Hello,
I am sure this has been asked before and I apologize but I could not find it. I had scion wood this winter. Everything whip and bark grafted in February worked. Things in March, grafted the same way, did not. I assume it was too late, and when the trees are leafing out the “awake” branches take all the nutrients?
Are there any options for grafting refrigerated scion this late? Or are we at a “T budding only” phase? Thanks! (I am in San Diego)
Depends on what you are grafting. I did a simple splice graft of pear in July and it took.
I started grafting late February and those took. I also grafted in March and then some just a couple weeks ago. They are all showing signs of life. The latest grafts were all on smaller but established trees. Except for 2 and the verdict is still out if those will take. I think as long as the scions haven’t completely budded out it is more weather dependent (temperature and humidity levels) than time of year and also the stage the tree is in for what type of grafts will or won’t work. Most of mine were cleft grafts but I did try 2 whip and tongue (still waiting to see if those will take as they were some of my lastest ones)
I guess it’s full on summer in San Diego. But the problem is less likely to be the tree giving too many nutrients to the “awake” branches as it is that the scions have started to break dormancy and waste all their reserves before they can knit to the tree and get nutrients there.
As @danzeb says, it depends on what you are grafting, too. But I would be willing to try again. And yes, you might do some chips or buds, too. Chips in particular are remarkably forgiving.