You should be good to go any time now, but I like to let the leaves get a little more open. You've got a decent window of opportunity- a few weeks, anyway.

It's nice to see the host really ready to supply nutrients and moisture to the scion. Early grafting usually works, but can be set back by a cold snap. Later grafting usually works, but doesn't give the scion as much time to become established.

Good luck,

M

It is common where I live, to graft when the leaves are the size of mouse ears.

I actually get my best results in southeastern NY when I graft just at first signs of coming out of dormancy- silver tip. That way grafts are well established before the leaf hoppers set in. This is for apples and pears.

:-)

I was originally told "squirrel's ears" but I guess I could go with mouse just as well ...

M

The reason I found out early works well is that I've had clients to prune that were far away and also wanted me to do some grafts. I ended up doing both at the same time, some times when the trees were a week from even showing signs of growth. These early grafts have done better every time than grafts done a couple weeks later.

The closer the grafts leaf out to the rest of the tree the more growth they get during the tree's surge. Growth after the surge is much slower. This has been my experience comparatively and I wonder about others on this forum.

Frost isn't likely to be a problem because once the tree begins to leaf out it rarely gets cold enough to damage leaf buds or small leaves. Flower buds are more delicate.

I used to think that the grafts healed from cells generated by the tree and the idea was for the graft to leaf out after enough of this healing took place to support growth with adequate water. Therefore you'd want the tree well ahead of the graft. Now I think that the cells are generated from the graft itself- at least some of them and that everything happens as the graft starts to grow.

But this is just speculation- anyone got any research on it?

What about bench grafting onto rootstock? It's nowhere near time to plant anything yet in our area -- ground is still frozen. Should I wait to graft until the ground is ready for planting so I can plant immediately after grafting, or is it OK to graft now and hold the plants in dormancy until the ground is ready?
Thx.

It's my understanding that bench grafting onto rootstock is commonly done during dormancy, and the pieces then held under refrigeration until planting. But I don't know and haven't tried it.

Do you wrap the scions after grafting? I am testing doing grafts in dormancy and after dormancy breaks. I hope later grafts work, I will not get apple scions from maple valley orchards in WI until April.

Harvestman,

Would you recommend the same timing for Plums, Cherries, and Grapes?

I have lousy results grafting plums and have heard it's best to wait for warm weather, but others on this forum should be able to offer better guidance on this than me. Post the question and I think the concensus will be to wait until a stretch of warm weather (in the '70's) is in the forecast after trees start to grow.

My first attempts at grafting this year resulted in 1 in 5 success. I think I was too late in the year and will attempt earlier next year, can anyone advise when it is best to collect scions ? Can I cut in the autumn and store in a fridge ready for the spring ?

I would not cut scions in the autumn. That's too early. By the time you graft them they will be 5-6 months old and although some will still be viable that's too much risk of desiccation, mold, etc. I think the best time to cut scions is January/February. That way they are only a month or 2 old when it comes time to use them.

As for the original question, I've had success grafting very early as Alan said but I've also had success grafting at full leaf out. I can tell you I prefer grafting at mouse ears or earlier simply because it's much easier to see the shape and location of the branch structure. It can also be a pain in the butt grafting after the trees have leafed out because you have to contend with wrapping tape or parafilm around a limb with a bunch of leaves in the way. I often have to pull a few leaves off the limb just to get access to a grafting location. With mouse ears you don't have to worry about that.

I made dormant scion grafts in September to established trees and rootstocks. It wasn't my plan, I just never got the time to do it in the spring and summer. The seem to have all taken, and pushed growth.

Now I get to see if any of it hardens off and survives, or if there are latent buds in the scions that might sprout if none of the new growth survives the winter.