Hi folks - So I grafted about 45 trees earlier this year and about 35 have of them seem to have taken. I do have some however where the graft did not take or the scion wood was not viable and didn’t take off. In these cases, the rootstock seems to wanting to survive. Is there any value in just cutting off the scion and letting the rootstock grow? Could I use it the following year as a rootstock again? Seems like a waste but Im not clear if it’s feasible to keep it. Thanks
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It depends how comfortable you are grafting in the field. If you have good knees/back, it’s not too bad.
Personally I’d keep them. You could even try your hand at T budding around august.
Edit: One of the cideries I used to read about swore by growing their B.118 or whatever for a couple years prior to grafting. IMO much easier to catch it while it’s a compatible diameter with your scions.
If you T bud, you can do 2 per tree if you want to increase the odds and have spare time. Pick one when they push leaves in spring.
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What type of rootstock is it? From foliage I guess plum? Some types do well using greenwood grafts during August as soon as you have mature buds in scion leaf axils. Definitely save the rootstock, many options later.
Dennis
Kent, Wa
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It’s apple. A variety of M7, M11, and G890. So should I just plant it like I do the other trees in the nursery and keep it for next year?
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Yes. Absolutely. I do the same with suckers from M7 and peach root. Save em. Let em grow and bud graft
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I definitely save mine to regraft later.
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Only save them if you want more trees 
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So can I just plant the rootstock and let it go for a year and then try to graft again next year? Or should I bud graft?
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Bud graft early enough to give time to heal wpuld be my recommendation. The growth next spring will amaze you because its already healed.
And if they fail then whip n tongue or cleft next spring again.
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Isn’t that why we get looked at all crazy?! We always want more. And then when we can find space we give em away.
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I’ve never bud grafted. When is that typically done?
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It is done when the bark is slipping (easily pealed away). I usually aim for mid-late august.
It’s done with vegetative buds from the current year’s growth. You select well developed buds, usually on the first half of the years growth. E.g. if you have a 3’ water sprout, you can grab buds from the lower 1.5’ or so.
You can completely wrap them with parafilm.
There are some excellent written guides and videos you can google around for. I like the cheap tina knife for budding. IMO ignore the inverted t-bud and just do conventional.
edit: Wow the tina knife is a lot more expensive these days…
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Agreed. @jonlan. I use the same grafting knife i do for other grafts. Also agree forget t cuts etc. Just angle in and have a notch under to drop bud into. I had a couple peach last year that were even full half inch spurs. Just wrap well and make sure sealed. I prefer august. Full on growth has slowed bit gives time to heal.
That’s it. Don’t touch back of graft bud or open wound. Use the leaf petiole to handle it if possible.
Majority of mine took last year. Four of them grew some growth before winter. Five of them did nothing - of those three still havent done anything but other two are growing gangbusters now. The ones thay had started last year all looh great and are growing nicely this year.
Plum on apricot. Waited to grow until spring.
Peach and nectarine on apricot. Grew a little in fall. Now in spring …
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For apple, if you have access to green wood scions during mid summer, you can use any type of graft you feel most competent with! The most important things to do with green wood scions are:
- Be ready to use them within 2-3 days
- Immediately remove leaves leaving only the stem and drop scions in an ice water bath until you graft
- Make sure the new buds are fairly mature on each scion, usually in my climate early August is perfect and the buds inside the leaf axil are mature.
Dennis
Kent wa
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Yes but … humidity plays a role in that for sure. If your in tropical or sub tropical areas absolutely. 80-80 weather should work. I have trouble where I’m at because of 15% humidity a lot of days with high UV. 
Dennis - you’re in WA so yeah cooler days and higher humidity. I just did a couple Fuji same day i cut them. And within a couple days already showing signs of dry. I had several from early April that are leafing out - but as soon as warms up its iffy for me, and bud is the way to go. Just diff in clime and I’m not sure where OP is.
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So I have some scions that are still green with buds left where the root stock died under the scion. Can I chip bud them now?
Danny you have nothing to lose to try chip budding now. I and many others let failed graft rootstock grow out this year and then retry next year. I had some come with virtually no roots. Most of those grafts failed but the rootstock is surviving.
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