To: rmelrose@silicondairy.net, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple disaster
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 08:57:33 -0700
Richard,
This is absolute surmise, but if the break was on one of my trees, I would tie
the break back to the rootstock, trying to make a good contact but also just
to
keep the scionwood supported above ground for the winter. It should then go
dormant and receive winter chill and in January/Feb I would cut the scionwood
and
put it in a vegetable drawer of the fridge wrapped in a paper towel which is
barely damp in a plastic bag.
Here's where I have no knowledge - just how cold does it get in your orchard,
are
the winds very drying in winter?
I think you want the scionwood to get normal winter chill, but not to dry out.
Another possibility would be to put it somewhere out-of-doors where it will
not
dry out, but where it will receive the normal winter chill and harvest the
scionwood in Jan/Feb.
I think 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 won't work. 3 and 7 are sort of what I'm proposing.
: Anyway, it is completely separated from the rootstock and there is
: some sign of decay around the graft. It is/was not dormant, still in leaf
: but probably only a couple of weeks away from loosing them. Leaves are dull
: green.
:
: 1. Bud grafting -- but it is too late for the bark to slip.
: 2. Bud splicing -- (or whatever you want to call it) never tried it, will
: it work this late?
: 3. Bury the lower part and hope something is still viable in Spring to
graft.
: 4. Take some cuttings and try to strike them over winter (this has never
: worked for me with apple, but I have not tried very hard).
: 5. Take some cuttings as early scions and refrigerate them until spring.
: 6. Try bark grafting onto another apple?
: 7. Bury part and try to graft in Spring?
:: Richard
: PS. This is 3b/4a in Vermont. Usually we would already have had a hard
: frost but this year winter is very late, well over a month. Still, it
: cannot be long.