chip buds but I don’t care for them for the same reason AaronN described. I’ve had equally good success with whip&tongue and cleft grafts with a knife, as well as v grafts with a tool. I’ve done very few bark grafts with pawpaws since I mostly graft on small rootstocks, but I do prefer those for larger sized rootstocks or branches.
On these multi graft pawpaws - is it best to rub off all new buds from below the graft on the branch like you would on a small seedling rootstock you’re top working?
I would think so but then I worry the tree could just abandon the branch if you keep removing growth (that is, until the graft takes).
Maybe I’m overthinking it. @JustPeachy
