When to force growth on chip buds?

I grafted a few chip buds onto a Rome Beauty about ten days ago. The tree is blooming some and starting to come out, but really isn’t pushing any growth beyond those grafts.
Can anyone tell me what the best time would be to cut those limbs back?

I’d give them at least two weeks, three if you want to be on the safe side. Then try to force. But normally you can see if the bud has taken. If not move on to plan B. Which might be T budding in June.

I have the same question. I need to bud a Damson that broke off when I was removing a support.
I was trying to reposition it straighter and managed to break the branch clean off. I was so upset, this is an experimental branch that has thrived with no dieback for the last two winters.

I have read many threads in this forum trying to learn how to T bud and chip bud it onto other plums in an effort to save some of it but now I read about “forcing the buds”. Should I do this in a couple of weeks or should I leave them till next year ? We get our first fall frost the beginning of Sept. and I am concerned there will not be enough time for the new growth to harden off for winter.

With frost only two months out I’d likely over winter anything budded now. But if you can bud several try both ways. A good way to learn.

1 Like

Does frost kill green growth?

I’m not expecting frost in two months. Where would that happen?
In two months in Indiana it will just be getting HOT!

I’ll likely have frost the first week of September, and sometimes a week before that. But if we can get past that end-of-summer chill we may go weeks more!

Go figure. I dunno.

1 Like