100% failure on attempted peach grafts as well as apricot. Is the timing right to try summer budding, and is it any easier?
Who has some budwood who is local to me in Maryland?
Here in zone 5 mid July is when I start budding . Since you are zone 6-7 you should be able to start budding now or soon .
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For successful budding temps need to be below 90. So choose a relatively cool week. This is why many bud in late August or September, when summer heat is over. Other than that, you can bud anytime during summer/early fall.
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It’s 96°F here as I type this. 
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96 is fine. Cover the graft/bud with aluminum foil for the first two weeks. You can start as soon as the new growth on budwood is mature enough. That happens after about 2ft of new growth and/or when the color of the bud area darkens up from a green color to a dark color.
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Here in southwest WI i can usually start the first week of July…i think it’ll be a tad later this year. Then i’ve budded as late as early Sept… plenty of time.
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I almost never bud peaches so don’t have much to offer. But peaches have a fairly narrow callous window and on a sunny day the wood will get 10-20 degrees hotter than air temp even if covered so from what I know I would not bud them in the kind of weather we are having now.
If you want to come grab some wood when it cools down just let me know…
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Won’t it be too late to bud by then? 
Is it possible to bud on older stems/branches? I know upper growth would need to be removed to force growth, but how soon?
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I can get nearly 100% takes budding stone fruit onto strong new growth. Budding onto last yrs wood is difficult at best. Thick bark on the understock just hasn’t worked well.
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Looking for suitable bud wood and this is what I find:
I don’t think the thin branch will provide enough cambium area and buds on the thicker branch have already made side branches. Any suggestions?
If the understock is thin, choose a thinner scion andremove the wood portion of the bud. Also chip budding works better.
Keep looking. There is always something better than what you show. Go as low on the branch as there are visible buds. Those are the most mature buds. That thin stick would work in a pinch.
I’m nearly 100% T budding. Not that good at chip buds but improving with experience.
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