When is it time to T-Bud?

[sandbur]

Is it too early?

I watched the Penn State video and was thinking of my b-118 rootstock and the Columbia crab that I have un my yard.

 

[CrazyEd]

too soon. bark needs to slip on your root and you need mature buds on the tree you want to graft to your root. wait til August.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Bark will slip at anytime once we are into the growing season. However, as Ed pointed out the bud you are grafting lies between this years current leaf stem and the bark. If you harvest it to soon it will not grow as it has not developed enough. Another thing for you to consider is that if you T-bud too soon then that bud you graft may actually have time to heal and grow this season. That new growth may not have time to harden off before winter.

 

[CrazyEd]

Art, here's one I did last August. I "think" buds are mature when you see these little leaves under the larger leaf (which I had cut off here).

August 11, 2013

March 15, 2014

June 1, 2014

 

[sandbur]

I had assumed you wanted growth this year.

 

[CrazyEd]

I had assumed you wanted growth this year.

You want the graft to heal. You may get some growth this year, one of my tbuds I did early August I got about 8" of growth. The others I did late august I didn't get any (as pictured above).

Plan on growth during year 2. If you get some year 1 it's an added bonus and will have a head start on year 2.