When?

[buckvelvet]

Do you graft to existing/planted rootstock. Do you look for the first sign of leafing out and snip it off and graft or wait for a certain night temp or whats the method there?

 

[buckvelvet]

Thanks NH!

 

[buckvelvet]

You're doing clefts , W&T ,or bark grafts right? Not buds? Buds would be later.

Right no T-Buds at all this is dormant scoins going on establish Rootstock. Most likely cleft.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Wow I never thought about this and I went ahead and grafted to my over winter rootstock last week. I just assumed it was like my other rootstock that I bought this year as all were dormant but the buds that were on the rootstocks were alive and swelling. NH have you planted to non virgin rootstock before?

Paul

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Mine were all in my garage over the winter When I grafted it was in the 50's and when I cut the rootstock it looked like good wood to graft to so I went for it and the temps have remained in the 40's and 50's since. I watered them a week before I grafted as well to ensure they were taking water and I believe they were. I did 6 that way so time will tell. I also had one that was a successful graft that I over wintered in garage and it seems that the buds are swelling but they are small so its hard to tell. I have 2 grafts that the buds seem to be getting bigger (fingers crossed) but as I said time will tell

 

[buckvelvet]

So lets say they are in the green-up phase & its time to graft to them but 4 days later it shows 4-5 nights consecutive of 28-32 degrees, thoughts?

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Cant you bring them to a place that's warmer? Dig them up and put them in a container after grafting. I did mine right in the rootrapper bags that they overwintered in my garage. At one point the bags where hard as a rock but I think the roots are still alive but time will tell LOL.

 

[buckvelvet]

Cant you bring them to a place that's warmer? Dig them up and put them in a container after grafting. I did mine right in the rootrapper bags that they overwintered in my garage. At one point the bags where hard as a rock but I think the roots are still alive but time will tell LOL.

2 of the ones that i'm grafting were just planted last year so they probably don't have a crazy big root system yet, so in theory yes but I still wouldn't think thats a 'good idea'? The other 1 was planted 4 years ago, that root system would be I imagine pretty hard to dig up w/o ruining it w/ a shovel.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I see your dilemma but I think if you do them in the next week or so you should be ok!! I will be receiving my bare root trees this weekend and planting them here in zone 5 PA so they should start sending energy to the buds so I would think the rootstocks you have will also. Do you see bud swell on the roots you have in the ground?

 

[buckvelvet]

I see your dilemma but I think if you do them in the next week or so you should be ok!! I will be receiving my bare root trees this weekend and planting them here in zone 5 PA so they should start sending energy to the buds so I would think the rootstocks you have will also. Do you see bud swell on the roots you have in the ground?

Yes buds are swelling but the forcast coming soon looks like this. I mean what do you do when it looks like this......wait? Daytime temps are just fine....

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I think with those temps you should be fine!! Remember your scions are still dormant and the temps have to be way lower than that to hard even tight cluster blossoms