I had a major lesson brought home over the last week for improving pecan grafting success. I made grafts on 2021/06/05 which is very late for this area. Fortunately, I’ve tried late grafting and had some success in the past. This time, it looks like I got 100% takes on 5 rootstocks setting a total of 10 scions. I made grafts with long buds, cleft grafts, and whip and tongue grafts. So far, it looks like all of them were accepted.
The first absolute requirement with pecan grafts is to use only very high quality scionwood. Pick carefully for rapidly growing stems with 2 feet or more of current season growth. Store the scionwood appropriately in a refrigerator to keep it dormant.
So what made such a big difference in this round of grafts? We had a week of incessant rain totaling about 10 inches. Soil moisture levels are exceptionally high. Evaporation has been minimal meaning humidity for a week was in the high to very high range. This seems to be the key to getting high take rates with pecan grafts.
I’ve grafted pear and apple with little more effort than to whittle a stick. Pecan was always incredibly difficult. It is somewhat surprising to get very high success rates like grafting pears.
I checked the pecan grafts today and saw 2 inches of growth on a Lakota whip and tongue graft. It is wrapped with duct tape. The graft was not particularly well made so getting a strong growth response was a bit surprising. I also saw an inch of growth on a cleft graft. One of the whip and tongue grafts appears to have failed with dried up and desiccated buds last week. We will see how they turn out.
Today is July 24th 2021. Here is a pic of a Lakota graft made the first week of June that is now growing very well. I fertilized the tree with a handful of 13-13-13 about 3 weeks ago. The graft is a long whip and tongue meaning the slice is 3 inches long. It is wrapped with duct tape torn to 5/8 inch wide. This is not a conventional way to graft but as you can see it was effective. Scion and rootstock are both about 5/8 (12 mm) inches diameter. The rootstock was a volunteer which was large enough to accept a graft. Lakota happens to be very easy to graft as compared with most other pecans and hickories.
Used to consider myself a pretty skilled grafter. Then I got into the walnut and pecan game. Last year none of my pecan grafts took and only two walnut grafts took. Those two walnut takes did not come back this year unfortunately. This year zero walnut grafts have taken, but all of the pecan grafts APPEAR to have taken. Think if those pecan grafts actually make it through the season I’m retiring from walnut and pecan.
Pecan, I usually get about 60+% with the cleft graft and close to 90% on the banana graft. But this year we had a hot dry spring with the temperature in the 90’s. I had a low percentage, but I grafted less than usual since we’re still cleaning up from Helene. At least that’s my excuse.
I would like to graft a couple larger pecans (approximately 3" diameter). The only information I have found on trees that size was a video of bark inlay grafting from Noble Research. I am a bit apprehensive about setting my trees back that badly for what I hear is very low success rates for pecan grafting. I have some questions. For context, I am in central Kansas, zone 6A.
How big are the differences between selected/cultivar northern pecans and seedlings and is it truly worth grafting if this will never be a commercial operation? My trees are 8 years old and have not produced nuts yet so I can’t compare.
It appears people are grafting onto trees that are well leafed out. What date range/growth stage should I be looking for with grafting pecans?
@newbuzzfarm,
The difference in size and nut quality between selected cultivars and random seedlings can be quite significant. Seedlings of named selections from an orchard populated with other superior varieties will have a genetic headstart, but it’s still something of a crapshoot.
I’ve grown out somewhere on the order of 500-600 seedlings of Major, Posey, Greenriver, planted in 2000. Most have not yet come into bearing, but of those that have, none are nearly as good as any of the parent varieties… smaller nuts, thicker shells, speckled/splotchy kernels, etc. One, which is a MajorxPosey is nice, but it’s kernels darken quickly, like the Posey parent.
Grafting allows you to choose varieties that have proven resistance to pecan scab. And, grafted trees should come into bearing in half the time, or less, that a seedling takes to grow through its juvenile period.
With regard to timing for grafting… reread earlier posts in this thread.
For a 3 inch diameter tree, an inlay bark graft is the best choice. It is possible to cleft graft, but IMO bark graft has better success rate and does not have the inherent damage of a split trunk caused by the cleft graft. I’ve been making bark grafts on 2 to 3 inch diameter rootstocks for several years now with reasonably good success. As above, good quality scionwood is key to the process.
I would 100% graft a tree if producing good quality pecans is desired. Caney, Hark, Liberty, Pawnee, St. Paul, and Thayer are type 1. Earlton, Kanza, Labette, Oswego, and Pleasanton, are Type 2. These varieties are appropriate to your area. Be sure to graft a type 1 with a type 2 for pollination.
Bill Reid can likely offer much better advice than I can plus you can find his grafting videos on his blog. https://northernpecans.blogspot.com/
