Espalier Apple Care And re-Grafting. 31 Mar 24

 I finished regrafting the Redlove Espaliers with replacement varieties that I know I like, and I know perform here.  Mainly Jonagold and Akane, a Japanese heirloom with Jonathan and other ancestry.

I tried matching scion / stock diameters but some were not in good places.  For a couple, I used a side graft.  For that, the scion is cut as a wedge, same as a wedge graft.  Then a slice is made into the cambium of a much larger branch, making sort of an ear.  The scion wedge is inserted and then wrapped as usual for tightness / cambium bond, and protection from dehydration.

Sorry about the bad photo.

I think this has as good a chance to take as any other.  The main things are timing, sap is flowing in under stock to feed callous / cambium growth and fusing, the scion is dormant so some fusing happens before it starts growing, warm weather for good growth but not too warm, and a good clean cut with as much cambium contact, firmly held together.  And protection from dehydration.

Farmers and gardeners have been grafting for thousands of years.  Such as, ancient Rome, ancient China.  It's a doable garden art.

I grafted the Redlove Odyssey with Akane.  I was aggressive at shortening growth, leaving shorter spurs and removing wayward branches.

 

The top tier is "Freedom" apple, which I'm leaving in place.  When (if) the grafts take and start making vigorous growth, I will cut off most of the long arms (or at least vigorous growth on those) of the tiers to foster most growth on the new grafts. 

It's not all loss. The top tier of Redlove Era is the ancient heirloom Blue Pearmain, which looks to bloom and bear for the first time this year.  The top tier of Redlove Odysso is Freedom, ditto.  Plus there are the two espaliers that are not red flesh apples.

Lower half HoneyCrisp, top half Gala (not pictured) and lower half Zestar, top half Rubinette.

I pruned those too, removing wayward growth and shortening spurs - especially if they don't have flower buds.  The Gala will have one more tier, on top.  I bent tall growing branches into position while they are suppple, and added bamboo extensions to the trellis posts.  Next it'll need a horizontal arm.