1st rd done of grafting complete.

[aerospacefarmer]

Well not snipping off some of the rootstock could be a problem and then the scions would no longer be good because they would have dried out. Buck it's easy green to green. I also snip some of the scion wood to make sure I have fresh green cambium at the end

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I'm confused...how do you graft without removing/cutting off the ends of both the scions and rootstocks?

Sm if you didn't graft before you may not be aware of this step. I love bucks enthusiasm. He just needs a coach

 

[buckvelvet]

You guys are right, keep the faith, I discovered this Enterprise woke up yesterday! Lots of scions have fuzzy buds so hopefully they continue to do so, after today the 10 day is 60 and 70 and sunny.

 

[buckvelvet]

A good friend of mine wanted some apple trees for his property up in Northern MI (but not over da Bridge ah...). I got home last night to a box of B118 from Burnt Ridge, he ordered 10 and there were 13 in the box, bonus!

NW Greening CrazyEd B118 4/29/2015 W/T
NW Greening CrazyEd B118 4/29/2015 Cleft
Williams Pride Lot2learn B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Liberty Dogdoc B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Liberty Dogdoc B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Arkansas Black Dogdoc B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Kerr Crab Aerospace B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Hewes Crab Lot2learn B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Chesnut Crab Sandbur B118 4/29/2015 Cleft
Goldrush Lot2learn B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Centennial Crab CrazyEd B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Dolgo Crab CrazyEd B118 4/29/2015 W/T
Enterprise Aerospace B118 4/29/2015 W/T

 

[buckvelvet]

I'm confused...how do you graft without removing/cutting off the ends of both the scions and rootstocks?

You'd be surprised what a full on idiot can do.

 

[buckvelvet]

Sm if you didn't graft before you may not be aware of this step. I love bucks enthusiasm. He just needs a coach

I don't think he did "butt joints" without making some kind of cut...right? Were they all cleft grafts?

I agree, the enthusiasm is great. I've said it many times, the single best thing I did when I began the grafting process was to attend a grafting workshop. I "knew" what I was doing before attending...but watching a guy who really knew what he was doing helped me to "know" better ;)

Well I watched as many videos as possible to learn stuff I just never seen one where they said 'cut then end off', I did on the scions but for whatever reason on the first batch I never though to do it on the rootstock until the last 2 or 3 I did. I have no explanation for that mistake just a 'DOH!' moment.

 

[buckvelvet]

BV,

I'm thinking if the grafts take you can plant the B118 deeper so the graft union is at a normal 4" above the soil. The additional stem below the soil will root and you'll most likely have greater anchoring and root growth.

Will do for sure, thanks for the tip!

 

[buckvelvet]

Hey gents heres a few more updates. I have 4 grafts waking up on the B118 from Burnt Ridge that I did on 4/9, but I don't know what variety cuz the tags are buried under the dirt, lol. Whoops!

Here are my 2 grafts that woke up on M7.

Granny Smith.

Honecrisp.

I planted the 9 B118 from Cummins at a property on 4/30, I'll snap some pics this weekend of those.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Way to go BV awesome job:p

 

[buckvelvet]

This is a granny smith waking up at my parents place, I grafted it to a tree that never took off. I clefted a granny smith and a Williams Pride to this tree. So far the GS is awake and the WP is fuzzy but no buds yet.

Here is my Winesap Tree all flowered out, looking like I may get a few apples on this, this year. It has put on much vertical growth but is getting thicker at the base, i think its a full dwarf rootstock.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Nice Buck. I am taking 9 grafts from this years adventure and putting them in the ground this week. Taking my strongest looking ones as this is the earliest I have planted grafts. Weather looks good with only one sub 40 day this week possible then after that it should be all clear

 

[buckvelvet]

My chesnut crab has its first floweres ever (2nd leaf). Had 1 cluster of 5 flowers & thats it, hoping maybe 1 apple just to try 1.

Here is another crab called lollipop that produces M & M size apples for the birds but a decent pollinator has shown great resistance to CAR.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

You will enjoy those little crabs immensely mmmmmmmm nice work

 

[buckvelvet]

You will enjoy those little crabs immensely mmmmmmmm nice work

Thanks Aero!

 

[buckvelvet]

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the grafting success to date.

My first batch was 9 B118 from cummins as as previously mentioned I made a mistake during the grafting process w/ not snipping the ends of the rootstock off. Grafted on 3/26, planted 4/30/15 at final spot.

• 1 of 9 of those scions are currently awake (a dolgo crab) - 11%, All Roostocks are awake.

The same night I did 6 m7 (from cummins also) grafts for my own consumption at my house, I snipped the ends of them after realizing the error of my ways. Grafted on 3/26, planted 5/10/15 at final spot.

• 2 of 6 of those scions are currently awake (Honeycrisp & Granny Smith) - 33%, All Roostocks are awake.

I then purchased 16 Bb118 rootstock from Burnt Ridge and proceeded to graft them. I felt great about this batch of grafting, completed on 4/9 and planted at the new established wildlife orchard on 5/15.

• 5 of 16 of those scions are currently awake (2 Homestead Crabs, Winter Wildlife Crab, Winter Lane Crab, Northwest Greening Apple - 31%, All but 1 rootstock is awake.

I purchased 10 Antonovka rootstock form Raintree Nursery's. Again I felt the grafting process went smootlhy and was completed on 4/13 and were planted at the new established wildlife orchard on 5/15.

• 0 of 10 of those scions are currently awake - 0%, All but 2 rootstock is awake. I have read that this particular rootstock is slower to wake up though as its really hardy so i'm expecting great signs of life in June.

Here are some pics of some of the success stories.

Homestead crab on B118

Northwest Greening Apple B118

Winter Lane Crab B118

Winter Wildlife Crab B118

 

[Turkey Creek]

See a little patience does one good! Glad to hear you had a couple of your Homestead crabs come to life. Sometimes I feel like extremely dormant rootstock is a culprit in failed grafts like those you have on antonovka rootstock. Wonder if the success would be better if the rootstock was allowed to show some sign of life before grafting.

 

[buckvelvet]

See a little patience does one good! Glad to hear you had a couple of your Homestead crabs come to life. Sometimes I feel like extremely dormant rootstock is a culprit in failed grafts like those you have on antonovka rootstock. Wonder if the success would be better if the rootstock was allowed to show some sign of life before grafting.

I wouldn't count any of the Antonovka as failed yes as most of the RS that are awake are 'just now' awake like in the past 2 days. This has taught me a LOT about the word patience, lol. I wonder what all this will look like in July, hopefully a few ticks up in the % column, but hey, i'm a rookie!

 

[Turkey Creek]

Oh I wouldnt write them off as failed yet either. Just saying that for rootstocks that seem to be slow to awaken that grafting to them after they start to show some life might increase success rate. I am just speculating. Scions that set for long periods of time on dormant rootstock would logically have a higher chance for failure.

 

[buckvelvet]

Oh I wouldnt write them off as failed yet either. Just saying that for rootstocks that seem to be slow to awaken that grafting to them after they start to show some life might increase success rate. I am just speculating. Scions that set for long periods of time on dormant rootstock would logically have a higher chance for failure.

Oh I see what your saying TC, yes that would make lots of sense. Hopefully I can get a few to take. :)

 

[buckvelvet]

Chesnut Crab in my yard (2nd leaf) but probably 3-4 in total has 3 apples this year, very excited to try this!

Here is a granny smith on M7 in my house orchard that was damaged by the cold frost we had about 10 days ago that is slowly re-cooperating.

This is a honey crisp that didn't sustain the damage that the GS did in the cold weather and is really putting on growth.