grafting crabapples
- Thread starter TreeDaddy
- Start date
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Look up topwork grafting. I have cut off the central leader and grafted 2-4 to it. Then selected the best grower. Leave a nurse limb to pull sap up the tree for a few years or in case your graft fails.
I have also grafted to limbs of flowering crabs. Some break off from a heavy fruit load.
Others know much more than me.
I use electrical tape and wax from a toilet bowl ring. On a larger center leader, I use a heavy butcher knife and a hammer. Maybe a screw driver to pry/holdthat split open while I insert scion.
I have also grafted to limbs of flowering crabs. Some break off from a heavy fruit load.
Others know much more than me.
I use electrical tape and wax from a toilet bowl ring. On a larger center leader, I use a heavy butcher knife and a hammer. Maybe a screw driver to pry/holdthat split open while I insert scion.
White Oak
5 year old buck +
The easiest way to learn would be to watch some crabapple or apple YouTube grafting videos. Then out of all the videos choose the method that looks the easiest to you and that you'd have the most confidence in duplicating.
g squared 23
5 year old buck +
Bark grafting or top working is much easier than bench grafting. Youtube it and you’ll be good enough very quickly.
This guy’s videos are fantastic
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This guy’s videos are fantastic
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
The best grafting material is the one in the best shape. Try to get them in febuary, seal the ends, put them in the fridge in a bag. I wouldn't add any water to the bag, like a moist towel. A commercial tree guy told me he wipes his scions in a light chlorine water mix to get rid of mold issues.
Far as what crabapples, crabaaples general leaf out and bloom very early. I'd be eyeing bloom groups.
Here in several local orchards, instead of crabapples to promote polination, they mix in golden delicious trees. Some people consider fraklin cider to be a crabapple tree. Its some fort of frankenstein seedling from a orchard in VT. However, it's a bloom group 4 tree, october ripe / drop, zone 3 friendly, seems to make good fresh or hard cider too. galarina is a smaller apple, late droping, bloom group 3, and has extended bloom period like golden delcious does. Golden delicious is my only cedar apple rust exception.
Far as crabapples for strickly deep, the whitetail crab ones are good. crossbow is iinsect resistant and not too early to wake up. droptine's a good one. AWHO and winter wildlife from saint lawrence nursery are good too. MY droptine and 30-06 on anty survived a -35 deg spell up north last winter. Thinking winter wildlife will be a good one for me.
Why pick a single variety. Graft a few different ones. Any scion I get for rootstock I also put on mature trees. 2 or 3 extra buds on a stck can make 2 to 4 scions for more rootstock next year.
Far as what crabapples, crabaaples general leaf out and bloom very early. I'd be eyeing bloom groups.
Here in several local orchards, instead of crabapples to promote polination, they mix in golden delicious trees. Some people consider fraklin cider to be a crabapple tree. Its some fort of frankenstein seedling from a orchard in VT. However, it's a bloom group 4 tree, october ripe / drop, zone 3 friendly, seems to make good fresh or hard cider too. galarina is a smaller apple, late droping, bloom group 3, and has extended bloom period like golden delcious does. Golden delicious is my only cedar apple rust exception.
Far as crabapples for strickly deep, the whitetail crab ones are good. crossbow is iinsect resistant and not too early to wake up. droptine's a good one. AWHO and winter wildlife from saint lawrence nursery are good too. MY droptine and 30-06 on anty survived a -35 deg spell up north last winter. Thinking winter wildlife will be a good one for me.
Why pick a single variety. Graft a few different ones. Any scion I get for rootstock I also put on mature trees. 2 or 3 extra buds on a stck can make 2 to 4 scions for more rootstock next year.
Is that tape on top of your scions? What purpose does that serve? Newbie here.
I've had much better luck bench grafting than topworking existing trees. My topworking success is much higher when I graft to a branch or leader that is the same diameter as the scion. It takes practice to get good at grafting, so I recommend practicing on a few branches you cut down before trying on actual rootstock.
This is a 10+ y.o. callery that I planted at one edge of a foodplot... and never got around to grafting it over to a good wildlife selection. Cut the top out of it on Apr 1 and stuck 12 scions around the outside - 4 each of Ms. Laneene, Gate, and Gilmer Christmas. Left that one 2-3" limb sticking off to the right as a 'sap-drawer'. Will re-work it to something else next spring. I'll try to run down there this afternoon and take a look to see how many of those scions are pushing growth.
Attachments
cavey
5 year old buck +
it also depends on the size of the tree your grafting too, everyone has a preferred method they have more or less success with... comes down to proper technique and timing
top working larger trees with cleft grafts or modified cleft graft/bark grafting;
smaller younger trees I prefer "whip and tongue" grafting to a smaller diameter central leader or grafting to side branches with matching scion dia.
wax on the ends to seal the scion - seals in moisture keeps diseased out - some grafters wax over the buds with grafting wax
lots of ways to skin a cat - same with grafting
top working larger trees with cleft grafts or modified cleft graft/bark grafting;
smaller younger trees I prefer "whip and tongue" grafting to a smaller diameter central leader or grafting to side branches with matching scion dia.
wax on the ends to seal the scion - seals in moisture keeps diseased out - some grafters wax over the buds with grafting wax
lots of ways to skin a cat - same with grafting
BuckSnort
5 year old buck +
It was wax on the ends to keep moisture in. It fell off during transport but they’ve been sealed long enough that I just left it alone.
