A Thread About Trees

[jerryse]

Would love some input . . really, I am desperate for input.

I have access to a scionwoon supply about an hour north of me for a small fee for each. Can anyone suggest a reliable method of grafting that is pretty foolproof, and perhaps a utube vidoe of the method as I am a visual learner. What little research I did a year ago, the result vary, on average a 50% sucessrate. Would like to get that rate up considerably.

Also I wonder if the rootstock used affects the success rate?

My other issue is with over 150+ varieties of apple scionwood, the selecting of just a few is daunting. I can find descriptions of the fruit, but there is soooo much more to an apple tree liek disease resistance, size, vigor, use of the apples, keeping qualities. Suggestions on finding this info?

Thanks.

I have good luck with the omega cut. Saw this on utube last year and bought a 3 in one grafting tool that can make this cut. Works best on 5/16 to 3/8 diameter stock. I wrap with rubber band strips for good contact and use parafilm to cover graft and keep moisture in. Are you doing it this year ? Getting late here. I have other methods I am trying. What are you grafting to. Small trees or top working older trees ? The biggest issue for success is good contact and moisture . Plus a active growth period. I can try a video showing a couple methods I like. I have to get someone to run the camera . Perhaps I can persuade my wife.

 

[Arielle]

Here are some I am considering ( info from the Stark Nursery website).

Ben Davis Apple zones 3-7
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/ben-davis-apple
Best pollinators: Granny Smith, Stark® Jon-A-Red® Jonathan or Starkrimson® Red Delicious.

Honeycrisp™ Apple zones 3-6
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/honeycrisp-apple
Best pollinators: any Golden Delicious, Stark® Jon-A-Red® Jonathan or Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty.

KinderKrisp Apple zones 3-7
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/kinderkrisp-apple
Best pollinators: any Golden Delicious or Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty.

Northern Spy Apple zones 4-8
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/northern-spy-apple
Best pollinators: Ginger Gold®, Starkrimson® Red Delicious, or any Golden Delicious.

Best,
Karen
-
Hum,
I had wanted 4 trees. Don't have room. Was going to get 3 but now I see KinderKrisp is a child of the other one I wanted , HoneyCrisp. So think I will settle on a KinderKrisp and a Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty. ( zones 4-8)
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/starkspur-red-rome-beauty-apple
That gives me a great eating apple and a top pie apple. I am not into cider or jams/jellies out of apples. ( for those I am a berry person, smile).

THese sound like good choices for you Karen. Are you getting the semi dwarf sizes??

We don't use a lot of jam and jelly, but honestly when I was a teen we used what ever tree had apples to make applesauce. IMO if you like it to eat fresh, it will do fine as a sauce. Most of the apples we had were maginal eating apple, as in NOTHING as good as the varieties at the grocery, so I would grab one as a snack while out playing, and then collect a basket ful for apple sauce. SOme break down better than others; some hold their cut shape when baked so not good for running thru a foey food mill but awesome for spiced chunks.

THe other point I see is that some varieties cross polinate better than othes-- I had TOTALLY forgotten about this!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I am planning ahead. I figured, maybe incorrectly, that I could get a greater variety of apples and cheaper. Probably NOT cheaper.

Not grafting to anything I already have, so need to find a correct source of rootstock. I read about 4-6 types last year and I quit investigating when I realized I did not have the space yet to plant them out. Maybe it is best to put them in a pot for a year or two then transplant the survivors! lol

Need to google the 3 in one tool to see what this is about.

 

[jerryse]

I am planning ahead. I figured, maybe incorrectly, that I could get a greater variety of apples and cheaper. Probably NOT cheaper.

Not grafting to anything I already have, so need to find a correct source of rootstock. I read about 4-6 types last year and I quit investigating when I realized I did not have the space yet to plant them out. Maybe it is best to put them in a pot for a year or two then transplant the survivors! lol

Need to google the 3 in one tool to see what this is about.

Finding cheap rootstock may be a challenge. I looked online last year but thought 8-10 dollar range a bit high for a rooted stick. Summerstone Nursery online has grafted apple trees starting at $8.50.
No experience yet but I have a order in. Be careful of mail order cheap trees as some are very small. Stay away from cheap ones based in Bloomington IL. They are undersize and need TLC. Watch your local stores they sometimes have cheap trees. It is a hit or miss on these . I got a couple cheap early but the next batch were much higher. My local Wal-Mart has flowering crab for $10.00 now. They could be used to graft to. I produce a few rootstocks off stumps of trees I lost. You can make your own 2 in 1 trees or even 5 in 1 . Pollination is a consideration but some like yellow delicious self pollinate. A neighbors flowering can often pollinate your apples if you only have room for 1 . I tried to video some grafts but need to watch it to see how it turned out.

 

[Arielle]

I looked up the 3 n 1 tool-- looks like a hand pruner and a jackknife combined-- is this right??

Thanks jerrse, I"ll look at that nursery, some do seem to have good prices if I can find those sources.

 

[3riverschick]

THese sound like good choices for you Karen.
Are you getting the semi dwarf sizes??
No, I only have 6/10th an acre so can only have dwarf. Stark offers a
"supreme" dwarf" so I guess it is a better quality of the same tree?
The Stark website says which trees are best pollinators for the other
breeds. I picked trees for
1. eating and baking apple. 2. will survive at zone 3 and 4 weather.
(Zone 4 is Minneapolis, I figure with a polar vortex we should be
no colder than there, hopefully). 3. One is "best pollinator" for the other.
4. No yellow apples, no one here is a big fan.

We don't use a lot of jam and jelly, but honestly when I was a teen we
used what ever tree had apples to make applesauce.
The trees we are replacing are 60 yr. old Snow and Cider apple trees.
Never cared much for the cider apples. But the snow apples! Oh my,
when that tree was producing...one year I made 14 apple pies and put
them in the freezer. Yum, we had apple pie for months that winter!!
IMO if you like it to eat fresh, it will do fine as a sauce. Most of the apples we had
were maginal eating apple, as in NOTHING as good as the varieties at the grocery,
Same here. Made good pies but the apples were small for eating. Tasted good, tho.
so I would grab one as a snack while out playing, Yup same here! and then collect
a basketful for apple sauce. Yum, I love applesauce made right!!! My Mom, now 95,
used to make it for us when we were kids. She sieved it till it was as creamy as baby
food. Luscious!! Some break down better than others; some hold their cut shape
when baked so not good for running thru a foey food mill but awesome for spiced chunks.
Never had a baking apple here. looking forward to the Romes!!

The other point I see is that some varieties cross pollinate better than othes-- I had TOTALLY
forgotten about this!!

Stark website says the Rome is best pollinator for the KinderKrisp.

Best Regards,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

THose old trees sounded like they were BIG std trees. OR are you relacing the one with several dwarf sized trees?

Love the idea of freezer pies!! Wonderful to bake up after a day out in the cold!

 

[jerryse]

Here are some pictures of my cheap trees that I grafted plus the grafting tool I use for the Omega graft. They were Rome Beauty but I had a tree the rabbits damaged and wanted to save it. The damaged tree is doing fine . I guess the bark was thick enough so no real harm was done. I will let these be a 2 in 1 tree. I uncovered 1 graft. The buds are growing on the scion . 1 has a sprout growing from the root . This can be layered for use as a rootstock later . These are semi dwarf .

 

[Arielle]

Quote: $8-10 for root stock + $4 per scion = $14 might starting looking good when most of the prices are 19+ IF that is a big IF the grafting rate is rather sucessful.

All the apple trees at SUmmerstone is dwarf stock.Rather good prices too. I was hoping for semidwarf and std too. Very tempting prices.

Will check out walmat tomorrow-- I usually stay clear of the gardening section as I tend to come home with something. lol

 

[Arielle]

Here are some pictures of my cheap trees that I grafted plus the grafting tool I use for the Omega graft. They were Rome Beauty but I had a tree the rabbits damaged and wanted to save it. The damaged tree is doing fine . I guess the bark was thick enough so no real harm was done. I will let these be a 2 in 1 tree. I uncovered 1 graft. The buds are growing on the scion . 1 has a sprout growing from the root . This can be layered for use as a rootstock later . These are semi dwarf .

JErry -- what is the name of that tool. WHen I googled 3 n 1 , a number of designs popped up. Including a completely different one from that in the pic above. ( jack knif/ handpruner design.)


Is your tool the one that cuts opposite configurations so that they are a perfect fit?? Omegs cut is the term used on the PEnn state web site?

DO you use wax?? I"m worried it would be too hot and injure the tender cambium and young bark.