Anyone with experience grafting plums, apricots, peaches or nectarines on Krymsk®1?
Done a lot of reading on it. It’s what you’re looking for for all of those and w/o needing another rootstock type. There are a few apricots that won’t go on it that I came across. Gosh I wish I would’ve saved that page. I may have. I’ll take a look at my recently bookmarked.
Dax
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K1 isn’t very compatible with apricot IME. I just took out several apricot on K1 and they all had weak unions. Several failed after about two yrs. There is a large scion swelling above the graft union. Pluots take well. I think that indicates that J plums should do well. Peach and nectarine at least haven’t failed in the first 3 yrs.
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I just searched and can’t find what I read. And, before I read fruitnut’s response I was thinking it was maybe almonds they listed that weren’t compatible.
Fruitnut knows what’s up. So, I wouldn’t put much faith in apricots or none at all.
Dax
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I grafted Imperial Epineuse in 2014and Opal in 2015 onto K1 stock. They are both potted in 10 gallon pots. Opal already gave about 8 delicious plums in 2017. So far I am a fan of K1.
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Glad to know European plums can be used on the rootstock as well.
I guess I will not be grafting any apricots to this rootstock.
I can’t add much more solid info yet, but I did graft Zard and Sugar Pearls apricot to K1 rootstock this spring (2017). All 3 took, but are still tiny. They are in containers in my unheated garage for the winter. I’ll try to update in the spring (2018) if they are still viable. I ordered 5 more K1. I’ll try another apricot or two and probably some peaches and a plum also.
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In spring 2017, I grafted many apricots, peaches, nectarines, A. plums, and E. plums on several K1 rootstocks. The rootstocks had been in the ground for one year before grafting.
Apricots: Five apricots varieties (Blenheim, Losse Blenheim, Norris Blenheim, Serafin Blenheim, and Roxburgh Red) grafted on one K1 rootstock. Three of them (Blenheim, Serafin Blenheim, and Roxburgh Red) grew very vigorously — about 4 ft in one season; Norris Blenheim grew about 1 ft; Losse Blenheim graft failed.
Peaches & Nectarines: Multiple varieties grafted on several K1 rootstocks. 50% (14 out of 28) of the grafts have been successful. Redhaven is known to do very well on K1 (info from academic studies; coincides with my experience), so it can be used as an interstem for any other variety of peach/nectarine.
Asian Plums: Multiple varieties (Burgundy, Catherine Bunnell, Dolly, El Dorado, Emerald Beaut, Golden Nectar, Inca, July Santa Rosa, Mariposa, Padre, Satsuma, Superior, Wickson) grafted on several K1 rootstocks. All grafts took except one (Wickson). Two of these trees (the ones with Emerald Beaut and July Santa Rosa grafts) died in late summer, but they were planted in a bad area, very close to California pepper trees that try to kill any other plant in their vicinity.
European Plums: Multiple varieties grafted on several K1 rootstocks (the total of 22 grafts of 14 different varieties). 100% of the grafts took and grew well.
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I have the Harrow Diamond peach grafted onto Krymsk.1 from White Oak Nursery (PA) planted last fall. Survived a harsh winter.
In its first leaf post-transplant, it grew modestly, and struggled mightily with leaf curl in the spring (more attributable to scion or source rather than understock). I picked off the affected leaves and it pushed out new clean foliage in early summer.
Produced two perfect peaches-- the best I’ve yet grown. Tree is still rather small. Looking forward to seeing how well it does in the future.
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Gabe Botar from DBG Fruit Growers Group recommends a sand cherry inter stem to make apricot scion more compatible with plum. I might suspect this would likewise help on Krymsk 1.
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I like the idea of growing rootstock in the ground for a year before grafting. A lot of graft failures are the result of insufficient vigor in the rootstock where bench grafts are done on uprooted trees in a greenhouse. The greenhouse helps keep the grafts from drying out before callousing, but if the plant is growing vigorously to begin with, healing is much more rapid and new growth of scion much more vigorous. For people growing trees in pots the most bang for the buck might be realized by letting the tree grow in a pot for a year before grafting and keeping it well watered and fertilized the preceding and current season of grafting.
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I’m not much of a fan of dwarfing rootstocks. I’m not having any trouble at all keeping trees small on other rootstocks via pruning. If dwarfing rootstocks worked super well maybe I would feel different, but they do not. I prune the trees on dwarfing rootstock as much as regular. I see fruitnut pulled 30 pluots out on K1 all had crown gall. I’m sticking to other rootstocks.
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Stan, I saw this old topic and the mention of the plum “Catherine Bunnell”. My understanding is your graft was successful. If has fruited, could you please give me a description of what the fruit is like. I grafted it this year without knowing anything about it. Thanks.
Thanks @Vohd. My scion source had a different spelling of the last name, and my searches didn’t return much.
The fruit is medium size, purple skin, flavor is good but nothing outstanding. Seems to be relatively vigorous and productive. I’ve not noticed any stone cracking, which is mentioned in the description.
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Many thanks.
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Just an update. A white apricot Moniqui does not work on K1. It has grown a little each year and then it just stops and the leaves change colors///looks like it wants to die. A pluot budded this year right near it has grown almost 3 feet. Superior plum also seems to not behave well on this rootstock for what i’m witnessing. Some early season growth and then it just stops (it has no fruit on it either). I’m also pruning it hard to try to force growth. Looking for something else as a rootstock///probably try k86 or move back to peach seedlings.
Marianna GF8-1 seems to be pretty versatile with apricots, peaches and plums. A Superior I grafted last year onto GF8-1 has grown more in one year than any benchgraft I’ve ever done. Can’t yet speak of any long term results, however.