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  • From: edforest55@hotmail.com
  • To: nafex@egroups.com
  • Subject: [nafex] topworking and high grafting
  • Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 03:29:21 -0000

I have had several topworking experiments going on, surprisingly
similar to those that Bernie has going.
I ditto his conclusions about apple. However I am more optimistic
about plums, my Mt Royals on Prunus maritima have growing splendidly
for three years now, but there hasn't been a winter colder than -33 I
believe in that time. Hopefully this winter will be cold enough for
some conclusions.
I have heard that grafting Evans P pensylvanica has not been a
lasting graft either. Evans is a weird one, its seeds are not hardy
like its parent, and grafts onto plums have totally even grafted low.
(What had you grafted your Evans to Bernie?) There aren't too many
prunus hardier than Evans anyway.
One thing I wonder if you've tried Bernie, is grafting more tender
Jap/Am plums onto P. americana. Here there wouldn't be a
compatability problem and perhaps there will be an increase in
hardiness. I've got some Superiors topworked to P.americana but only
two years old.
I am convinced from an old Pomona article, that Peach grafted onto
Americana increases its hardiness, (Pomona article several years
back, fella up in Alaska, not C Lammers)
There seems to be two explanations for this topworking phenomenon,
one is that the hardy framework 'imparts' hardiness to the scion. The
other is that the lower trunk and crotches are the more tender areas.
I've gobbled up any info I can on this, and have found some old stuff
in the library, this has been done for over a hundred years with
Pecans (or was it hickories?). I haven't found much written on it. If
there is material anywhere I would guess it to come from Canada,
they've been doing it there for decades. Any leads on such work would
greatly interest me.
I have some ideas of my own as to why topworking works, if anyone
knows a research person who lacks a project let me know, (I'm not
formally schooled in Horticulture or Botany as you may have guessed)I
I think it would make a very interesting paper though.
On that same track, the U of MN has had an ongoing study
on "highgrafting" that is grafting high (beyond the base of the tree
where, one of the reported more tender spots) but not topworking to
see if this would increase hardiness. So far they have reached no
conlusions, so I have started some of my own experiments on this but
am also waiting for a test winter. I believe that it will have some
effect, based on the Pecan info which I found in an ancient book at
the library.
Have you any thoughts on this high grafting Bernie? Or anyone?
Thanks much
Kevin
PS, sure is nice to take a break from the copyright issue for awhile.




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