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
[NAFEX] apple grafting - root buds?,
Thomas Beckett, 04/22/2004