Graft over everything including bartlett seedlings and the callery pears. It will be great practice.
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Ah. Ok…no problem. And you may be right…perhaps some people actually want new callery scion wood. Here (at least some varieties) are practically weeds and its hard to imagine me wanting to order some…but Bill and now Clark have shown it does indeed have value as a pollinator.
I was still focused on the OP and what she was trying to accomplish, and thought your answer to her looking for wood was to give her links to Callery scion. That’s why I got confused. Sorry. Thanks.
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[quote=“thecityman, post:115, topic:3490, full:true”]
Ah. Ok…no problem. And you may be right…perhaps some people actually want new callery scion wood. Here (at least some varieties) are practically weeds and its hard to imagine me wanting to order some…but Bill and now Clark have shown it does indeed have value as a pollinator.
I was still focused on the OP and what she was trying to accomplish, and thought your answer to her looking for wood was to give her links to Callery scion. That’s why I got confused. Sorry. Thanks.
[/quote]Some people find great value in what appears to be a blight immunity on at least some of the callery plants, also some of the callery seems more weed like than others. Wild plants often make great pollinators if they flower at a good time.
Actually I can see that I used quote when I did not mean to, after all it’s not like it’s a guaranteed thing that she needed those links. This forum is unique and I am still trying to get used to it. No problem.
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Bill has very kindly sent me not just two varieties, as I’d thought, but four varieties of scions!! They came today and I had just enough time after evening chores to work on cutting off the extra “trunks.” This is what I’ve got left of the first callery pear experimental tree. Any advice? I have read about a “nursing” branch- the lowest one, maybe? I have 13 scions to place. I could also put some on my Bartlett seedlings. Will get a pic of those in a second here. Here’s the callery (sort of front/back pics).
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I never got new pics of my Bartlett seedlings tonight- these are from Monday, but no new growth; still dormant. I wonder if there’s any use in grafting onto them or if my efforts are better spent on the Callery tree. I don’t think these will have the vigor of the callery as I planted them in spring of 2014 as 1yo saplings and they’re still rather small (did get “coppiced” by my husband’s accidental mowing):
I noticed that the blooms that had juust started to come out in the callery appear killed from the recent blast of cold we’ve had. Any thoughts on what that might mean for grafting? We have had very odd later winter/ premature spring weather. I’m in northern va and don’t think these flowering pears normally flower that early. Anyway, I recently re-read to wait until temps are in the 70s… The highest temps I see in the 14 day forecast are in the low 60s and those are at the end of the two weeks’ forecast. So I guess I should let the scions hang out in my crisper drawer longer?
I’m almost embarrassed but am compelled to post my attempt pics!! I think our coldest blasts are past and hope I at least waited for decent weather. I was stumped as to where else to cut on my thorny callery pear as I fear and despise the thorns. So I really topped off almost the entire thing, leaving two very small branches. I then cut off the larger of the two and did a cleft graft attempt on it. So there’s only one very small original branch and six rind(?) grafts and seven cleft grafts. My phone dies when it’s lower than 55 degrees or so and I only got a couple of pics. I had two orient scions left and ended up cleft grafting them onto my Bartlett seedlings. I figure that at least if anything takes I’ll have another shot to take more scions from it next winter. I tried melting a candle to seal but that was quite a flop. I used electrical tape around but am guessing I didn’t seal well enough and wonder if the cuts will dry out… This pic was before I got the tape around. I’m really fearing that I left the cut areas too exposed. Any point in trying to seal them now, 16+ hours after the grafting?
one pic of when I’d just done the rind?/bark? grafts and one of a cleft graft on my Bartlett seedling. The two inch strip of tape is attempting to hold the bark on as I accidentally totally ripped it off! I was just getting the feel for where the cambium later was. It’ll be a miracle if anything takes but I’m thankful for the chance to try.
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Anne,
You need to use the electrical tape to wrap tight around all the scions 5 or 6 times to keep them from drying out and prevent rain water from rotting your Grafts. Do it ASAP. If it has been like that for a few days then I would redo them by down further on the rootstock.
Tony
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Thanks, Tony. I did wrap around (phone died before I got a pic) but didn’t wrap the cut surface of the rootstock. I will do that today. My little handsaw for cutting the trunk is either poor or my skills are poor- probably a combo😐 so I’m not anxious to try to cut that trunk again until I buy a better saw.
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Cool, pears are very forgiving and easy to take. Just make sure you brace them later to prevent breakage from the wind.
Tony
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Are you talking about the Bartlett pear sending out all these thorny suckers? Does the Callery rootstock ( when grafted on) do the same thing with all the thorny suckers being sent out?
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I have wild callery that have larger fruit 3/4 inch . Someone else had some also . Some suggested a Kiefer cross . I got researching hardy rootstocks and found Harbin / pyres Ussarian mentioned as used for flowering pears . I got to wondering if perhaps a flowering pear died back to the rootstock . Providing a pollinator for the early Bradford types . Harbin has larger fruit . No way to know for sure . Bradfords have been in bloom for a week or so and some fruiting pears are starting . Including a Asian pear orchard a few miles away . These seem too late to be much good as pollinators for Bradfords . Just thinking .
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Looks like its been 18 days since your graft…just curious if you’ve seen any signs of life? Probably too early there.
BTW…please take @tonyOmahaz5 ’ s advice about bracing those that you stump grafted. I did 2 stumps almost exactly like yours looks and was thrilled when they took off…and took off they did! They got to almost 3 feet long but I wasn’t smart enough to brace them (for example, drive a long stick in adjacent to the stump and tie your grafted scions to it). Sure enough, the wind took them out one by one. The last one was really callused in and I thought sure it was solid enough to not need bracing…wrong. I lost them ALL,. So just keep it in mind. It really hurts when you get the hard part (the grafting) to work and then loose them due to something so simple. Good luck…keep us posted (with photos if possible.)
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Many seedlings get thorny suckers.
Great point Jerry. Yes I posted pictures of larger sized callery a friend asked me to identify once.
TY for the answer. I will watch my Callery pear rootstock I just planted with the Orient pear on it.
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Look at those thorns, ouch!!
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Hey clarklinks I did more research and now think these larger fruited wild pears may be pure Harbin . I found pictures of fruit that look just like what I have . Found a taste description that says astringent which mine are . It seems the fruit descriptions are mostly about the improved selections . Mine seem to be unimproved . My fruit is 3/4 to one inch . One description of wild type says 35 MM . So a little over a inch .
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Thanks for checking! I looked the day before yesterday and saw no progress or growth that I can see. Some scions are looking like they’re drying out 
I will look again today and take pics!
We are all pulling for you! If they look wrinkled, you’re probably in trouble. But even if none of them make it, don’t get too discouraged…try it again next year and we will all try to help. But don’t give up on this year…sometimes they take a while and still come out. two weeks is CERTAINLY not enough time to say for sure that they won’t still come out. Photos might help us judge their progress so I hope you do post some.
BTW…you actually inspired me to graft some bradford pears! There were a couple in my yard when in bought my place in 2012, so they are full sized trees. But I’ve always hated them because 1) they are just shoddy trees (Brittle,wind catchers that often break) 2) They don’t produce edibles, 3) They stink when they bloom (maybe its just me but I don’t like the smell), and so on. I’ve always wished they were gone but didn’t want to have huge empty spaces in my front yard for the next few years until I could get a fruit tree to size up. After seeing your posts and efforts, I decided on a new strategy. Those pears have lots of root suckers, so I selected 3 small ones that are about 1-3 feet from the trunk of the main tree and grafted them. The idea is that I’ll leave my big trees in place so my yard has (fairly) big trees, and at the same time I’ll let the newly grafted root suckers grow for 1-3 years so when I do cut the big ones, I’ll have new FRUITING trees well established and of some size.
Not sure why I felt like describing my long term landscaping plans to you in such detail (ha) but I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to my rambling posts-most people here are pretty tolerant. haha. The point is, your efforts inspired me to do some callery pear grafting myself, so I hope we both have some success!!! Good luck.
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