Grafting Chestnuts

[budalb]

I have tried nut grating this year and have several success. It took several weeks to show leaves. I used the method to cut the top of the nuts off and insert scions into the nuts. I also tried to graft the scion to the germinated seedlings and found that it takes significantly less time for leaves to come out, probably because the seedlings are more vital.

 

[budalb]

My another try is to graft a scion on a oak tree in the backyard. I did in the early April when it started to warm up. But the temperature went down for a long period of time. I thought the scion was dead already. But recently I found that the bud becomes green. I also pull a small oak seedling and did a graft to the stem near the root last weekends. Now it show a swollen and green bud too. So chestnut can be easily grafted to oak.

 

[yoderjac]

My another try is to graft a scion on a oak tree in the backyard. I did in the early April when it started to warm up. But the temperature went down for a long period of time. I thought the scion was dead already. But recently I found that the bud becomes green. I also pull a small oak seedling and did a graft to the stem near the root last weekends. Now it show a swollen and green bud too. So chestnut can be easily grafted to oak.

View attachment 13230

I think that might be declaring success pretty early. An old grafter I know experimented with grafting chestnuts on oak. I believe he had some short-term success with red oak. The scions grew for several years and then they all died. He also tried grafting them to sawtooth. He was encouraged here as well but last I spoke with him they looked like they are dying as well. The reality is that one of the issues with grafting chestnuts is incompatibility between the rootstock and scion.

If you are able to get chestnut scions grafted to oak (or any other species) to grow long enough to produce nuts, please report back. Many will be interested!

Those nut grafts look great! If you were grafting to young seedlings, share more about your technique. How long did you grow the seedlings? How did you grow them? Did you deprive them of light?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[budalb]

I have read the compatibility issue. But it is encouraging to me since this is the first graft I have ever done. I used the following method for alternative nut graft.

I believe it is called inverted radical. The difference is the root is fully grown, but before leaves came out. In the video, chestnut scion was grafted to root. I mistakenly grafted it to the stem portion, before it became hard. I put the graft in a cup of garden soil. And put them in a space with temperature set to 80 F. A growing light also shined on them.



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[yoderjac]

Thanks. I tried inverted radical grafting but was unsuccessful at it. I think it was DLH that did have some success with inverted radical grafting. There is another form similar to what you did where you let the stem form and graft into the stem. I didn't have much success with that. There is another form where you let the seedlings grow for a while but keep them in the dark. The stems turn whiteish and it supposedly makes them more amenable to grafting. I have not tried this last method yet.

 

[yoderjac]

Updated Picture Links

 

[yoderjac]

Updated Picture Links