North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Clayton/Kim <dnclayton@monad.net>]

Bernie,

I've been "braiding" for five or six years.  Primarily I've used braiding 
where I've been top working apples by the branch.  I will get two scions
growing in a cleft graft where I've cut an old (1" to 3" diameter) branch 
back, then weave these two resulting whips together.  Careful weaving can
"place" branches  too (direction of growth can be controlled).  I picked this 
technique up from our top extension guy here in NH, Bill Lord.  (He
would probably be horrified by my imperfect interpretation of what he showed 
me while passing through my orchard once).  Have also done this with
multiple buds on a young rootstock or where a rootstock got so big it was 
better to cleft graft it.  I've been using a "high quality" black plastic
electrical tape to tie the tips together at the end of the braid per Bill 
Lord's instructions.

I also use this braiding technique instead of pruning occasionally if I see a 
place where vigor can be preserved and/or a branch "placed" by
braiding instead of pruning.

Doug Clayton
zone4/5 boundary
SE NH

Bernie Nikolai wrote:

>         Last week I was speaking with Dan Whitney, a professional grafter in
> Washington State.  He told me when his crew professionally topworks an apple
> orchard to another variety, he "braids the grafts".  You can see photos of
> his braided grafts at http://www.whitneysorchard.com/grafting-commercial.htm
>         Dan selects the main leader, strips the leaves from the braided
> portion, and then braids the other whips that have taken from his bark
> grafts around the newly chosen main leader.  If there are two whips to be
> braided around the main whip chosen as the new leader, each is braided three
> times around the leader/whip, one clockwise, and the other counterclockwise.
> You have to tie the braids for the first bit so they don't unravel.
> Apparently the advantages are much earlier fruiting in the case of a new
> trunk (3 years instead of 5) coupled with a much more solid trunk/branch
> which resists being blown out in the wind.  Apparently within a very few
> years, the braids all naturally graft within themselves, and you can't tell
> they were braided originally.  The braided whips soon self graft, feed the
> new leader, and result in much more growth, earlier fruiting, and a lot more
> stability in wind.
>         While it looks a bit wierd at first (see photos on website), I'm
> going to try this this coming spring.  I have several new apple trees that I
> started by cutting the trunks off flush with the ground and installing 3
> bark grafts (trees 3 inches in diameter).  Up to now I've just selected the
> whip I wanted as the new trunk and cut the other two off.  This spring I'll
> braid them and see how it goes.  Has anyone else tried this "braiding"
> technique and can comment on it, pros and cons?
>
> Bernie Nikolai
> Edmonton, Alberta zone 3/2
> ps Dec 10 already, and our coldest is only -5F or -20C so far
>
>
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