Rootstock and Greenup

[Barndog56]

I had 6 extra rootstock of both B118 and M111 last spring, so planted them in the nursery, with plans to graft this year. Took a look today and I see the B118 is just beginning to leaf out, but no activity on the M111.

Does anyone know, if I put Zestar on both varieties of rootstock, will the Zestar on M111 wait longer to bloom each year? Does rootstock affect a variety's bloom and greenup time?

 

[Barndog56]

So the M111 was 3 days slower than the B118.

I'm grafting varieties onto these year old rootstocks today. Then they need to be moved to permanent locations.

Would you........?

A) Graft and move today.
B) Graft today and move next spring.

 

[chickenlittle]

Move next year. Let the roots you grew push the scion. Dig it back up now and you start over building roots.

The rootstock can affect when it greens up and flowers by a few days. Also size of the fruit and ripening time. Many other factors affect all these from year to year too.

 

[cavey]

I 2nd chickenlittle, let the RS do its thing, it will give you its best work if you do not stress it with a transplant this year... You can do that next year or the year after and so on... The trees I direct planted into the nursery I do not move for a few years, same goes with the nursery rs that I graft to ... I would not pull that till next year and honestly wont for a few years till it is well established. Its different with shipped rootstock - that's what you get to work with, you have the benefit of established root stock and that is awesome for your grafted scion.