North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Eileen Beckwith" <candebeckwith@pie.midco.net>]

I was able to graft peaches successfully only after changing my methods to make it possible to 

keep the grafted stocks in a much warmer environment than needed for most other tree fruits. 

Peaches appear to require considerably more heat during the callusing process than most other

fruit trees(apples, pears, etc.). Almost all of the grafts that took well were whip grafts made on

smaller 1 and 2 year old potted seedlings. Being in pots made it easy to keep the grafted stocks in

a warm place during the healing period (70 degrees or warmer).  Most of these grafts were done

in early-mid May, several weeks after the normal time for grafting other fruit trees in our area. Having

completely dormant and healthy scions appeared to be much more important with peach grafts than

with apples and pears. Stocks with leaf buds just starting to open seemed to have the best takes.   

 

Even after keeping the grafted stocks in a warm place the overall success rate was only about 30 to 40%

as compared to a 70 to 80 percent take on apples and pears. Success rate on grafts made on outdoor

stocks was less than 10% due to the difficulty in keeping the grafts warm enough during variable spring

weather.

 

Most peach trees sold by nurseries are propagated by summer-fall budding because the higher temperatures

present at this time facilitate much faster callusing and healing in of the buds resulting in a very high

percentage of takes compared to any other grafting methods.

 

 

Carl Beckwith

Pierre, South Dakota

Zone 5a/4b (depending on which way the wind blows)