Grafting apples and Asian Pears. Progress Report. 5.20.16

North Pole Apple Graft ~  3 months.  5.20.16

 Of the apple and pear grafts that I added to existing trees, 100% took and are growing rapidly.  There was one small graft that I added to a small rootsstock, the jury is still out on that.  That was a bark graft, all the rest were whip-and-tongue.

I won't add all, since they look about the same. 

From my own tree - North Pole added to a Golden Sentinel.  This was added to the top, because I want a tree with columnar shape.  The understock bloomed then wilted, and the leaves exhibited very stunted growth.  However, now it appears to be recovering.  The rootstock was from a tree that was cut down, and grew suckers.  I don't know the type, probably a dwarf.

Apple scion from Fedco - all grew well, even the smaller ones.  Those were Goldrush, Sweet 16, Milo Gibson, Newtown Pippin, and Baldwin.

Arlie Red Flesh Apple Graft ~ 2 months.  5.20.16

Goldrush Apple Graft ~ 2 months.  5.20.16

Apple scion from HOS scion exchange - Arlie Red Flesh, Hawkeye, and Dolgo crab.

The grafts I added to Maxie pear have also taken and grown well.

I'm starting to remove the scion wrap.  I like to get 6 inches or a foot of growth, so the wrap has done has done its job and is not not restrictive.  It might come off on its own, and on other occasions has done so.

Apple Whip and Tongue Graft at about 2 months.  5.20.16

 This was probably my last year with more than a couple of grafts.  Assuming these grow OK, it's all I want or need.  Since my Honeycrisp tree died - voles? - I may add one or graft from my little minidwarf Honeycrisp onto something bigger.

Apple Whip & Tongue graft at ~ 16 months.  5.20.16

Grafts added to Maxie Pear tree ~ 3 months.  5.20.16

Grafting Progress Report. Persimmons breaking Dormancy. 4.14.16

Graft Progress.  NOID Asian pear on Maxie. 4.14.16

 These Asian and American pear whip-and-tongue grafts were done about mid Feb, so now at 2 months.  I grafted early beacuse I thought Spring might arrive early.  The Asian variety is growing the fastest, and the American variety is close behind.  The vivid green color stands out against the reddish leaf color of the Maxie hybrid pear understock.

I give the early pear grafting experiment a success rating.  I've read that pears are the easiest fruit to graft, with apples coming in second.  Even so, it's a very rewarding project.

As pear pollenizers, these will likely need 2 to 3 years to bloom.   I have not seen pear grafts bloom one their second leaf, and some not on their third leaf.

Graft progress.  "Rescue" pear graft at 2 months.  4.15.16

New whip/tongue grafts.  "Chocolate" persimmon on Saijo stock.  4.15.16

 I read that persimmons are more difficult to graft, and need some special considerations.  It helps to have understock that is in active growth.  I also read that they should have protection from sun, so that the scion does not dry out before it takes.  We have temps in the 80s predicted within a few days.  I obtained scion for the persimmon variety, "Chocolate", at the Home Orchard Society scion exchange, and kept wrapped in plastic, in refrigerator, until this week.  I did 2 whip/tongue grafts onto Saijo, wrapped completely in parafilm tape, and further wrapped in aluminum foil to protect from sunshine.  They will need checking in a week, but I doubt a take in less than a month if they take at all.

I chose "Chocolate" because (1) they had it, (2) I read that "Chocolate" has some male flowers so can pollenize other persimmons - not likely needed, but interesting to consider, (3) I bought some of this variety fruit at Albertson's last winter and they really were good.  On the negative side, I also read this variety might not have time to ripen in Maritime Northwest cool summer/fall.  This is where grafting is helpful - I don't waste the time, orchard space, tree care, and money, for a full one-variety tree that might not bear at all.

Most of last year's grafts have healed to the point where the graft unions are difficult to see.  They are sturdy, stout branches now (plum) or are on their way to being so (apple).

Hanska plum whip/tongue graft at one year.  4.15.16

Hanska plum whip/tongue graft at one year.  4.15.16

 Persommin update, grafting and observations of growth.

I read that persimmons can be more challenging to graft, compared to other fruit trees.  It is reported that helpful measures include, grafting the dormant scion onto actively growing rootstock, and sheltering the graft from sun until it takes.  I obtained scion of the persimmon variety "Chocolate" at the Home Orchard Society scion fair a few weeks ago, and stored wrapped in foil / plastic bag, in the refrigerator.  Now the existing trees are growing actively, so I cut the scion in half and grafted to two sites on the variety "Saigo".    I wrapped fully with Parafilm tape and covered with aluminum foil.  I may change the foil wrap to something more loose in a couple of weeks, depending on how they look.

The persimmon variety "Chocolate" is reported as having occasional male flowers, which is not necessary for Saijo or Nikita's gift, but might be interesting in the future.  According to Raintree, Maritime Pacific Northwest summers are too cool for ripening fruit of this variety, so I did not want to buy an entire tree.  On the other hand I've tasted "Chocolate", grown in Willammete Valley, and liked them very much.  They are reported to have occassional male flowers, which might be interesting.  Saijo and Nikita's gift, my other two Asian or Hybrid varieties, are not considered to need pollination, however.

The American persimmon varieties are leafing out more slowly, compared to Saijo.  Nikita's Gift is between the two.  There is still potential for frost, but that seems like a minimal risk now.  Saijo has the start of a few flower buds, which emerge on new growth, not directly from dormant stems.

"Yates" American persimmon at 2nd leaf.  4.14.16

Nikita's Gift hybrid persimmon early growth.  4.14.16

Saijo Asian persimmon with emerging flower buds.  4.14.16

What's Blooming. Fruit tree Phenology. 3.21.16

Forsythia.  3.21.16

 I love this time of year.  Buds swelling and opening, bulbs making themselves seen with leaves and flowers, trees and shrubs blooming.

This forsythia was one of the first shrubs I moved to the Battleground place Oct 2012.  Forsythias are tough and can take a lot of trauma and are drought resistant in my yard.  I grew this specimen by rooting a small stick found on the street about a decade ago.

Most of the front bulbs are transplants from the old place as well.  If you have old clumps of bulbs, they can be dug and divided, and have as much or move vigor than newly purchased ones.  Old ones are proven to grow in their current climate and soil, unlike imported ones, and do not bring viruses and other diseases into the yard.

Same Forsythia Oct 2012

Same Forsythia 2009

Mixed bulb and perennial fron flowr border, now at daffodil blooming stage.  3.21.16

Hyacinths and daylily clumps in tree-ring planter.  3.21.16

Hanska plum first flowers.  3.29.16

 The tree ring planters are nice.  They bring the plants up closer to my eyes.  They are easier to keep free of weeds, compared to the ground level soil.  They have a base of chicken wire fencing, so moles and voles do not get into them.  They are probably a bit warmer and therefore a bit earlier, than ground level soil.  I planted the hyancinths much deeper than the daylilies, so their roots should be even deeper and they can coexist.

Fruit tree blossoms -

Finished blooming -
Hollywood plum.
Crimson Spire plum.
Sweet treat interspecific plum (pluerry)

Almost finished blooming -
Methley plum
Unknown Asian plum.
Shiro plum.
 Charlotte peach

 Eldorado peach.

Late-full bloom.
Toka plum

Full bloom.
Most Asian pears - early to mid blooming
  Mishirasu
  Unknown - maybe Nijisseiki
  Hosui
  Shinseiki
  Maxie hybrid

Early opening.
The historic Asian-American hybrids
  Hanska Plum
  Ember plum
  LaCrescent plum
Green European Plum - green gage?  Came with the place, I don't know the variety
Stanley European Plum
Probably Prunus americana grown from seeds - first bloom this year.  Pollinizer for the Asian-American hybrids.
Salish peach - bought as "Q18"

American plum (Prunus americana?) flowers.  3.21.16

American plum (Prunus americana?) flowers.  3.21.16

 The American plums were from this batch of seeds, collected in 2012.  They have a slightly astringent skin, yellow very juicy, sweet, soft interior.  I have two other starts.  They are much smaller, partly due to browsing deer and partly because I chose the most vigorous for the main tree.

Plums used for tree seeds in 2012.

Maxie pear in early to mid bloom.  3.21.16

Swelling buds but not blooming yet -
Sweetheart cherry
Vandalay cherry
Ranier cherry - ahead of the other sweet cherries, but planted bare root this year so may not be representative.
Montmorency tart cherry - behind the sweet cherries.
Pawpaws -
  Sunflower - seems ahead of other two,
  NC-1
  Mango

Swelling  buds, bloom from secondary growth - later
Grapes
Saigo persimmon
Nikita's gift persimmon.

There are some new trees that probably don't count because I planted them this winter.  Their timing may be off because they were bare root and shipped, then planted.  That depends on how the internal timing works in those trees.  New ones -

Nadia interspecific cherry x plum - a few flowers, finishing and a few more buds.

Empress genetic dwarf peach - a few buds, full pink stage.

Mary Jane Peach - reportedly peach leaf curl resistant.  A few buds at full pink.

No apples are blooming yet.  A few are close - Queen Cox, and the columnar varieties North Pole, Scarlet Sentinel, Golden Sentinel.

New Fruit Trees. 12.10.15

Home Orchard.  12.10.15

This week I added 2 new fruit trees to the home orchard.  I stopped by Tsugawa nursery on my way to Longview for an appointment.  They had some nice fruit trees, left over from the 2015 season.  Now leafless, with the year's root and stem growth completed.  I think these are bigger and have more roots, compared to the expected incoming stock or anything mail order.  They are varieties I was going to add, after considerable reviewing on the internet.
This winter is warm and wet.  I don't think there is any disadvantage to planting now.  If the ground was frozen, that would be an issue.  But it isnt.   I've planted in December before, and the trees settled in perfectly.

Maxie Pear Tree.  12.14.15

There may be a challenge finding s spot for each of the trees that I want to add.   The trees from Tsugawa were Honeycrisp on "semidwarf" rootstock, and Maxie hybrid pear on quince rootstock.  Maxie is a hybrid between Red Bartlett and Nijiseiki Asian pear.  It is described as having the juicy crispness of the Asian pear, with the Bartlet flavor.  With more ripening, it is reportedly more tender, like European pears, but can be eaten at the crisp stage.  Starks describes Maxie as resistant to pear scab, although the bigger problem here is fireblight.  Maxie was developed in New Zealand.   I expect to graft pollinating varieties / supplemental varieties onto each.  They both appear to have lots of viable flower buds on spurs.  This tree will not get nitrogen supplement, because rapid growth may be more susceptable to fireblight.

The Honeycrisp is next to another apple.  The Maxie is on its own, other pear trees are uphill and upwind.  It will need pollinizer scion.  I'm thinking Shinseiki, which is very vigorous.  Honeycrisp will get, maybe scion from 2 or 3 varieties of apples to make it into a multigraft tree.

Honeycrisp Apple Tree.  12.14.15

Neither had much winding roots.  They were potbound.  They should settle in without a hitch.  I did add hardware cloth vole-guard sleeves to both.  The apple got deer fencing, and so will the pear when I buy some this weekend.

Tsugawa offers a veteran's discount.  It's a nice gesture.  I appreciated that.