Frequently we are asked what makes the best grafting wood? How do we know this year’s wood from last? Why does fireblight attack new growth and where is it? Here are a couple of photos to help you determine this year’s growth from last year’s growth. Brown colored wood seldom gets fireblight because fireblight attacks growing cells eg. Flowers and new shoots, old wood does not make good grafting wood. The green wood will be great for grafting next spring. Look at the photos and train your eyes to see the difference. If you need yali scions next year I have a bunch! In the first picture my hand is resting nearing the transition between old and new wood.
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Do you prune the new growth??
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What do you have for a pollinator? I’ve planted tsu li twice and blight killed them. The ya li just keeps going. Good size tree and no blooms. D
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That is extremely odd ya li blooms nearly it’s first year. Literally there is one I grafted to a new rootstock thats been in the ground 2 years it was covered in blooms. There are so many pears here I’m beyond worrying about pollinators but all my pears in that orchard overlap its bloom time. Kieffer, Duchess d’ angoulme etc overlap it.
What happens if you graft with 2nd year (old) wood?
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Sometimes it’s all you got but you may not get the desirable results you want. Less take rates is my experience for one thing. That old barked up wood just isn’t as friendly as we like it to be for grafting.
Hi Clark! How much of an extended season does it need? I heard they are late, but compared to Oly giant? I might like some wood next year… I did get seuri li
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