Non-dormant cleft graft?
- Thread starter yoderjac
- Start date
Northbound
5 year old buck +
I tried a few side grafts in spring shortly after both the rootstock and scion woke up. Tried 4 and all seemed to grow for a month then all failed. These where fresh cut and moved onto a 2 year old rootstock. Same style of side grafting but while doormat scion onto active rootstock I did about 20 and 19 survived.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Have used it very successfully on pears, apricots, plums and cherries. Success not as good with apple root stocks, it would appear to me that timing is more important. With that being said I am talking about grafting to root stock just coming out of dormancy. You need to remember that the initial burst of energy for spring growth come from the energy stored in the roots. If you allow all that energy to be pushed to the limbs, cut them off and then graft you dont have much energy left to go into a grafted scion.
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
If I field graft, I would wait for the rootstock to wake up before grafting on the dormant scionwood. I've done apples, pear, and persimmons using cleft grafts on the smaller stuff.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Thanks, you guys give me hope. Just to be clear, when I said many of my side grafts failed, here is what I mean by a side graft (I'm not sure everyone uses the same terminology). I used this when I have larger diameter rootstock and a smaller diameter scion. I use a grafting knife and cut the scion up the middle for an inch and remove one side of it. That exposes two sides of cambium, one on either side of the cut. I then hold that against the side of the rootstock and eyeball how wide it is. I make a slice down the rootstock at that diameter about the same length. That lets me line up the scion cambium with the root stock cambium. I then tape the two together. I did this on containerized seedling rootstock when both rootstock and scion were dormant.
Some succeeded and some failed. Most of what I've read shows folks using a cleft graft when both are dormant. My rootstock is now waking up, so I'm looking for a method to regraft them. The root stock has pushed out minimal leaves given the size of the root system. I've pinched them off as soon as I see them to drive energy into the scion. I doubt the roots have push much of the stored energy yet.
Rather than try these side grafts again (they may have failed due to poor technique on my part), I was thinking of trying a cleft graft. The tree provides the pressure rather than tape so there is probably less room for things to shift as I tape them for protection. I tried a few today. You guys give me hope they have a chance.
Thanks,
Jack
Some succeeded and some failed. Most of what I've read shows folks using a cleft graft when both are dormant. My rootstock is now waking up, so I'm looking for a method to regraft them. The root stock has pushed out minimal leaves given the size of the root system. I've pinched them off as soon as I see them to drive energy into the scion. I doubt the roots have push much of the stored energy yet.
Rather than try these side grafts again (they may have failed due to poor technique on my part), I was thinking of trying a cleft graft. The tree provides the pressure rather than tape so there is probably less room for things to shift as I tape them for protection. I tried a few today. You guys give me hope they have a chance.
Thanks,
Jack
Northbound
5 year old buck +
Fast easy in the field and a good way to make Frankenstein trees of different variety on each grafted in scion scafold. Or cut the nurse branch as shown for new leader
