Everyone should learn to graft (esp newbs)

Figjake said:
All things I’ve learned this year:

MBVS and campaniere makes good rootstock.

Grafting in the fall is a recipe for disaster if you’re still doing it outdoors, if you have a grow room, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Learn t-bud also.

It also works better if the rootstock is awake when you graft and the temperatures outside are warm, not getting cold overnight.

Don’t overwater the rootstock with the grafts, it will flood it.

Keep it wrapped with tin foil

Get yourself some budding rubbers and parafilm.

A bread sack tie works just as well as budding rubbers they just need to be removed sooner.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can also make bleeder cuts below the graft if sap flow is too strong. I used to use the rubber grafting bands, which work great. Will try the electrical rubber splicing tape next.
 
Figjake said:
All things I’ve learned this year:

MBVS and campaniere makes good rootstock.

Grafting in the fall is a recipe for disaster if you’re still doing it outdoors, if you have a grow room, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Learn t-bud also.

It also works better if the rootstock is awake when you graft and the temperatures outside are warm, not getting cold overnight.

Don’t overwater the rootstock with the grafts, it will flood it.

Keep it wrapped with tin foil

Get yourself some budding rubbers and parafilm.

A bread sack tie works just as well as budding rubbers they just need to be removed sooner.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can also make bleeder cuts below the graft if sap flow is too strong. I used to use the rubber grafting bands, which work great. Will try the electrical rubber splicing tape next.
 
DELFIG said:
Not true if you keep root stock indoors....
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I would sometimes root really long cuttings (for more grafting real estate) in treepots in the spring/summer outside. I would bring them indoors before they went dormant and put them under light and heat. Then I had active graft stock ready to go when cutting season came around. Helped preserve indoor space.
 
The local grower that provided CH cuttings for my class project has several bush-style trees in-ground that he cuts back to less than a foot tall and then covers in straw.
Would a cutting grafted to one of the dozens of trunks be able to successfully ripen fruit the year it was grafted? If so, I may see if I can convince him to give it a try and provide a few cuttings. Southwest Ohio, zone 6b.
 
IAK said:
Yes, you can also make bleeder cuts below the graft if sap flow is too strong. I used to use the rubber grafting bands, which work great. Will try the electrical rubber splicing tape next.
Click to expand...
I make the bleeder cuts, I’m talking about watering the rootstock while the graft is taking. If you got them in small pots, because to bag it and not have to water it unless absolutely necessary.
 
ohiobruce said:
The local grower that provided CH cuttings for my class project has several bush-style trees in-ground that he cuts back to less than a foot tall and then covers in straw.
Would a cutting grafted to one of the dozens of trunks be able to successfully ripen fruit the year it was grafted? If so, I may see if I can convince him to give it a try and provide a few cuttings. Southwest Ohio, zone 6b.
Click to expand...
That depends on the varieties you plan to graft onto it. In general, grafted scions can ripen fruit within the same season they are grafted, especially if the graft was done early enough for that variety.

In the first year, fruits from the grafted scions may ripen ahead of the same varieties on its own roots (first year also). I had a few varieties grown side by side that way for comparison. I am not sure if that lead would continue in the following seasons. I have been told it doesn't, which is not surprising. That also depends on the level of pruning in the following seasons, I believe.

The main advantage is the quality of fruits from grafted scions is closed to that of a mature tree (assuming you graft it to a mature tree). In that case, you don't need to wait 3-5 years to find out if you like the variety.
 
snarfing said:
I am grafting mulberries and cherry this season. Next year ill do some figs and maybe apples.
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Good luck - I have Buluku (Harvey) from a chip-bud.

Cherry won't work on native black cherry, I believe prunus avium is the usual rootstock and I've tried rooting (nope) and taking rootshoots (died) w/o much luck.
 
PapaFig said:
Good luck - I have Buluku (Harvey) from a chip-bud.

Cherry won't work on native black cherry, I believe prunus avium is the usual rootstock and I've tried rooting (nope) and taking rootshoots (died) w/o much luck.
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nice. What is buluku? i have 2 sweet cherry trees, bing and black tartarian. Bing just isnt great for my environment so grafting over it with black york and kordia.

The mulberry is Varaha (from peaceful heritage's blake) which I am grafting onto some hybrid red/alba's i have growing.
 
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Buluku is a white mulberry. I haven't had fruit from it yet. It's grafted onto rubrus (red)/native mulberry - which I've been able to root a number of and it's doing well as a very vigorous rootstock. I should trade some scions this year (pear/mulberry/persimmon) but just so busy.

We had a Romance sour cherry (Carmine Jewel) that put on over 30 lbs for us a few years back - and they were excellent. That's the one I was taking rootshoots from. It did not fruit like that consistently though, maybe late frosts, but perhaps more likely we don't get quite enough chill hours?

If I were in 7a, I would plant one of those series
"These cultivars from the University of Saskatchewan's Romance Series are self-rooting, meaning they are propagated vegetatively (e.g., from cuttings or tissue culture) and do not require grafting onto a separate rootstock. This is a key distinction from sweet cherries, which are usually grafted."

1. Carmine Jewel: Most productive, with 25–30 lbs per plant, early ripening, and excellent for processing. Known for consistent performance and high yields, even in harsh conditions.

2. Valentine: The most productive for some growers, with bright red fruit and large shrub size (up to 9 ft). Ideal for drying and processing due to its color retention and high yield.

3. Juliet: Best for fresh eating, with sweet flavor (up to 24° Brix), early ripening, and good cold hardiness. Highly palatable and avoids major pests due to early harvest window.

With some sources mentioning suckering as a problem with Juliet - sounds like a FEATURE, not a bug to me.
 
PapaFig said:
Buluku is a white mulberry. I haven't had fruit from it yet. It's grafted onto rubrus (red)/native mulberry - which I've been able to root a number of and it's doing well as a very vigorous rootstock. I should trade some scions this year (pear/mulberry/persimmon) but just so busy.

We had a Romance sour cherry (Carmine Jewel) that put on over 30 lbs for us a few years back - and they were excellent. That's the one I was taking rootshoots from. I did not fruit like that consistently though, maybe late frosts, but perhaps more likely we don't get quite enough chill hours?

If I were in 7a, I would plant one of those series
"These cultivars from the University of Saskatchewan's Romance Series are self-rooting, meaning they are propagated vegetatively (e.g., from cuttings or tissue culture) and do not require grafting onto a separate rootstock. This is a key distinction from sweet cherries, which are usually grafted."

1. Carmine Jewel: Most productive, with 25–30 lbs per plant, early ripening, and excellent for processing. Known for consistent performance and high yields, even in harsh conditions.

2. Valentine: The most productive for some growers, with bright red fruit and large shrub size (up to 9 ft). Ideal for drying and processing due to its color retention and high yield.

3. Juliet: Best for fresh eating, with sweet flavor (up to 24° Brix), early ripening, and good cold hardiness. Highly palatable and avoids major pests due to early harvest window.

With some sources mentioning suckering as a problem with Juliet - sounds like a FEATURE, not a bug to me.
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theres a loooot of want for native rubus with good fruit quality, have you heard of the native red mulberry search and rescue project? If you ever find one with good fruit around you send it in, and send me scion!


If the sweet cherries dont work out i will probably pivot to bush cherries like carmen jewel. And probably graft over hte sweet cherries with adara plum interstem and put in some pluerries on that
 
Yes. And try two, I may do that, even though we are around 600 chill hours I believe - even though they are self-fertile, they should produce better with partner. Maybe Carmine and Juliet, which are both early, as in June for us.
 
grasshopper said:
That depends on the varieties you plan to graft onto it. In general, grafted scions can ripen fruit within the same season they are grafted, especially if the graft was done early enough for that variety.

In the first year, fruits from the grafted scions may ripen ahead of the same varieties on its own roots (first year also). I had a few varieties grown side by side that way for comparison. I am not sure if that lead would continue in the following seasons. I have been told it doesn't, which is not surprising. That also depends on the level of pruning in the following seasons, I believe.

The main advantage is the quality of fruits from grafted scions is closed to that of a mature tree (assuming you graft it to a mature tree). In that case, you don't need to wait 3-5 years to find out if you like the variety.
Click to expand...
I am wanting to take some mature rootstock and graft different varieties of the same “family” of figs at the same apical heights for comparison. I want to see which Black madeira type will ripen fastest, which Adriatic is fastest, which Etna, so on and so forth. Too many times I see people comparing varieties but one’s potted vs in ground. Or one tree is on one side of the house and gets more sun than the other side. Or one is a year or two older than the other. One was irrigated and one wasn’t. There are just too many variables to make any good conclusions. They become more like educated opinions.
 
grasshopper said:
That depends on the varieties you plan to graft onto it. In general, grafted scions can ripen fruit within the same season they are grafted, especially if the graft was done early enough for that variety.

In the first year, fruits from the grafted scions may ripen ahead of the same varieties on its own roots (first year also). I had a few varieties grown side by side that way for comparison. I am not sure if that lead would continue in the following seasons. I have been told it doesn't, which is not surprising. That also depends on the level of pruning in the following seasons, I believe.

The main advantage is the quality of fruits from grafted scions is closed to that of a mature tree (assuming you graft it to a mature tree). In that case, you don't need to wait 3-5 years to find out if you like the variety.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll have to talk to him and see what he wants to do. Right now he is satisfied with his low-maintenance approach and the figs he is getting.
 
I found a couple of native red mulberries where I work that are small enough I’m going to try digging them up and bringing home. Might take to our field and plant.
 
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