Start grafts indoors or just wait to plant outdoors.

Northbound

Northbound

5 year old buck +
Got notice my rootstocks are coming this week.
In the past I've grafted and stored in cool basement corner a few weeks until frost danger is gone.
Was wondering if there would be any benefit to putting them in a tub of wet sawdust/ perlite under a shop light and let them start growing right away? Or is this just asking for more transplant shock?
I'm kinda bored waiting on warmer work Temps here, otherwise I wouldn't even consider the extra hassle
 
You do not want to encourage the buds to break open before the tree is planted.
Plant or replant only when trees/shrubs are dormant!
 
Do grafts now keep in basement around 50 degrees or so. Before replanting get grafts accustomed to the temps you will be planting into. I lost many grafts to temp shock. Too many to admit grrr
 
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You benefit from allowing the callus to form first. If you put them in a warm location and the scion is barely dormant it is going to start to break bud before the callus has formed and then the scion is trying to live only on energy within it before it is being fed by the roots.
 
I graft the rootstock as soon as they arrive. A big rubbermaid tote holds the newbies in a cold spot next to my basement doorwall, covered roots in moist potting soil, tote stored in the dark - for a couple weeks is fine. Plant them out in April when you see a patch of fair weather coming in. My success rate is real good this way.
 
Kinda the response I've expected and is what I've done in the past just storing them. Got spring fever bad, itching to start projects I guess
 
Northbound said:
Kinda the response I've expected and is what I've done in the past just storing them. Got spring fever bad, itching to start projects I guess
Click to expand...
Well grafting is a project so graft now and store them as most guys do and you should be fulfilled lol
 
I have several things I'm doing. I started seedlings last year in root pruning containers and overwintered them in a cold room. I woke them up early, put them under lights and grafted them. I've got over a foot of growth on some of the grafts now. I'm also doing a fruit trial using scions from some of my seedlings. For this, I ordered Bud9 and plan to keep it in containers for good (or as long as the fruit trial lasts). I grafted those I had scions for and containerized them all. Those that I did not graft, I left in the cold room. Those I grafted I brought out. I will probably also get some M111 for trees destined for the field after a full growing season. I will graft all of those and pot them up as well.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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