Pruning/grafting question number 3

[sandbur]

This rootstock has a very large flat base.

Do I just keep it waxed or work it down to a taper and then wax?

 

[Turkey Creek]

I assume those two uprights are your scions? If so I would just leave it as is. I would have added a second scion across from the first to begin with and allowed them to work together for a year or so to callus over the top of the root stock.

 

[sandbur]

I removed some scion from that tree thinking I would get better growth. It seems like I had 3 or 4 on that one. Whitney on a seedling.

 

[WTNUT]

I would not have removed all but one graft this early based on the size of the graft. I would have left one 180 degrees from the two you have for one more year. It gives you insurance and that tree is plenty large enough to support the grafts without the nurse limb. If me had been broken or damaged you would still have a spare. Next year I would have went to one and the following year I would have trimmed the rootstock to a 45 degree angle on the side where a graft had been removed the year before. Some trim it the year you go to one scion. I generally don't do it that early.

 

[Turkey Creek]

After the initial application of wax (or other sealer) I dont see any reason to keep waxing it. I have never seen a recommendation to reseal the following years. Might be hindering the callusing of the scions over the exposed portion of the trunk. IMO I see no reason to recut the top either at a slant, just creating another injury for the tree to heal and creating even more surface area. If you are worried about water setting on the stump, you could just make your initial cut at a slight slant, it will have no bearing on the scions taking hold.

 

[sandbur]

wtnut brings up the point that the tree was big enough to support the grafts without a nurse limb. Is there a rule of thumb for this?

I read that when pruning, you should not remove more than 30% of the limbs, but I removed much more on these trees.

Does the answer vary at all with climate? We usually experience an August drought and sometimes dry falls.

 

[chickenlittle]

I see no harm in leaving the nurse limb when topworking a mature tree. But the scion is well established, I'd remove it.

 

[Turkey Creek]

wtnut brings up the point that the tree was big enough to support the grafts without a nurse limb. Is there a rule of thumb for this?

I read that when pruning, you should not remove more than 30% of the limbs, but I removed much more on these trees.

Does the answer vary at all with climate? We usually experience an August drought and sometimes dry falls.

The 30% rule has to do with the trees response to pruning. When you remove a large percentage of the tree you often get a lot of water sprouts, as the root system is providing the same amount of energy to the top of the tree and it therefore pushes alot of new growth. If anything in drought conditions you would want to remove the nurse limb sooner as it is taking away water reserves from the scion. I do not recall seeing a hard and fast rule for when nurser limbs should be left. I have seen plenty of videos of top working in commercial orchards where they do not leave a nurse branch at all. Might have something to do with the type of fruit, cherries vs apples etc..

 

[roth2000]

If you decide not to remove the nurse limb I would prune it back a lot forcing more energy toward your graft. Just a thought.

 

[sandbur]

The 30% rule has to do with the trees response to pruning. When you remove a large percentage of the tree you often get a lot of water sprouts, as the root system is providing the same amount of energy to the top of the tree and it therefore pushes alot of new growth. If anything in drought conditions you would want to remove the nurse limb sooner as it is taking away water reserves from the scion. I do not recall seeing a hard and fast rule for when nurser limbs should be left. I have seen plenty of videos of top working in commercial orchards where they do not leave a nurse branch at all. Might have something to do with the type of fruit, cherries vs apples etc..

I have seen some of those videos with no nurse limb.
I will probably try it with some of my 25 year old manchurian crabs.

 

[sandbur]

If you decide not to remove the nurse limb I would prune it back a lot forcing more energy toward your graft. Just a thought.

I did remove the water sprouts on some of the nurse limbs last summer. Just got back from removing the nurse limbs on 4 trees or so.