I grafted a Frostbite apple scion onto a larger tree in two places. To my surprise, it looks like both are going to push out a cluster of flowers. Has anyone ever successfully fruited a first year graft? I really want to make this cross (w/ Redfield), and frostbite is a small apple, so I figure Ill let one graft grow out and pollenate the flowers on the other to keep one apple. Maybe Ill get lucky and it will hold.
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I’ve done it and I don’t think I should have. I think it was too much to ask of the new growth and set it back badly. I’d say bite the bullet and wait.
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Remove flowers. the weight of fruit can break graft.
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one apple, I would yes. even two. I want small trees and pruning less because the growth gets stunted doesn’t bother me, I also want to taste test everything and get to grafting.
a bunch? no because the branch is probably too small to hold them
Nature solved my dilemma by sending some bugs to eat the flowers just before they opened.
I always recommend removing the fruit for at least the first two years. I would like to see the tree put its energy into establishing itself rather than fruiting. I feel it gives you a stronger, healthier tree in the long run.
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I grafted trailman crab… to my novamac on b9 espellar last spring.
It grew very well bloomed and set 5 little apples… and continued to grow a shoot near 3 ft long.
I removed 4 of those and let one remain… it developed nicely and dropped from the tree when ripe. It was delicious.
Mid August I summer pruned the novamac including the trailman shoot… and it bloomed again.
I think in this case… it is going to work out well… probably because crab apples are smallish anyway and one was not such a burden on that graft.
TNHunter
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It depend. It depend on how the scion heal and the size of growth. It depend if you can get the scion readily and free again in case it break. Finally, depend on the weight of the fruit. With that said, I grafted nectarine scions. In less than a year and it fruited. Yes, one of them did broke and the other one struggle with the weight.
If you want fruit, then do it and regret it later… maybe. After all, the main goal is fruit right and how it taste.
I also grafted carmine goumi… which bloomed and fruited and grew shoots 3-4 ft long first season.
Since then… a couple years… they have fruited great.
TNHunter