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Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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Posted by Orchardman none (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 22:13

Here is a couple of honeycrisp grafts on m111 rootstock for some reason they just quit growing in July?

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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You might have too much competition/grass and perhaps not enough light?

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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Time to remove the graft tape? The important thing is they are alive.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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When you graft onto a rootstock that has recently been dug up growth is likely to be pathetic first season as rootstock repairs itself. I think I'd just stick the rootsock in the ground at permanent site and let it grow one season then graft the next.

This is similar to what nurseries do.

I agree that you should be happy the grafts are alive. You were asking the tree to work hard at both ends.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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Actually my bench grafted rootstocks go from 8" to 5-6' in a single growing season when grown in the soil. Looks like your graft was grown in a pot possibly? I have terrible luck trying to grow grafts in pots.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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TurCre, I believe your experience to be exceptional. If I graft on a recently transplanted apple or pear tree, none of the shoots grows well the first year, including the graft.

I've not tried to grow on transplanted root stock, but have read here of others getting slow growth even when planting directly into the ground, although I agree that a pot might make it more difficult if the medium was allowed to dry out and the roots aren't allowed to grow into the ground.

It actually seems incredible to me that you've gotten 5-6' of growth in a single season after putting a rootstock in new soil and grafting on it. In all my years in the nursery business the only species I've gotten that kind of growth on from a transplanted tree was a peach. Please tell where you are growing and any aspects of your methods that might lead to this kind of growth. Maybe there's something to learn here.

I do sometimes get that kind of growth when I graft onto an established tree.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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  • Posted by bob_z6 6b/7a SW CT (My Page) on
    Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 9:46

I grafted and then planted some rootstocks this spring. The most growth I got from any was just over a foot. Most were in the 8-12" range. I suspect that the type of rootstock would matter. I used G65, mini-dwarf. I bet you could get more growth from a full size rootstock.

In terms of established trees I sometimes get more growth, but not always. On my apple franken-tree, most of my (dozens) apple grafts grew about the same as on the new plantings. But, some of my pear grafts went wild. One graft grew 2 shoots, each of which were 4+ feet long and as thick as my pinky at the bottom.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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Graft tape should be removed within 12 weeks of leaf break to prevent girdling the scion.

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RE: Grafts didnt grow much this year.

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I am growing in zone 5 (south central Nebraska). Good silt-loam type of soil. B118 and MM106 rootstocks for apples and oldhome x farmingdale for pears. Most of my rootstock comes from Cummins nursery, I do propagate some of my own. Trees are bench grafted in mid April, cleft or whip and tongue, allowed to callus for 10-14 days at 60 temp and high humidity. Placed in cold storage after callusing until threat of frost is past usully 2nd week of May and then acclimated outdoors for a couple days prior to planting in the nursery. Provide supplemental watering as needed. I grow upwards of 12-18 varieties of apples and 6 or so pear. Some are antique, others are relatively modern. Obviously have a few that dont grow as vigorous simply because of variety characteristics, such as Honey Crisp, but even those trees are 3' or better right now.

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