Dolgo crabs and learning how to graft

[keets]

Well, I ordered a 100 Dolgo seedlings from Yellow River, (I'm weak).... I think they're going to be pretty small, 1/8" caliper maybe 12" tall? is this too small to graft, should I just pot them for a year?

 

[sandbur]

Well, I ordered a 100 Dolgo seedlings from Yellow River, (I'm weak).... I think they're going to be pretty small, 1/8" caliper maybe 12" tall? is this too small to graft, should I just pot them for a year?

I would try a few of the thicker ones. Practice on some cut limbs first if you have never grafted.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Well, I ordered a 100 Dolgo seedlings from Yellow River, (I'm weak).... I think they're going to be pretty small, 1/8" caliper maybe 12" tall? is this too small to graft, should I just pot them for a year?

Holy cow, you are really getting after it. I didn't have any problems grafting their dolgo seedlings, but I try to cut scion in different diameters to match the rootstock diameter as closely as possible.

I've found that I enjoy grafting about 20 apple trees from rootstock every year, but anything more than that feels too much like work. I pot them and baby them during the summer and then plant them in their final homes in the fall if the soil has adequate moisture.

 

[AtomApple]

If they are smaller than a pencil, you could try cleft or wedge grafting. The really small ones don’t work well for whip & tounge.
Go to Menards and get a cut proof glove…or have bandages handy. Good luck.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I use cleft grafting for all of my apple grafting. That was easier for me to do than the whip and tongue.

 

[bigboreblr]

Get some soft wood branches and practice on them. Doesn't take much to get them good.

Remember those juice boxes when you were a kid. The diameter of that straw is about as low as I would go. You can also double tongue n whip.

Find thew bigger ones, graft those. Find the ones with plenty of roots, plant them out in the wild. Cage them somehow. If cages are not great, dump a lot of branches / brush pile around it. Keeps the critter from getting close. At camp I use 4' tall 1/2" mesh and only 3ft of it then do the brush pile thing. Trying to keep the habitat improvement low key.

The less good looking roots need more care. Those plant at home where you can water them for a year.

I use rootmaker pots. I'm on year 3 with some pots and still looking good. Soil stays warmer above ground, so the growth is 3-4ft on grafts.

Amazon.com: RooTrimmer 3 Gallon Air Pruning Container New Plastic Nursery Pot Fruit Vegetable Garden self-Planting pots, Size 10"x10", Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com: RooTrimmer 3 Gallon Air Pruning Container New Plastic Nursery Pot Fruit Vegetable Garden self-Planting pots, Size 10"x10", Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

Digging up trees is a lot of work to do well. Otherwise your breaking a lot of roots. I had 6-8ft long roots the year I did a nursery garden. almost quit making my own trees after that and just buying bareroots.

You need basic sept-oct drop time fruit, and you need winter fruit. Dolgo will vary around if you let them grow to maturity. What you don't like, top work.

I get about 30-33 of these per 100ft roll. 10ft cages are better, but they will make it to mature trees in these little guys.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Acorn-Hardware-1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-100-ft-Hardware-Cloth-HC248100/300180171

Graft 20, send 40 or 50 out to the world, keep 20 for next year.

 

[bigboreblr]

What scions are you using?

 

[sandbur]

I use cleft grafting for all of my apple grafting. That was easier for me to do than the whip and tongue.

Same here except for topworks.

 

[keets]

Lot cheaper by the 100....we'll see how they are , I've got lots of different scions available, thx for the advice

 

[keets]

I also have about a dozen Siberian crabs potted from last year too, so all that, 10 bareroots from Midwest coming and 100 white cedar ...going to be a busy spring

 

[bigboreblr]

Dolgo's are getting harder to come by. Take some good pics of what you end up getting.