North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["del stubbs" <pinewoodel@hotmail.com>]

> A couple of things from my experience with similar grafting.  Firstly 4 ft.
> is way too high to cut off the 5 inch trunk and graft.  I cut them off even
> with the ground, or as close as I can get, and then bark graft.  This keeps
> the graft union from freezing out during a cold winter, which does happen 
> to
> me often on bark grafts above the snow (zone 3/2).

Bernie, is bark grafting a trunk that much different than top working a 
smaller trees limbs because its past the crotch? or?

His tree is an unfenced though wind protected south facing area, this was an 
experiment (isn't it all!) to get the apples above the deer's reach.  Also I 
felt I needed to leave a few shoots that were on the trees base to grow to 
feed the roots a little. Surely cutting a 5 " tree at near ground level 
kills most of the roots?

I was more concerned about rot because I will be trapping the dead wood 
inside the graft shoots that are around it. And eventually it will get more 
difficult to get in and paint it.

> The commercial guys use the green or white Dr. Farewells compound over the
> trunk, whick is like a waxy paint.

Haven't seen these I'll look for them, the original hot wax I had applied is 
long gone. Hopefuly this stuff lasts a few years,

> Bernie Nikolai
> Edmonton, Alberta
> finally at green tip this weekend!!!

Ours are a mix, looks like a plum (wild ) will blossom soon, some apples 
green tip, a few have leaves starting to push, mongold buds swelling. Del
Del Stubbs  www.pinewoodforge.com  ag zone2/3


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