Che tree?

[Catscratch]

I'm just full of questions lately! Anyone have experience with the Che tree? I had never heard of it, but apparently they are grafted onto an Osage Orange and are pretty tough. If that's the case then I have a ton of Osage trees and it might make for a great wildlife plant.

 

[Catscratch]

So far I've learned that they can produce within 3yrs, are grafted onto Osage Orange, have very few disease problems, need a male and female for optimum fruit (but will produce seedless without both sexes), and like hot dry summers but handle cold winters well. Of course this is just from reading. It would be great to hear from actual experience! Currently they are high on my "to order list".

 

[Rally1148]

?

 

[Catscratch]

With it needing both male and female flowers, could you graft a male limb onto a female tree and get the same results as having two different trees?

 

[Catscratch]

I read a little about the Che today. Apparently you can graft a male branch onto a female tree, or just plant multiple trees of different sexes. One site recommended planting a male and female together (about 1ft apart), and then keeping the male pruned down to about 25% the size of the female. If I can buy a couple and like how they produce, I might start grafting them onto my native Osage trees.

 

[Catscratch]

Well, I did it. I sent an order to Hidden Springs Nursery for a male and female Che tree, and also an Illinois Everberring Mulberry. This will be the start of my grafting adventure as I intend to learn and practice grafting Mulberry and Che to the numerous Osage Orange trees on our place. Once established, these trees will be my source for scion wood for this adventure.

 

[wiscwhip]

Photos!;)

 

[Catscratch]

Photos!;)

lol, You are going to have to wait a while!

 

[Catscratch]

Sounds like you're way out ahead of the curve on this one Catscratch....you'll be able to offer quite a bit of knowledge on the topic in the near future. I'd think a lot of guys with O.O. will be pretty interested in your results.

I'll post results (if they are successful and I remember). This project may take several yrs to get rolling and have anything worth looking at.

I see all these posts about grafting apples and persimmons and get jealous because I don't have these things to work with. At least I now I have something to play with!

 

[wiscwhip]

Not sure on this Che thing, but if you graft mulberry on to an established, thriving Osage tree and it takes, I'm betting it takes off like wildfire and could end up producing fruit in a year or two.

 

[Catscratch]

The Che trees came in yesterday. 1 male and 2 females planted and ready to go.

At first I thought the trucks looked a little small (about the size of a pencil), but once I got into the roots of the package I changed my mind. Main root was at least as big around as my thumb with lots of long radial roots coming off of it. I'm pretty pleased with the trees that Hidden Springs sent me and am hopeful for a quick leaf out.

 

[wiscwhip]

Keep us posted, pics are good too!

 

[Catscratch]

I wish I had taken pics of the roots but I was in a hurry to get them into the ground before it got really dark. I'll post a pic or two once they start looking like something other than a stick.