Seems too early. i usually wait until first set of leaves start to push and I’m in milder zone

From what i have read, grafting should be done right at bud break. It seems very early for your zone/location as well. This is my first year trying grafting as well. Good luck!

Yes, things are definitely moving along early. I can remember one winter though -1998- when roses were leafing out at this time - I remember because a dear relative died that week.

I want to spray antifungal too, and had read last fall that it should be done around now - but with rain/snow mix and temps dropping into the 20F range again this week, that has to wait also....

I think dormancy is ending rapidly though.

Last year I grafted a Cox's Orange Pippin scion to an M7/M111 rootstock in the ground for a year. Also grafted a Keepsake to a year old graft of Black Oxford on M7/M111. Also grafted a Golden Delicious cutting to an existing mature Yellow Transparent tree. These were all done on April 9 and all took. Dates are from my notes.

I also grafted a variety of apple scions to B118 bare root rootstocks; none of which took. These were grafted on April 12 and 14th. One of the grafts to new rootstocks was a Golden Delicious. Since all the scions came from the same source except the Golden Delicious and the scions grafted to existing trees took and those grafted to new rootstocks failed I blame the rootstocks for the failures.

Generally I would suggest grafting to new rootstocks as soon as you get the rootstocks and scions. And I would suggest you try to get the rootstocks as early as possible. I don't have enough experience to make a general rule of when to graft to existing trees.

Thanks John. I have the rootstocks growing in pots and have had for a couple of years.