Grafting fruit trees

[Dan giliballs]

I’ve grafted a few branches recently, apple to apple. Plum to plum etc

Not seen any results yet, will have to wait till next year to see if the graft have taken, may have cocked it it anyway as may have done it too soon

Now I’m Looking at grafting a few of my bramley apple tree branches to some dwarf rootstocks

Anyone done it?

 

[meteor]

oddly enuf i have just put a bag of sphagnum moss and root hormone half way up a tall little sapling to start some roots halfway up so i can cut it down a bit to shape it. maybe late in the season but we will see if it works...

 

[Perlogalism]

I’ve grafted a few branches recently, apple to apple. Plum to plum etc

Not seen any results yet, will have to wait till next year to see if the graft have taken, may have cocked it it anyway as may have done it too soon

Now I’m Looking at grafting a few of my bramley apple tree branches to some dwarf rootstocks

Anyone done it?

Yep. We had an unknown but delicious Apple tree which got diseased and needed felling. I wanted to keep the variety so we got a dozen rootstock off eBay...figured that a 1 in 10 chance was about right. Anyway, no flashy stuff, we just chose cuttings which were about the same diameter as the rootstock, cut straight down into that and shaped the cutting into a corresponding V shape. Slipped one into the other and bound well with grafting tape. Problem was all 12 took
We kept 4 and they're fruiting for the first time this year.

Bear in mind that the time for grafting is March.

 

[Fishtail]

I have done thousands, I grow apples for a living.
Apples are pretty easy to do and I expect the percentage success rate to be in the high 90's.
Approach or whip grafting is fine (just cut the scion and rootstock and fasten together) but whip and tongue grafting gives a much better bond between the two. Whip and tongue is the same as approach grafting but a little nick on each piece (tongue) that slides into each other.
Holding the knife confidently is the key along with not cutting yourself while doing it.

This video is one of my faves, this is God level grafting.

 

[Mike Woody Watkins]

Anyone done it?

Yes and no,

No, we didn’t do it ourselves but yes, we got a local tree nursery to do it for us.

We gave them six whips off and old apple tree that we wanted to ‘clone’ and four of them were successful. They only charged us for the ones the worked.

Just suggesting that it might be an option.

 

[Perlogalism]

I have done thousands, I grow apples for a living.
Apples are pretty easy to do and I expect the percentage success rate to be in the high 90's.
Approach or whip grafting is fine (just cut the scion and rootstock and fasten together) but whip and tongue grafting gives a much better bond between the two. Whip and tongue is the same as approach grafting but a little nick on each piece (tongue) that slides into each other.
Holding the knife confidently is the key along with not cutting yourself while doing it.

This video is one of my faves, this is God level grafting.

You ever grafted Apricots? We're trying now but only 1 in 6 is showing any sign of working.

 

[Fishtail]

You ever grafted Apricots? We're trying now but only 1 in 6 is showing any sign of working.

Just apples for me but I would assume the technique to be the same.

My top tips would be as follows.
A very sharp knife, even a razor blade. I use a Tina grafting knife but they are a bit expensive if not doing a good amount (still only about the same price as one good tree from a garden centre)
Only ever sharpen one side of the blade and the unsharpened (flat) side goes against the piece you will keep.
Tie the graft together using waxed grafting tape ideally but a strip of any plastic film will do. I have whole orchards of trees originally grafted using electrical insulation tape. Taking it off isn't as easy though, the beauty of proper grafting tape is that it perishes and falls off on its own. Insulation tape will strangle the graft if not removed.
Get the cut on the scion and the rootstock the same size so they match up, apples are very forgiving but other types may be less so.
Ideally the graft should be done close to when the dormant tree comes back into life in spring. I have had a lot of success bench grafting in January and growing on in pots in a poly tunnel. My preferred way of doing it but in the ground and outside is most usual on a commercial scale.
I always fasten a scion with 3 buds on it and rub any extra buds off as they grow to keep just one growing shoot. If any sprout flowers take the flowers off as soon as physically possible by snipping each flower stalk.
Don't let the scion dry out. Wax on the top cut is the commercial way but a dab of vaseline works just as well to seal the cut.
Do not disturb the graft once done, it is easy to knock them and they will fail. Just leave them be and they will work a lot better. They will be joined very quick and it will be pretty obvious as the stem/graft starts to swell as callous is produced. This will happen before the buds break but leave them be until they do break, only go near them once it is obvious the tape needs removing or flowers cut off.

 

[Dan giliballs]

I have done thousands, I grow apples for a living.
Apples are pretty easy to do and I expect the percentage success rate to be in the high 90's.
Approach or whip grafting is fine (just cut the scion and rootstock and fasten together) but whip and tongue grafting gives a much better bond between the two. Whip and tongue is the same as approach grafting but a little nick on each piece (tongue) that slides into each other.
Holding the knife confidently is the key along with not cutting yourself while doing it.

This video is one of my faves, this is God level grafting.

Just watched it, yes god level indeed

 

[Igotknobblies]

I’ve grafted a few branches recently, apple to apple. Plum to plum etc

Not seen any results yet, will have to wait till next year to see if the graft have taken, may have cocked it it anyway as may have done it too soon

Now I’m Looking at grafting a few of my bramley apple tree branches to some dwarf rootstocks

Anyone done it?

I usually buy root stocks on line in the new year. Get stocks numbrred 106, 111, M25 etc depwnfing on how big you want your tree to be when mature. Look on lind for the guide. This year im trying 'Geneva 202 which is supposdd to be resistant to wooly aphid amongst other things. I'll cut scions from the tree that id like to propagate and graft with s cleft cut to each part. Electrical insulation tape wound over the joint keeps it stable and prevents drying out. In 2 years it'll flake off in the sun, at which point the tree should be growing well. If doing pears, look for 'pyro-dwarf' rootstocks. They make a small tree but high yield and generally fruit a year earlier than regular stocks. Ive also grafted walnut but yet to see the crops...... good luck!

 

[Wacko74]

I remember when I was a kid my grandad grafted his trees
His most successful had four types of apple and two pear branches
And wow betide us if any of us grandkids were caught climbing them