Author Topic: Help Grafting Apple trees  (Read 1521 times)

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Offline DV IN MN

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Help Grafting Apple trees
« on: March 22, 2022, 08:51:49 pm »
 Looking for information on best methods to graft apple trees.
I have some that started from seed 3 years ago and they flowered and produced fruit this past year. I should state planted for wildlife. All the apples that were produced were the size of a walnut. The type of tree?  Came from an apple in my yard most likely and Jonny Apple seed. I don't know what variety it is ??? :-[. But they were firm but very sweet apple. The apple tree they came from is sweet and good for baking worms like them but don't seem to taste like much when baked up. Added protien. Just want to get apples to produce bigger than walnut so figured might as well try grafting good stock on them. I do have a neighbor that has a Honeycrisp that I can get all the graft I want from. Looking at preforming grafts in mid April in central IL zone 6.
To Late?
Would sealing and attaching the draft on the outside with 5 Min epoxy work?


Offline Stoker

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Re: Help Grafting Apple trees
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2022, 08:07:09 pm »
Having limited experience. You have to do it before the buds come out. There is a tool that looks like a pencil sharpener, it prepares the branch. Than the other is a drill bit/ countersink, that prepares the tree. Makes a plug. Grafting wax is for sealing it. There are other ways of attaching the graft by splicing the branches together. Timing in your area came be answered by someone at a garden center.
Thanks Leroy
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Offline bjrogg

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Re: Help Grafting Apple trees
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2022, 08:54:19 pm »
There seems to be a lot of pretty decent videos on YouTube.

I’m wanting to do some again. Had so success many years ago. Have a few I’d like to graft right now.

Bjrogg
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Offline M2A

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Re: Help Grafting Apple trees
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2022, 10:42:58 pm »
Did you thin the trees? On average you would want a fruit every 6 inches. Doubles are ok but triples tend to hurt size. In general apples will have 5 flowers from each fruit bud(center flower is called the king bud which is surrounded by 4 secondary flowers), if you have good pollination and every flower develops into fruit sizing will be poor. Commercial growers have ways to deal with that with growth regulators and lots of praying for good weather :) With your 3 trees you could hand thin. To do so wait till king bud fruit is about 1", they should be the biggest fruit, then take off whatever fruit you need to so that it averages out to 6".   

The grafting I have done, we harvested the graft wood in January, dead of winter. Kept that wood refrigerated until spring. After trees leafed out we grafted the dormant shoots to the tree. We always used grafting wax to seal so not sure how epoxy would work. I know there are other methods that I have not done but I could not cut graft wood this late in the season for how we did it. That said, give it a shot on a limb or 2 if you have nothing to lose. Keeping the graft wood from drying out before they connect will be the biggest problem.

Honey crisp is a great tasting apple, Dont blame you for wanting to try that. Just a heads up, they are more difficult to grow for #1 quality fruit. That has been my experience. Hope that helps you out some. Good luck if you go to graft. Wish you success! Keep us up on how it progresses.
Mike                     

             

Offline DV IN MN

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Re: Help Grafting Apple trees
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2022, 03:43:27 pm »
Thanks. Probably will be to late but might try some anyway. Its all deer food so not big concerns regarding failure. Did not prune trees will try to get that done next year probably to late to complete this year but can reduce the # of blooms this spring when I get down there. Having land 6 hours away that distance has its challenges.

Offline M2A

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Re: Help Grafting Apple trees
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2022, 08:51:43 am »
I'd give it a try on some  too. At the least you'll get some experience. If it dont work out you can just back up your cuts next year and try again. Forgot I had my grafting tool in my saw bag and tried to get some pictures but was missing a good knife along with a few other things so could not get any good pics. Kinda like building bows, you could graft with just a pocket knife but its nice to have a few more options. By no means an expert at it myself.

As far a pruning, if you have limited time, just take everything growing straight up and damaged off and leave the rest this year. Once bloom starts I keep our guys out till after pedal fall then let them finish(dont like that but it happens some years). Good luck
Mike