Too small for bark grafting, Or so I thought! Results and pictures!

[Rally1148]

Hey all,

Well I got the the property today, and the apple trees are about half the size I thought they were. Most are about 1-2x the size of my thumb. I had planned on bark grafting, but now I think that they are too small. Should I attempt a cleft graft instead?

 

[Rally1148]

I'm trying to do the main trunk, but on many of them I'll have to take one branch and make it the new leader. I haven't yet checked the bark, and actually I'm not really sure how to check it. They are just starting to break bud. Should I just bark graft and do only one or two scions per tree?

 

[Rally1148]

Sounds like a plan!!!

My trees are about the size of his branches (± one inch diameter). I'll still be alright?

 

[Rally1148]

Alright! That's what I'll do! I appreciate the help (as usual)!

A few more quick questions. I've got a pretty good selection of scions, thanks to a few VERY generous members! I just didn't know if there is much of a rule for how many scions per inch diameter or something like that. I have some longer and thicker than others, can I just trim them to fit?

Now for the procedure. I've watched multiple videos, but I just want to make sure that I have this correct... 1. Insert scions 2. wrap with electrical or plumbing tape. 3. Treekote time!

 

[Rally1148]

Well, all went well today. I had some trouble with the smallness of the rootstock, but I think I got it to work! Other than that, the only mistake I KNOW I made was that I put priscilla where I wanted pristine, and pristine where I wanted priscilla. Hopefully the pristine take, and I'll be able to get some scions next year.

 

[Rally1148]

I'll be posting them later tonight or tomorrow! I'm just getting in from doing some pruning (yes, I know, not the ideal time of year) and helping a neighbor with their dock. I'm making some venison burgers and then I'll try to get them uploaded!

 

[Rally1148]

Sorry for the delay! I tried one cleft graft, because I had pretty big scions. I tried to leave quite a few nurse limbs, because I want to play it safe. The size difference between scion and stock was pretty similar for all of them, so I hope I got enough contact that they take!

A big thank you to Sandbur, Aerospace, CrazyEd, and NativeHunter (via CrazyEd)!
How do they look?!
Comments? Critiques?

 

[Rally1148]

Think they'll take?

Nice Rally!!

 

[Rally1148]

They look good to me. You'll need to see which ones take and trim the dual ones back to one limb later this fall.

One your trees with multiple stems are you eventually going to trim the to one central leader or leave them "Y" shaped? If leaving Y shaped then you're going to have to watch heavy fruit loads. My brother had some small dwarfs a few years ago that were at shaped and overloaded. They split in two late fall due to the weight of the fruit.

I'll be trimming the other leader to make the variety I grafted the central leader. I just left them this year because I was/am unsure if these will take. I figured that the worst case scenario was me grafting onto those next year.