Grafting Bradford pears

[b116757]

I grafted six Bradfords today over to Galaway over at a coworkers place. I did six or eight graft of bradfords on my own place a week or so ago. Last time I tried grafting bradfords I topped the tree bark grafted them I had very poor success with that attempt this time I did my bark grafts leaving major nurse limbs and grafted to smaller secondary trunks or limbs. I know in my own yard grafting a limb over to different verity I have very high success rate versus the topping of the entire main trunk I used on the bradfords last time. Those bradfords last time ranged from about 2” to 6” at chest height last time. Also leaving a nurse limb that’s higher than my grafts give the birds something to land on that’s not my graft. Hope my success rate is higher this year.

 

[gjs4]

I got my butt kicked with top grafting them last year too.......though we had a nasty drought and nothing seemed to go the way I planned

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Have you top grafted apples? How did that go? I was looking to do that this year on 4 trees. But maybe not?

 

[Thomasc19]

Pardon my ignorance but aren't Bradford Pears invasive? Are their fruit any better than normal pears?

 

[Native Hunter]

Pardon my ignorance but aren't Bradford Pears invasive? Are their fruit any better than normal pears?

They are cutting the tops out of existing Bradfords and grafting good pears to the bottoms. The Bradford becomes the rootstock for the good pear. I've done 10 myself this spring and many in the past, It's like going from a bear market to a bull market!

 

[TreeDaddy]

grafting gallery( Bradford) pears this weekend

Using the native hunter approach with electrical tape, toilet bowl wax, and a fresh boxcutter blade, And the pvc pipe for staking

bill

 

[Thomasc19]

They are cutting the tops out of existing Bradfords and grafting good pears to the bottoms. The Bradford becomes the rootstock for the good pear. I've done 10 myself this spring and many in the past, It's like going from a bear market to a bull market!

Ohhhhh makes sense! Thanks for the clarification

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Have you top grafted apples? How did that go? I was looking to do that this year on 4 trees. But maybe not?

Topworking apple trees has worked really well for me in the past. My grafting skills are not too impressive, but I've had great luck when the branch I topwork is the same diameter as the scion.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I grafted 3 different varieties of pear onto a callery pear in my front yard today (Seckel, Korean Giant and a late dropping pear from my friends yard). Grafted 2 Scion of each onto the same limb so I could remember what each one was (all but the friends had at least one tag). Hoping to get a few more onto that tree as it is too nice of a tree to waste on those icky little callery pears that nothing eats