Graft Progress Report. New Grafts and Some Old Ones. 4.16.17

European Plum Yakima, Whip/Tongue. One Month.  4.16.27

Here are some of my grafts from late winter and from years before.  There are too many to picture them all.

The European pears here are on what was a new bare-root multigraft.  That may not give them the best start, but at least the buds remain viable after one month and are swelling.  Yellow Egg already had swelling buds, which may be why the new growths appear damaged.  It's wait and see to see if they grow.

European Plum Yellow Egg, Whip/Tongue. One Month.  4.16.27

Asian Pear Chojuro One Month.  4.16.17

 I think Asian and European pears are really easy  The grafts here are added to a tree of the Asian x European pear hybrid, "Maxie".  All but the Chojuro are from my own trees.  The Chojuro was from Home Orchard Society scion exchange last month.  The wrapping is different because I experimented with melted candle wax.  I think plastic strips or parafilm are probably easier to work with but they are all OK for the graft.

The Nijiseiki was from last year and is on a Hosui Asian pear.  It took and grew nicely.

The older grafts are examples of how they look after a few years.  With my plum and apple grafts, most of the graft sites are no longer easy to identify.  They merged together almost seamlessly.

Asian Pear Hosui.  Two Month.  4.16.17

Asian Pear Hamese.  Two Month.  4.16.17

Asian Pear Nijiseiki.  One Year.  4.16.17

 Chocolate persimmon grew about 3 inches last year.  Some species grow rapidly and long, and others take their time.  This year, I suspect it will grow the same as the stock tree, a Saijo persimmon.

Asian Pear Shinseiki.  Cleft Graft.  4 years.  4.16.17

The ginkgo grafts barely grew last year when I grafted them, but the buds remained healthy looking.  The understock did grow new branches.  This winter, I pruned off those new branches.  The first one has bud damage - slugs?  rabbits? voles? but the second one is looking OK.  These are as exciting as any, because they mean that I can keep the ginkgo tree, in a sense, that I grew from seeds that my Dad collected almost 20 years ago.  That tree is around 25 feet tall, so obviously I can't transplant it.  

Unknown European Pear on Asian Pear.  4 Years.  Whip/Tongue.  4.16.17

Chocolate Persimmon.  Whip Tongue.  One Year.  4.16.17

Male Ginkgo on Ginkgo Seedling.  One Year.  4.16.17

Male Ginkgo on Ginkgo Seedling.  One Year.  4.16.17

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. Plums, kiwis, figs, ginkgo, persimmons. 5.21.16

Male fuzzy kiwi on fuzzy kiwi female.  Graft at ~ 2 months.  5.20.16

Chocolate persimmon on Saijo.  Graft about 6 weeks.  5.20.16

 First graft follow up today for the less typical  - for me - grafts.  All were whip-and-tongue.

The kiwi grafts were quite delicate.  The scion wood is hollow with a pithy center.  It oozes a slimy sap that reminds me of the fruit juice itself.  I have two kiwis, one is the big fuzzy type, and one is the grape-size hardy type.  From my reading, both will probably need a male pollinizer, something some of the nurseries don't tell you.  The scion were from the Home Orchard Society propagation / scion fair.

The fuzzy kiwi graft is looking good.  The growth appears to be past the stage of obtaining nutrients and must have a vascular connection now to the understock.  I usually unwrap scion at about 6 inches or 1 foot of growth, so leaving the graft wrapped.

The hardy kiwi is further behind.  I had trouble determining which end is up and wondered if I got it upside down.  If so, I expect it to rejecct the graft.  Just a little growth so far.

I stored persimmon and kiwi scion in the refrigerator until the understock plants were well leafed out.  I understand that works better for these, less easy, plants for grafting.  Less easy compared to apples and pears, anyway.  I cut the Chocolate Persimmon stick into two scions.  After grafting - all of these are whip-and-tongue - I wrapped the scions completely in grafting tape and overwrapped in parafilm, then covered with aluminum foil to protect from the sun.  After about 2 weeks, I removed the foil on a clouded rainy day.  One graft looks dead and one looks like it's starting to grow.  I cut the lower growth from the stem today, to reduce nutrient competition.

Hardy kiwi male on Ken's Red hardy kiwi.  Graft about 2 months.  5.20.16

My Dad's male ginkgo on seedling.  5.20.16

 The ginkgo scions looked good for a little while, then seemed to die back.  This one has started a little growth again.  I cut back the major growth on the understock, but leaft a few leaves at each point.  I don't know if it will grow and take over.  Intent is to keep enough understock growth to keep it alive, and if the scion is viable maybe it will take over later this year or next year.

The figs were from my old Petite negri fig tree in Vancouver.  I did 3 whip-and-tongue grafts onto the extra Dominic fig tree, which has several stems coming from soil level.  These were scion that I had refrigerated for a few months, well wrapped.  Like kiwi, the scion has a soft pith and is very fragile.  Petite negri establishes slowly from cuttings - for me - and the first tree I started from this variety died 2 winters ago.  No harm trying a more vigorous rootstock.   Of the 3 grafts, one appears to be leaving dormancy.  For cuttings, this is still much to small bud growth to say if roots have started, so same for graft take.  However, these have been at ambient temperature for a couple of months, and I think if they are not deriving nutrients from the understock, they will not swell at all.  We'll see.

The Red Washington (European) Plum - I guess, a NOID - scions looked near dead, but both have taken and grown.  These were also from the Home Orchard Society scion fair.  I added them for the pollination effect,  but in case they are good plums, I should prune back more of the Stanley Plum branches to allow them to grow larger.

I don't have a good macro lens and some of these are small, so some are a bit blurry.

Not pictured, one of the ornamental cherries that I grafted onto wild - likely sweet - cherry rootstock did not take, but the other did.  The other two ginkgos look like they did not take.

Red "Washington Plum" on Stanley.  About 2 months.  5.20.16

Petite negri fig graft at about 2 months.  5.20.16

Grafting Progress Report. Apples, Pears, Figs, Ginkgos, Plums. 4.29.16

Nijiseiki Asian Pear on Hosui Asian Pear.  4.29.16

 All of the pear grafts took.  I've red that pears are among the easiest trees to graft, and from my experience that is true.  I thought the NoID Asian pear tree might me Nijiseiki, but from these grafts of that variety, I don't think so.  The grafts have red coloration in the leaves and stems, not present on the NoID Asian Pear.

Two apples look tenuous.  The first is from North Pole Columnar apple.  Not sure, the entire tree looks sickly.  Prior grafts from that variety took and grew quickly.  The second is Hawkeye, reportedly the original "Red Delicious" before the "Red Delicious" was mutated into the brilliant deep red skin, tasteless apples of today.

Milo Gibson Apple on Winecrisp Apple.  4.29.16

 The other apple grafts are growing nicely.  They include all of the Fedco scion, even though those scion were small diameter:  Milo Gibson, Sweet-16, Baldwin, Newtown Pippin, and Goldrush.  The others from the Home Orchard Society scion exchange also took and look excellent:  Arlie Red Flesh, and Dolgo Crab.  The Nijiseiki  was also from HOS.

The "Washington Red" Euro plum - I guess a NoID plum - scion from HOS is growing as well.  I had doubts about that one.

NOID Euro Pear lon NOID Asian Pear, 2 years.    4.29.16

Sweet-16 Apple on Winecrisp Apple.  4.29.16

Arlie Red Flesh Apple on Rubenette Apple.  4.29.16

Grafts from prior years all look great.  I've lost a few because the understock died.  Not all cherry grafts took. 

I think the ginkgo and cherry grafts that I did this year are not taking, they look small and might be dying.

Porter Historic Apple on Jonared at one year.  4.29.16

Grafting Progress Report. Kiwi. 4.28.16

Never having grafted kiwi before, I wasn't sure how to proceed. I waited until the understock vines started growing. I used whip-and-tongue method. The scion is fragile, leaks a slimy sap, and splits while being worked, but it looks like they took.

Usually there is not enough reserve nutrition in a small scion to put out this much growth, unless they take.

Adding to uncertainty, I could not tell which end was up for the hardy kiwi scion. It's possible it will take, then abort, or grow poorly, if I grafted it upside down.

All things considered, the growth is promising. In both cases, the scions are male, grafting onto female vines so I don't need to buy additional plants for pollination.

Fuzzy kiwi vines are really beautiful by themselves. This one has a reddish coloration and fuzzy leaves and stems, very nice.

Hardy Kiwi Graft at 2 weeks.  4.28.16

Fuzzy Kiwi Graft at 3 Weeks.  4.28.16

Plum & Apple Grafts at 3 weeks. 4.11.15

Ember Plum Graft.  4.11.15

Redfield Apple Graft.  4.11.15

The first of the Fedco scion are out o dormancy.  I grafted these 3.21.15.  It's too early to say for certain, that they fully took.  I think they probably have.

The stems can contain enough reserve carbohydrate and moisture,  for some bud expansion.  I'll feel more secure when leaves are fully unfurled.

These are about 3 weeks.  Pretty good. 

I did bring these inside during the evenings, the past few days.  I read warmer temperatures encourage cambium merging and improve the rate of take.  That may also be why they broke dormancy.  The outdoor grafts on the in-ground trees, are expected to be slower.

Puttering. 3.28.15

Main orchard.  3.28.15

Jonagold with multigrafts from Fedco.  3.28.15

 Most plants are out of dormancy or nearly so.

Plums are basically finished blooming.  Unable to see if and how much fruit set has happened.  All Asian plums are done.  Toka finished just after Asian plums.  Euro plums, Green gage is almost done, and Stanley is still blooming.  Stanley is the last to bloom.

Sweet cherries are in about full bloom.

Tart cherries barely beginning to bloom.  They really are later than sweet cherries, which is good for late frost avoidance.

Too early to say anything about the apple and plum grafts.  I look at them every day.

Pawpaw flower buds are swelling, Sunflower and NC-1.  I check those every day too.

Persimmons are growing, even Yates that I planted this January.  I often read that they may take until mid or late summer to grow, their first year.  Mine are budding out at the same time as mulberries.  Nikita's Gift and Saijo both have swelling buds, almost open.

The Mishirasu Asian pear graft, that I grafted last year and was eaten off twice by deer, is growing nicely.  The tree is fenced with a deer cage now.  Other grafts on that tree - 3 are have their first flower clusters.  It's been raining during bloom.  Too early to know if there is fruit set.  I should get the first Shinseiki on the Battleground tree this year - 2 year old cleft graft - and the first Hosui, the tree that I planted in 2012 and grafted others onto it since then.

Plum whip and tongue graft.  Ember.  3.28.15

NC-1 Pawpaw flower buds, swelling.  3.28.15

 Grapes are budding out and starting to grow.

Apples nearly blooming.

Prairie fire crab apple, almost blooming.  There are a couple of flowers, so this is among the first of apples to bloom.

Mishirasu growing despite deer browsing.  3.28.15

Yates Persimmon buds swelling.  3.28.15

Even More Grafting. 3.21.15

Fedco Scion Wood.  3.21.15

Jonared Apple with 5 other varieties now grafted.  3.21.15

I did the rest of the grafting at the Battleground place. 

Most of the scion looked good to me.  One - South Dakota - looked dead and a little mildewed, so I did not try.  One was a hybrid of McIntosh, which I did not want, so I did not try that one either.  Thought went into each choice.  No reason to grow one that I didn't choose, no idea about disease resistance, flavor, or other characteristics.

Jonared now has grafts of 5 varieties - Priscilla, Granite Beauty, Keepsake, Redfield, Porter. 

The unknown plum now has grafts of Ember, La Crescent, and Hanska.   There are 2 each of La Crescent and Hanska, making 2 4-inch scion from each 8-inch.  That plum already has grafts from Hollywood, Shiro, apricot seedling, and possibly, Toka.

 I also used left over 4-inch scion from the grafts made earlier from Ember and the Redfield apple.

Some sources list Hanska as a Plumcot.  Makes sense given its ancestry.  It might be a better choice than California - bred Pluots, which are also plum / apricot hybrids.

My prior listing and description of these apples and plums is here.

This time I did the initial wrap with polyethylene tape.  Then I thought, maybe that doesn't seal well enough, so over-wrapped with parafilm.

I also discovered that I can keep a jar candle burning, and dip the top end of each scion in melted candle wax, before grafting.  That seals them without the problem of potentially dislodging the graft while over-wrapping with parafilm.  It's also easily available, does not have to be specially bought.  I dipped a couple of times, each quickly, for a good seal.