Root grafting


Update:
0hxf97 takes brilliantly from root grafts. Evidently, however, it also takes just fine from root cuttings.

6 Likes

I’m experimenting with different methods of propagating a big old black mulberry - semi-ripe cuttings, hardwood cuttings, autumn grafting amd most recently chip bud grafting. Cuttings seem to be very difficult so this time I’ve put them into a mini-hothouse. Recently an Instagram buddy recommended root grafting. Can you give me some tips? Timing, source of root, saddle graft? I’m keen to make this work as the black mulberry tree has fruit of extraordinary flavour. Thanks a bunch - Julie (PS I’m in Australia)

2 Likes

I had several wild mulberry seedlings in my backyard. I plan to graft white Pakistan mulberry.
I just got two pieces of short scion. I am pretty good at chip budding.
What time to do chip budding is to have a high percentage of success?

I’m no expert but I think late summer is best to chip bud mulberries and peaches

not really an inversion, but tried to bridge the gap between root and viable bud–here’s a root segment of a (supposedly) self-rooted jujube from jfae which i poached and grafted over with upright growth of the same juju last june. Unfortunately didn’t prosper, perhaps due to time of year it was done, and perhaps due to compromised root segment.

1 Like

I am going to root graft some extra pear- various scion on OHxF87. Planning on using the roots I prune off some knarly twisted stock, why waste them.
Some tips please- if I whip and tongue or saddle graft, how long do I hold these before planting out? And do I just wait until next fall or winter to check for parafilm deterioration under the soil line or sooner? I was planning on using parafilm alone to cover the graft, is this best?

2 Likes

My new years project is to try root grafting my owari and brown select satsuma on flying dragon. I have one mature tree of each on flying dragon, so I dug up a couple of roots and cut them into 8" pieces with at least one bunch of fine roots on each. Then I cleft grafted one year scion to the root after cutting off the leaves. The idea is to not bury the graft union so I will have a regular dwarf tree that will go dormant here which is critical for freeze protection as I understand it.

My question is how to handle these grafts? So far I potted them in moist potting soil indoors (70F average temp). The entire scion and any exposed root are wrapped in parafilm The plan is to keep them indoors like this for a couple of weeks then put them under lights indoors or outdoors in a warm spot on sunny days to get them growing. I’d be interested in any recommendations from anyone that knows about this kind of thing.

3 Likes

Update on my 8 whole-root root grafts, grafted spring and planted directly in the orchard '18, '19, '20 - apple, pear, cherry. All are growing nicely, fairly slow but steady. Sue

4 Likes

I am using a similar process on Illinois Everbearing mulberry. Sunday was week #2 in dark callousing, I inspect and water them each week to watch for any bud swelling. Since this is a first trial for me I repotted the 13 grafts into 3 pots so I can try various techniques once buds are swelling. I am thinking after week #4 the grafts should be well established when I will expose one potted graft to sunlight indoors. I will post a pic once I get some success signs.
Dennis
Kent, wa

3 Likes

My silk hope mulberry is very late to leaf out. If IE is similar maybe it will take a while to see some movement? Looking forward to see how our projects turn out. I’m sticking to my plan for now. I was wondering whether I should put them in a Ziploc, but I think the parafilm should keep them from drying out. My ultimate goal is to replace the shrubs in front of my front porch with satsumas.

1 Like

Has anyone ever tried this on persimmon? Would that work?

1 Like

It can be done.

3 Likes

I attempted a few persimmon root grafts, but none took. Not saying it wouldn’t work, but weighing in cause I’ve tried it.

3 Likes

My satsuma grafts are starting to sprout. They have been sitting on top of a florescent shop light housing (seeds are under the lights) for a little bottom heat. I ended up putting a pastic bag over the pot. I’m guessing I need to put them under some light -maybe at first out of direct sun for a couple of weeks?

1 Like

As a small startup nursery I’m interested in going more the way of craft beer with my fruit trees. Considering offering root grafted trees as an option, along with own root trees. This would be for apple, pear, plum. We’re in zone 3 so hardy full sized rootstocks are common. My standard rootstock for apple for example is Siberian crabapple seedlings, and the one year old seedlings have a tonne of root, often a with a tap root and would be fine to trim, maybe even beneficial. The graft unions would be buried a few inches below the soil in the nursery beds and I would expect that the scion would also send out out some roots near the surface, but the bulk of the root system would be the grafted part.

Reading old gardening books this used to be far more common than it is today, back when seedling rootstocks were more common. I’m wondering what the public would think when ordering a bare root fruit tree if they had a couple of the usual rootstock options, and then also root grafted or own root available.

4 Likes

On some things I would prefer a root graft.

3 Likes

KS State University in Manhattan KS had an interesting write up from about 1905 ? where they compared piece-root versus rootstock grafts using apples. After 2 or 3 years in the test orchard, they found no difference. So they leaned toward root-grafts as being most economical.

3 Likes

I’m trying some apple root grafts this year. My plan is to separate the rooted section of m111 rootstock that’s been growing since last spring, I think 2-3 sections of well rooted “root” could be obtained from each rootstock. I’d like to bury the scions for encourage some scion-rooting for standard trees. I did a few tests and was able to get a few points of cambium-crossing with whip grafts, and modified whip-and-tongue depending on the size of the stock/scion. Does this seem like a sound plan? Hoping these work well, it could be very economical!

4 Likes

What are you showing in the bottom picture? Is that roots from the scion when done as you describe?

1 Like

It’s the below ground section of m111 rootstock. I’m going to divide something like it into 2-3 pieces to graft to.

2 Likes