Apple Grafting: aftercare

6 years ago

I’ve been toying with the idea of making an account here and finally gave in because there seems to be a community here with grafting experience. I want some input on my Apple grafts. They’ve been quite strange (first year/first time grafting). The leftmost sent new growth and then dropped all its leaves except for the top most (which have slowly grown bigger since). The rightmost did the same except it’s tip died. I wasn’t sure if I should trim it, but luckily a late bud pushed lower on the scion and is still small but healthy. There seems to be some black coloring on the right graft but the left graft is largely normal in color.

Left above

Right above

Could that be a form of rot? Also in general how do these grafts heal? Does anyone have a timeline? Since only one side of the scion has cambium contact, does the scion just continue to grow and the bark “wrap” around the union? Anyone have a series of photos of cleft graft healing?

Any info or advice is welcome. Thanks y’all!

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
it appears you left a lot of cambium layer exposed at the graft.. i cant think that is good ... and it seems to be where your issues are starting ...

thats the best i can do on my limited experience.. and observation ...

ken
User
6 years ago
The scion and the root stock cambium layers are easier to connect, if both stems are about the same diameter.

I agree that yours don't appear to be connected at all.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
which would mean.. its struggling on stored energy ... and when that runs out .... it wont be good

if they fail ... but the rootstock buds out... you might be able to use the root stock again ...

ken
John D Zn6a PIT Pa
6 years ago
It may take all of the year and into next spring to heal. Keep the grafting tape on till late fall, but then as there won't be growth over winter it's not going to be a problem. "They" say the tape will fall off, but that's not my experience.

You should have lots of growth on both the scions and the rootstocks, by now. But you're doing better on those than I on some of mine.
corkball (z6 TN)
6 years ago
You really want to get more cambium layer to connect. Make sure you scion and rootstock are the same diameter at the graft. You don't HAVE to, but it helps. Generally you can control that by choosing where to snip the rootstock. Next, see if you can get the rootstock into more of a V cut instead of a straight split. Again not NECESSARY, but it helps. You can always buy grafting shears if you are clumsy, although they seem a but overpriced and specialty for me, so I don't have any experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Bexkzv6eM

Jam that scion down a bit deeper to get the best 'skin to skin' contact. That sounds dirty, but you know what I mean. Then make sure the splice is sealed with grafting tape while it heals. I usually do my grafts in early spring before/at leaf out, and take off tape in late summer? Yes the living material will grow over the union, so you don't want jagged stuff sticking out of the union.

PS: apple is a good place to start. They seem about the easiest of any grafts I've made to get to take.