Yes, I did it last year. This isn’t on my big frankentree, just a smaller one (3rd year tree) where I was grafting 4 varieties on it. I didn’t have much confidence in my grafts, as I had a 50-60% take rate the previous year (my first try), so I did 12 grafts on the tree. As it turns out, 11 took, so when one flowered, I figured sure- even if it runts out, I’ve got 2-3 backups of the same type.
As it turns out, all I learned is that July 29th is too early to pick this apple. ARS says that it is 60+ days earlier than Delicious (earliest rating), but the seeds were still white and it was pretty tasteless. It is supposed to have an interesting hazelnut-banana flavor.
But at least I don’t think it hurt me any- I’ve got a return bloom on at least one of the scions so I’ve got another shot this year. In all 3 of the 4 types that I grafted on the tree last year are flowering this spring. I’m disappointed in the 4th one- if it had, I would be getting apples from a variety before the scion-wood source produces them for my dad.
Kazakhstan apple from ARS- PI 613958, 96-07-07:
Here’s a pic of the graft union, at the time I picked the apple on July 29th.
