The potential problem when you buy a multigrafted tree is that the seller probably did not put together varieties that grow well together which means you have to keep watching and pay more attention to growth and pruning than you would like to. When you put together your own tree with multiple grafts you presumably already know what you are doing in terms of the varieties you are using and their growth habits. Bottom line is that multigrafted trees are not great for rookies.
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.[quote=“hoosierquilt, post:20, topic:9515”]
and others contend pruning a single graft cultivar tree is much easier.
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Never said it wasn’t. I was not talking about that at all. I guess here is where I mis-read the comments. OK, thanks Patty I misread what people were saying.
It was me! If I offended anyone sorry, it was never my intention to do so.
Either is grafting your own for rookies. Well the DWN multi-grafted trees are well thought out. Including pollination and growth habits. Making my own right now with cultivars I never grew, I would be more clueless than DWN doing it…As far as growth habits and such. I hear what people are saying my only comment was that pruning any multi-grafted tree is not going to be easy homemade or bought, that is all I was saying nothing more, nothing less. The comments implied homemade tress would be easier to prune, and I did ask to explain that? So far nobody has.
It’s probably me, what i think you are saying and what you are saying must be different, so it’s me, sorry for the fuss. Just ignore me!
It wasn’t me that said grafting was easy for rookies. For most it’s not. I agree that pruning is going to be a problem for most any rookie regardless as to where the tree originated. The Dave Wilson grafts are well thought out in terms of pollination but their growth issues are many, so many in fact that Dave Wilson has a lengthy list of how to deal with their multi-grafted trees. Again I return to my original thought which is that rookies probably should not be growing multigrafted trees.
Yes I agree with all you say. It was just a little misunderstanding as to what was being said. My bad! I must admit I was a rookie when I bought the multi-graft tree, still am really! (a rookie) But it worked out fine for me, I love this tree! I would buy another no problem. If I wanted one! The quality was top rate.
I don’t want another as you all stated, I would rather build my own. Which is going to be just as hard to prune. My pruning skills are fine, so not really concerned about that. I suppose at some point by accident I will cut off one of my own grafts, oh wait I already did that! Dolt!
Again sorry if I offended anybody, I need to work on my social skills. I have not be able to sleep in a bed for three nights, and it starting to show I guess? My darn back is out and I cannot lay down at all. From a car accident years ago I never fully recovered from. My back does this a few times a year for the last decade.
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I’ve bought a couple of multi and made many of my own. Mine were a little easier to manage because I had good crotch angles. But none are all that hard. All it takes is summer pruning and not just once but the way one does BYOC. Renewal pruning is hard, summer pruning to maintain balance, well all that takes is doing it.
The thing that’s surprising to me is that these combo trees sold by the big nurseries aren’t always grafted in order to create 4 scaffolds that are spaced 90 degrees apart and each separated by 2-3 inches vertically. It seems like common sense to do that but none of the 3 combo trees I ordered were like that. What’s even more dumbfounding is that these multigrafts are almost exclusively chip budded which means they essentially have 100% free reign on where they would like the scaffolds. It’s not like they are grafting to existing scaffolds and have to take what they can get.
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Two different varieties of apple trees often require entirely different methods, so why would an ability to prune roses lead to fruit tree pruning mastery? I’ve been pruning fruit trees for the majority of working hours my entire life and am still challenged and made the idiot by my laughing fruit trees.
That said, I feel the complexity of managing multi-variety fruit trees here is a bit exaggerated- so I guess I’m with Drew on that. Two bad things can happen- a graft runts out or a graft takes over- either problem is eliminated with a single pruning cut. Make it a “Dutch cut” and you can replace it with a new graft of a variety with appropriate vigor. Or you can attend the tree 2 or 3 times during the summer to prune back the excessively vigorous branch. You can partially score the trunk above a runted graft and may succeed at invigorating it.
The problem with pre-fabs is often the limbs are over-sized (more than half the diameter of the trunk) or just not where you want your scaffolds. And yes, it would be nice to have varieties of similar vigor.
This is something I would love to see how others did this, how they managed the grafts. Often even when posting photos it’s hard to see what is what at times. I’m hoping to have this problem. So far I have had a couple takes out of about 100 attempts. On peaches though, which appear to be rather difficult.[quote=“alan, post:28, topic:9515”]
am still challenged and made the idiot by my laughing fruit trees.
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LOL, well I usually threaten them at that point. Pull the chain saw out a rev it a few times (they hate that!).
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My multi grafts have mostly been on well feathered Citation with wide crotch angles. Simply chose four good branches to T bud onto. I can get nearly 100% takes under good conditions via T budding. They all made great strong trees with minimal issues related to scion vigor.
The trees I bought were either T or chip budded right to the trunk. That gives sharp crotch angles that often can’t be corrected without ripping the graft out.
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That sounds like a plan. The scion will go farther too. Oh btw the fig tree is doing great, growing branches and all. One nice thing about good lights!
Well this is related, is that a T-bud on the fig? it is so clean!!
Here is the graft
The whole plant
In my case, I found myself with 2 varieties producing overabundantly at the same time. A vote was taken, and now I have a 3-1 plum that I keep pruning back
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I usually graft my own multi-grafted trees. I liked the well balanced branches. Here are a few of my multi grafted trees.
American persimmon with 9 varieties.
Jujube with 6 varieties.
Wild native plum with 15 varieties of prunes, plums, pluots, apricots, and cherries crossed.
Tony
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There may be a huge advantage to multi-grafted plum trees in the North (my Z6 and colder)- start off with a vigorous variety and put your more fragile ones on it. I had a Laredo tree die to the ground one year, but had taken wood from it two years before and stuck some on 3 Shiro plum trees. The grafts remained vigorous and vital after Mom died. I’ve decided to use Shiro much more as a mother tree for varieties that tend to get cambium damage here from the weather on my site.
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I had two multi-graft apple trees. The rabbits killed one when it was ten years old. The other is my favorite apple tree. My main problem is that I like to prune out the lower branches so the rabbits can’t nibble over the snow, but then I would lose the lower couple varieties.I lost a couple low varieties to the rabbits as it was. Come to think of it, I have a third multi-graft tree that isn’t bearing size yet, also. I probably need to take up grafting, but hard enough to keep up with things as it is.
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Drew is that question directed to me? If so what fig are you talking about, the BFF I just sent?
Yeah just curious. I’m going to try the T-budding on stone and figs too. I’ll research it. I book marked your tutorial here, thanks for that! On stone fruit I need to look into that more. I want to try various methods as I’m going to have a lot of young peach seedlings I need to experiment with
If that’s the BFF plant the crook near the soil line isn’t the site of the T bud. Only one shoot is BFF. I think it’s the middle shoot going left. All others are Strawberry Verte. You better post another picture so you can get things straight otherwise you’re likely to prune off the BFF.
Yeah I pruned off one graft already this year, let’s keep it low!
OK, well that didn’t look like a T-budding graft, but it looks like a graft, probably new growth.
OK, I see the graft fine, You’re correct the one on the left. Should I remove the bud below it?
What is the advantage of grafting a fig when you can easily root a cutting and put it next to the existing fig- in the same pot, if that is how you are growing them?