looking for apple varieties to topwork my existing trees

13 years ago

Hi Everyone-

I know I should probably post this in the exchange area, but I know all of you better! :-)

I would like to graft/top-work few other varieties this year to some of my existing trees. I have a grafting knife, parafilm tape, and took a one night grafting class last year at

the local university, so I have just enough to be dangerous. I'm thinking I'll probably use a cleft graft for simplicity.

Here are the varieties I'm interested in adding:

1.) Rhode Island Greening

2.) Pink Lady

3.) Cox Orange Pippen

4.) Gold Rush

Varieties I hope to be able to offer in exachange:

1.) Williams Pride

2.) Granny Smith

3.) Liberty

4.) Honeycrisp *

5.) Ashmed's Kernel *

6.) Spitzenburg *

7.) Enterprize *

8.) Yellow Transparent 5-1

9.) Courtland 5-1

10.) Summer Red 5-1

11.) McIntosh 5-1

12.) Red Delicious 5-1

Note: Varieties with a * next to them are still relatively young, and so I'm not sure how much pencil-sized wood I'll have when I start pruning. Same for the 5-1 varieties.

I'm willing to trade/pay whatever you think is fair, and I have a Paypal account.

I usually prune around early March, though the date will probably be determined by when the snow melts and when I start feeling spring is around the corner. Does that sound like an optimal time for me to collect the wood? And then place it in a plastic bag with a damp papper towel in the crisper? And then mail it all in an appropriate envelope? Should I disinfect?

I know the best time to do the grafting is when the understock begins to grow, but I'm not sure how that translates to bud stages? Would that still be during silver tip? Or 1/2 green? etc?

Thanks all!

-Glenn

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Comments (8)

sautesmom Sacramento
13 years ago
I sent you a private e-mail, FYI

Carla in Sac
lifespeed
13 years ago
Gravenstein
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Scott F Smith
13 years ago
Glen, collect the wood before any bud swell at all -- once buds start to swell the chance of takes declines. Early March should be good. I don't disinfect wood I send, thats the job of the receiver.

Apples can be grafted from silver tip on but your odds are much higher at 1" green or so. If you do them late you will get takes but will miss the spring growth spurt so they will be wimpy come fall.

I wouldn't recommend Cox, it fails for about everybody on the east coast. Many of its children have been recommended, I find Kidds Orange Red to work the best for me. Pink Lady may be too late for you, I can barely grow it here. Check the local U-picks etc and see if anyone is growing it. I'm not interested in trading but if you can't find something drop me a line.

Scott
glenn_russell
Original Author
13 years ago
Good information. Thanks Scott!

One of my local orchards has a Cox Orange Pippin, and I had some last year, and thought they were awesome! I agree though, usually they don't grow as well around here... which is why I don't have a whole tree of them, but I think I'll just try a branch. Unless the Kidds Orange Red tastes very similar?

Yeah, Pink Lady might not happen in time... Again, I'm not willing to risk whole tree on it, but I'm willing to give a branch a shot. I know Pink Lady is just after Granny Smith, and I don't really seem to have a problem with GS. I often pick my apples a little early/tart anyway.

Thanks again for the help,
-Glenn

P.S. Lifespeed - I'm not sure what you meant by "Gravenstein".
Scott F Smith
13 years ago
Glenn, I think Kidds Orange Red is just as good as Cox. The tree is not very productive but otherwise its fantastic. Some years Cox can be OK, I have had a few good ones off my tree, but they don't like heat at all and most years they do not ripen properly. Your summers are a bit cooler than ours and that will improve your odds, but I would be surprised if it regularly did well. Beyond the ripening the apples are sensitive to skin blemishes/spots, diseases, and watercore. Kidds is bulletproof in comparison.

Scott
glenn_russell
Original Author
13 years ago
In that case, I'll look for Kidds Orange Red instead! Thanks Scott! -Glenn
lifespeed
13 years ago
Gravenstein is a very spicy, tasty old variety you'll never find in a store because they don't store or ship well.
WallyTree1
13 years ago
You might look at Masonville Orchard in CO for scionwood, think they have some of the varieties you are looking for. www.masonvilleorchard.com

looking for apple varieties to topwork my existing trees

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sautesmom Sacramento

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looking for apple varieties to topwork my existing trees

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sautesmom Sacramento

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