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nafex - [NAFEX] apple grafting - root buds?

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  • From: Thomas Beckett <thomas@tbeckett.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] apple grafting - root buds?
  • Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:37:15 -0400

Hello all -

Late in March I grafted apples for the first time. Abour 40 trees altogether, using whip-and-tongue when the stem diameters were similar and cleft when the scion was smaller than the rootstock. It was a bit more work than I expected, but enjoyable. (Except for the one time I accidentally tried to graft a Cox's Orange Pippin onto my thumb: lost several hours of prime weekend in the ER waiting room!)

Now I am examining my results. Some are clearing doing well so far, some are middling, and others I am no optimistic about at all. The ones that are doing well I have been pinching off the occasional buds opening on the rootstock. For the obvious failures I am letting those buds grow to preserve the rootstock for next year.

My question for y'all is: for the middling grafts, where the buds are opening but hesitant, should I allow the rootstock buds to grow in order to keep the root alive, in the hope that the scionwood will eventually take? Or will the root buds take all the growth energy from the process and actually detract from the graft healing?

Thanks in advance!

Thomas
Durham, NC




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