North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steve <sdw12986@aol.com>]

On 3/16/2014 1:13 PM, Ginda Fisher wrote:
> My husband's uncle died this winter, leaving his "house in the country" (the 
> Catskills) to my husband. I would like to try to rescue a seedling apple tree that the 
> uncle planted as a youth. It has no commercial value, since the fruits all ripen at 
> different times, and only keep for a few hours after dropping from the tree. But the 
> fruits (when fresh) are very tasty, and the tree has sentimental value.
>
> It's a large mature tree, and there's no way I can possibly dig it up, and no 
> way to transport it, and no place to plant it, even if I miraculously did dig 
> it up. I would like to retrieve some of it and graft it onto an apple tree in 
> my back yard. But the timing is awkward (I think.) The will hasn't been 
> probated, and once it is probated, my husband plans to sell the property. The 
> only time I know I can get there and have legal access is in May. On the 
> other hand, I suppose I could remove as much of the tree as I want in May.
>
> Any advice?


Yeah, my advice would be to sneak in there and grab some dormant scion 
wood before it's too late. In that location, by early April I would think.
If that's just not possible, then plan B should be to wait until later 
and collect wood for some bud grafts. Graft or bud onto some vigorous 
sprouts on your tree. It doesn't matter, this year, if place them where 
you really want the grafts to be. Your goal for this year should be to 
get it started anywhere on your property so you will have scion wood 
right there for next year, or the year after.

Steve (in the Adirondacks)