The great value in topworking

[b116757]

All photos taken this morning these are all top worked grafts

First is Dr Deer
Second is Gate
Third is McKalvey

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Question for all you pear gents .....

Given the research done on commercial rootstocks for DR, when you top-work pears onto Callery roots, how's the DR on any of the grafts? Any differences - good or bad - since top-working? Wondering if Callery roots have a noticeable effect one way or the other.

 

[Telemark]

Question for all you pear gents .....

Given the research done on commercial rootstocks for DR, when you top-work pears onto Callery roots, how's the DR on any of the grafts? Any differences - good or bad - since top-working? Wondering if Callery roots have a noticeable effect one way or the other.

I have not had any disease issues with any of my grafts. When I see a Callery pear that looks diseased I kill it. Not sure if it's actually diseases, injuries, or genetic disorders causing the trees to look unusual, but I just get rid of them. I've killed 3 because of appearance out of maybe 100 seedling trees I've encountered. I also kill off the huge trees that I can't graft, maybe about 10 so far.

I have had some issues with compatibility. Some varieties just thrive on Callery roots better than others. Some do very poorly, especially the perry varieties I've tried.

Callery pears around me seem to be very disease resistant. I just kill the few that appear to be affected by disease. I don't think the roots have much affect on the scion. The scion will have its own genetics and disease resistance. This is just my experience and not gospel.

 

[Native Hunter]

Question for all you pear gents .....

Given the research done on commercial rootstocks for DR, when you top-work pears onto Callery roots, how's the DR on any of the grafts? Any differences - good or bad - since top-working? Wondering if Callery roots have a noticeable effect one way or the other.

No difference in DR for me. I'm really particular about apple rootstock, but I have never seen any difference in any of the pear rootstocks except for the ultimate size of the tree. One nursery told me that he sometimes used Callery as his rootstock for pears he sold.

 

[Barndog56]

Topworked a Franklin Cider apple into a Frankentree. Branch on the bottom right is a nurse branch I left ungrafted. 6 of the 7 grafts have taken. The variety that did not will be grafted to the nurse branch next spring.

 

[bigboreblr]

Grafted kerr on a droptine this spring. A few have fruit on them. Was afraid to pluck them and separate the graft union.


A badly damaged tree will give all its got to survive. 7ft of growth may not be a good thing. Especially places where winters are bad.

 

[b116757]

My only funky looking callery pears trees have usually been sprayed with some sort of pasture brush killer herbicide they are so tough that it never kills them but do look like crap for several years afterward.

 

[sandbur]

Topworked a Franklin Cider apple into a Frankentree. Branch on the bottom right is a nurse branch I left ungrafted. 6 of the 7 grafts have taken. The variety that did not will be grafted to the nurse branch next spring.View attachment 79683

I topworked my Franklin last year with great growth. This spring I chose the best one for central leader and growth has been very slow. Looking closer, I found some sunscauld on it.

I also topworked the nurse limb and no success.

My other topworking this year seem to be failing except one in a more sheltered location. I think the heat, frost, and now numerous days of heat and wind have hurt.

I need to change my methods a bit.

 

[bigboreblr]

I did 8-12 grafts on 2 trees. A pristine worked to trailman, and a droptine worked to kerr. IF one fails I got plenty of backups. And the next year or two, I have a bnch of maturing laterals. The grafted leader dies, you might be able to use a lateral for the leader. The tree might be wanting to use it anyways.

Cant speak with much of any experience, but my crabapple grafts seem to be growing faster than orchard apple varieties.

Some might be better in general. Trailman and kerr have been rockets. easily 18 inches so far.

Tounge and whip grafts grow better than cleft grafts. Sometimes you gott do cleft on larger branches. My topworks are are 2 years old bareroots, maybe 7ft tall pre topwork pruning.

I wonder if replant disease sensitive rootstocks should just be put in the ground as-is to reduce year 1-2 strees and begin growing helathier, then topworked. Instead of the usual graft n plant.

My failed graft anotonovka's at camp are monsters compared to the same failed graft ones I regrafted the same spring. I may topwork them, I may not. A plain old antonovka makes a decent september putting on weight for deer apple. Especially compared to what up in birch n maple wastlelland there......