Using Summer Budwood For Spring Grafting

General Fruit Growing
#1

I bought rootstock but due to the shutdown I received summer Budwood instead. I never got around to grafting it and this is what they are looking like today after a bleach water bath.

I think I should bring the crate of rootstock in the house and warm them up.

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#2

Hopefully you still get a good sucess rate :+1:

#3

Is the bleach bath a recommended step? The more I learn the more I realize what I dont know

#4

One of the sets had become quite moldy. but bleach baths are common.

#5

https://raintreenursery.com/plantcare/2014/01/grafting-tips-collecting-and-storing-scion-wood-2/
You need the previous seasons’ healthy vegetative growth for the scion (the shoot you cut from a desired variety that is used to propagate a new tree). Water sprout wood (the vigorous vertical growing shoots you normally remove from the center of the tree when you prune), or the terminal end of major growth at the top of the tree and the south side of the tree, will be most likely to have the flat pointed vegetative buds you need instead of the plump fruit buds you don’t need.

  • The wood needs to be about pencil diameter, and can be cut to 8-12” long for convenience.
  • Clean the wood with a mild bleach solution (1 tsp bleach/ 1 quart of water), dry, and place it in a plastic bag.
  • Put a barely moist (completely wrung out) paper towel in the bag to provide humidity, seal and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to graft.

Scion wood, properly cleaned and not too wet or dry, can be stored 3-6 months; scion wood from early spring blooming plants will only store about 3 months. See the rootstock page in our catalog for more information on collecting and storing and to select the rootstocks you will need to graft on.

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#6

Thanks lordkiwi for your great information!

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