2019 Grafting Results

[Telemark]

My first grafting attempt will be spring of next year. I will be bark grafting Pear scions onto Callery pear rootstock. I was already nervous about it and some of these reports aren’t helping.

I did about 20 grafts on wild Callery trees in June. All were successful.

 

[NE PA QDM]

My first grafting attempt will be spring of next year. I will be bark grafting Pear scions onto Callery pear rootstock. I was already nervous about it and some of these reports aren’t helping.

If I can do it, you can do it.

 

[Mortenson]

I think I have less than 10 still alive. The largest growth on any of them is about 6". Last year I had quite a few that grew 4 to 6 feet. This being my 2nd year, I felt I grafted way better than last year. All I can think is that the farmer across my property line about 20 feet away got off target with his spray. The ones alive seem to be stunted and cannot grow. I really enjoy grafting (bloodletting) but next year I either need to find a safer spot for my nursery, or strictly buy trees from commercial guys.

 

[BuckSnort]

I think I have less than 10 still alive. The largest growth on any of them is about 6". Last year I had quite a few that grew 4 to 6 feet. This being my 2nd year, I felt I grafted way better than last year. All I can think is that the farmer across my property line about 20 feet away got off target with his spray. The ones alive seem to be stunted and cannot grow. I really enjoy grafting (bloodletting) but next year I either need to find a safer spot for my nursery, or strictly buy trees from commercial guys.

That’s quite impressive that you are getting 4-6’ of growth the first year. My grafts won’t grow nearly that much whether it’s soil, growing season, etc. I did cleft graft a few failures from last year that have have put on quite a bit of growth, I suppose from not having their root systems disturbed.

 

[Rit]

If I can do it, you can do it.

Maybe but I will be trying it either way. I have about 20 trees that I will be grafting. Most with 3-5” trunks. Plenty of practice.

 

[Telemark]

Maybe but I will be trying it either way. I have about 20 trees that I will be grafting. Most with 3-5” trunks. Plenty of practice.

Bark grafting is probably the easiest method. It's very straightforward and very forgiving. Callery pears are tough, and they grow like crazy. You'll probably have to keep pulling the new growth off the Callery pears all summer.

 

[Telemark]

Here you go, Rit:

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/top-working-callery-pears.11304/#post-205530

 

[H20fwler]

I'm happy enough with mine this year, didn't do a lot of them. The best are over three feet tall now with most around two feet...a few stayed small only growing six inches or so which is weird. Most vigorous growers have been 30-06 Droptine and Sheepnose...also have tomatoes/cucumbers/peppers in the planter box they are competing with for sun and space. Planning on moving the bigger ones to farm late fall and covering rest good for winter and giving them one more year in the box.

Also have a couple garden spiders and toads helping keep the bugs off everything.

 

[Mortenson]

So how did everyone make out on the class of 2019? The only grafting I did this year was 3 failed grafts from last year, after the rootstocks woke up. I've been pleasantly surprised to have 16 of last year's grafts vibrantly wake up the past few weeks in the nursery. I should've dug up and moved 5 good sized trees while they were dormant, but it wasn't in the cards this year, so next year I'll get the opportunity to move some big boys. I had something screwy going on in my nursery last year, and just didn't get hardly any growth from the surviving '19 grafts, so it's really exciting to see fresh life out there this year. In total, I'll get to watch 3 year old Hewe's, Centennial, and Kerr crabs as they come of age, 2 Enterprise that were grafted onto failed grafts from '18 and they grew to 4', and 16 of last year's stunts that look really happy right now; 3 Kerr, 3 Liberty, 1 Colombia, 1 Johantorp pear, 3 Arkansas Black, 1 Goldrush, 1 Kieffer, 2 Freedom (possibly a 3rd), and 1 Yates. Hope you guys all had some nice trees to transplant this spring!

 

[gunfun13]

I bench grafted 105 trees last year. Originally I had 30 failures that I t-budded in August, had poor success there and re-grafted 22 of those 3 days ago. I transplanted about half from the garden, the rest are getting another year of growth. Keepsake, Hardy Cumberland, Macoun, Droptine and 30-06 were my all-star growers. Kerr, Ben Trio, and Anaros are my runts.