If I start some apple seeds NOW under a grow light, then, in a few months when the caliper of the trunk is sufficient, graft a dormant scion onto it, would that take? The scionwood being kept dormant but on a rootstock that has been in active growth for several months…
I’m trying to see if I could “skip” a season using this method.
Theoretically, it should. But I suspect it will stress the trees enough that it will set you back longer than if you had waited a year or two.
I would suggest growing them out until August. Chip bud at that time on one’s that are bigger than a pencil. You can find nice fresh buds at that time of year to use for chip budding .Leave tops intact until next spring. Cut tops off above chip buds next spring.
I would not try to graft ( whip and tongue,cleft ,etc ) this year.
Too stressful.
I have never once had a chip bud take successfully. They always die.
You cannot defy time, whatever you hope to gain by your method cannot be supported by a weak root system. Until your seedling root system is strong enough to push a new variety in priority over its native buds, the new variety cannot grow vigorously! Wait at least for late summer grafting at whatever method your are best at doing
Dennis
Kent wa
I think in theory it could work, to keep the scion alive. I have grafted (chip bud) successfully with 6 month and older scion wood. I however am quite confident that after grafting on the young seedling, you would not see any (significant) growth from the grafted piece this year.
I however suspect your seedlings will be really thin (small caliper) So thin, and green that they will be hard to graft with via chip budding.
If you really want to “skip a season” it’s probably best to source some 1 or 2 year old rootstocks and graft on those.
I’ve had apple seedlings reach 3 feet tall and a half inch thick at the base in a single season, so I’m not too worried about that.
Your however not getting a full growing season. And not the same intensity light with your grow lamp plan. Not trying to rain on your parade here. But the electricity costs probably overshadow the costs of a few rootstocks.
If however you do go ahead, please keep us informed. I for one would be curious how it works out.
You may well be right. I have the grow light on anyway, because I’m starting some vegetables, so that’s where I got the idea.
Maybey do both? if there’s a scion that’s hard to reacquire, id source some rootstrocks for that. For the rest, i love a good experiment. Especially if i don’t have to do the work. So please lets us know how it works out <3
If the scions come from your own tree’s. It’s better to use fresh buds for mid-end of summer grafting. If had best success with long term storage in the bottom/side of my fridge in zip lock bags with most of the air pushed out. If the bag is blown up like a balloon, you have a lot of air that can hold moisture from evaporation. and tends to condensate and migrate towards one side of the bag, cause rot/fungus there and drying out the scion on the other side.
try a few and see how they do. im growing out a bunch of apple seed as well soon. i have 2 large led grow lights in my grow room… got radishes, beets , green onions, spinach and carrots growing in there now.