Re: [nafex] Ancient Apple Varieties

[Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>]

Tom,

By all means, try to find a Canadian source, but don't rule out
home-grafting.  I tried it this spring and was surprised how easy it
was.  Well, actually, it took me a long time--what surprised me was my
very high success rate.  I gather apples are particularly easy to
graft.  I did all of my grafting early in the spring, with my last
grafts done as the leaf buds were just opening up.  I tried lots of
methods, in the hopes something would work, and here is what I learned:

Basically, you need 4 things to work:

1)  Cut the stock and the scion so they fit together snugly.  Cutting
each one quite flat is the easiest way to do this.  It's best to handle
the cut surfaces and nearby tissue as little as possible, but I did a
bit of whittling with no problem.  I was careful not to touch the cut
surfaces.

2)  Mechanically bind the two cut ends together, putting at least part
of the cambium (the layer between the wood and the bark) as close
together as possible.  It is best to match it over as much length as you
can, but one good join is better than a lot of near misses.  If both
sticks (the stock and the scion) are young, it is easiest to just match
the bark on one side.  Different people find different methods easier in
attaching the pieces.  I liked rubber strips (cut open fat rubber
bands), because they worked even on damp sticks, and I was comfortable
with them.  Ed Fackler suggests masking tape.  Some people find cut up
plastic produce bags work well enough, and I met a man who swears by
raffia.

3)  Protect the wound from drying out.  I got my best results with
grafting compound, but it's expensive and a pain to work with (and clean
off you hands).  Both masking tape and the produce bags provide adequate
protection by themselves.  Every single graft that I bound with rubber
bands and then covered with masking tape eventually took, even though
the masking tape didn't stick very well to my damp trees.  (They
sprouted a little later, and grew a little less than the ones with
grafting compound, but all look fine today.)

4)  Take all the stuff off before it girdles your graft.  This should be
done later, rather than earlier, unless you see signs of girdling.  New
grafts are mechanically weak, and can use the added protection.  This
step was also where I decided the fabric "grafting tape" I bought from
Leonard's had been a mistake. It stuck too well to the bark, and took a
little bark off when I removed it.  I think those twigs will be okay,
but I don't like damaging them so late in the season.  I am finding the
roll of tape handy for dozens of odd jobs around the house, though, so I
guess it was an okay purchase.

More experienced grafters recommend picking a warm day with overcast
weather.  I think the idea here is to minimize the time the branch sits
around drying out before growth kicks in.  I think I started too early,
and the weather was too cold.  Most of my grafts took a long time to
sprout, and I thought none of them had worked until a few actually
died.  Then, the contrast between the dry, shriveled twig, and the
dormant twigs was striking, and all the others eventually took.  To ones
that died were mostly ones where I had tried just rubber bands, with no
outer anti-dessicant.  Every one of these died--rubber bands do not
protect the graft from drying.  The other advice I've seen is to keep
all the cut ends shaded.  Direct sunlight may kill some of the cambium
cells.

Best,
Ginda
Eastern Mass., zone 6

Thomas Olenio wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> If you are in Canada it would be OK, but otherwise I need a permit which
> costs.
> 
> The note I recieved in the mail today, with my permit request states that
> it will cost $55 for permit and inspection.  Even though the scions would
> be free, I then would need to by the right rootstock and have the scions custom
> grafted, as I would not risk the scions to my meager skills.
> 
> Add that all up and it is too rich for my budget.  I admit, it is a very
> small budget to begin with.
> 
> I am going to contact the person who handles the Canadian sources for
> NAFEX and see if he knows where to find some in Canada.  I have called a
> number of times during the day, but no answer so far.  I will try again
> in he evening or this weekend.
> 
> ******
> 
> Just finished warapping the trunk and major limbs of an adult, dwarf
> apple tree tree we moved a couple of weeks ago.  According to one source,
> when moving an adult tree in the fall, you should wrap the trunk to
> minimize winter moisture loss.
> 
> I went overboard of course and sprayed it with lime/sulphur and vlock oil
> at dormant levels (tree had already  dropped all its leaves).  Then hit it
> with anti-desicant spray, when that dried, cut feed bags (tri-ply bags,
> with plastic as one ply) into narrow strips wrapping the trunk, finally
> putting on hard plastic rodent protection, and mulched the tree.
> 
> Overkill even for me.  Maybe it will make it.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom
> 
> --
> Thomas Olenio
> Ontario, Hardiness Zone 6a
> 
> On Fri, 20 Oct 2000 kuon@onlinemac.com wrote:
> 
> > Well, I could certainly send you scionwood from our trees at the
> > appropriate time, if that becomes the easiest option and international
> > rules allow.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
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