Our orchard was already in place when the property was purchased. There are 10 apple trees, a pear tree (Bartlett), one sweet and one sour cherry tree, two plum trees (Superior and Blue Damson), currants, and a grape arbor. The apple trees include Beacon, MacSpur, McIntosh, Willis Wm Red, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious.
These older non-dwarf apple trees have proven very difficult to maintain. Without being sprayed, they usually show signs of scab. We have had success in controlling codling moths by hanging gallon milk containers in the trees with a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and one tablespoon molasses. The moths fly in and drown.
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Hello, I am new to this site. Great site. I live in Minnesota and was wondering if anyone would be intersted in a mail exchange of scionwood. I have access to the varieties listed below. Looking to graft something new so let me know what you have. Either post here or email me @ rudeviking@yahooo.com Thanks,
Dan
Cortland Sweet 16 Honeycrisp Honeygold McIntosh Regent Beacon Zestar Wealthy Freedom Connell Red Fireside Williams Pride Harlson/Harlred
Viron- didn't agree with the bud grafting myself, especially since I'm targeting one of the five trunks low to ground. All- so if I get this to work, do you all owe me beer (or a cider?)??
I look forward to the day when I can get beer for grafting!
It would be fun to do a competition at the scion exchange. A bunch of people would graft as many interstems as they could. Put their names on it, and see who has the most surviving segments at the all about fruit show. Someone could plant them all in the same place so they are all treated the same.
It would be fun: both involving skill and strategy, and a true test of grafting prowess.
We should make a contest to see how many species across we could graft our way through. …But wouldn't it be interesting to see how far you could go? I wonder what the world record is for this sort of thing.
Your youth is showing …man, I graft for beer, not records! The real trick would be how many you could make go at the same time! …six, maybe eight whip & tongues … with one bud each..? Or why leave a bud, just use a half inch of stock! …you're gonna have to hang around for one of our tailgaters… not only might we have put you to work, this is the kind of craziness we indulge in …along with (real) cider. …and if you didn't do the cider – you'd be the sharpest guy on the lot!
Viron, thanks for the advice, I think I'll go for it. Now if I can only find "Big Apple" dogwood scion ... Raintree doesn't have any but suggested grafting buds from one of their trees.
Glad to see they're still in business ...thought someone told me they'd gone bankrupt a few years back… And their cherry's only gone up $5 in a decade (not counting shipping).
The rind graft sounds very interesting. Do you have a link to a graphic or pictorial presentation, if not; when will you be doing another class on this?
In older trees, it's one of the few grafts that will work. Plus, it's just a Slick Graft!
…I may let you search it, and don't have anything on it myself ...beyond the presentation I give at our annual grafting classes at CCC … which will roll around one year minus about 3 weeks from right now…
It's an easy graft if you understand the concept – and – have dormant scions about a month from now. Just for fun, I've got a project planned for a friend with a pear tree. It already has three varieties, but they're only ‘pears.' I plan (on a warm afternoon in a few weeks, pre-beer) to bark graft, via the ‘inverted L,' 3 scions of Winter Banana apple. It's one of few “Apple to Pear” combinations that work; one scion will remain pure Banana apple; one will also have a Wolf River apple (whip & tongue) grafted to the Banana ap; a third will have a Winesap done the same… The W.B. ap will become an “interstem” for the other two, the challenge will be making two grafts at the same time.
Got it! Dogwood to Dogwood sounds fine. Are you seeking the ‘fruits?' It does describe ‘Big Apple' as needing a second variety to pollinate it, which I assume you'd have from the remainder of the base (Dogwood) tree. …I'm amazed at the combinations some have done around here ... but didn't think apple to dogwood was one of them
Keep in mind, with your ‘fruiting plums' starting at ten feet… that's going to place them quite high in the tree. …they'd likely be worth the climb, if not the fall… If you go for it, shoot for a couple of varieties that will pollinate each other, I wouldn't count on the base tree; plus, two varieties can extend the harvest.
And if the plum's Asian, perfect. If not, I'm told ‘that combination' is still solid and long lasting.
Make sure you procure some dormant plum wood, the more the merrier!
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