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storing bench grafted apple rootstock.?

10 years ago

I'm wondering how long I can store bench grafted rootstock ? I bought a bunch of m7 and hope to graft a variety of scion to them. can I graft them and then put them back in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks?

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Comments (5)

Konrad___far_north
10 years ago
I've never done but I would graft when you see first sign of growth, ..plant them first.
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JesseSt
10 years ago
You can graft your rootstock and then store them for weeks/months in refrigeration. Professional nurseries will often provide a couple weeks of dark storage at warmer temperatures(70F) in order for the graft union to callus over. They then refrigerate the grafts until ready to plant. I've stored bench grafts for over a month in my cellar which stays between 40-50F. Keep them well wrapped in plastic, and the roots in moist sawdust, straw or peat so they don't dry out.
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I have better success with grafts on established trees of good vigor. Usually nearly 100%, with robust growth and fruit as early as the second year when I graft as soon or right before first growth. I can see why rootstocks would not work well just after being dug up- how are they supposed to have enough energy to heal and grow a new shoot when desperately trying to replace roots? Maybe that's why commercial nurseries tend to bud graft in summer after rootstocks have recovered. If bench grafts are left in the green house while the grafts establish the high humidity will allow the grafts to survive much longer while the rootstock recovers, I believe. Similar to being able to root a tomato plant from a shoot. I think that the problem with late grafts may be that their growth is the most tender on the tree by the time they begin to grow and leaf hoppers here do a number on them difficult to control. Late peach and plum grafts that aren't susceptible to LH's do fine late for me although not much better than 50%. If I graft at first growth for them I get hardly any takes.
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According to St. Lawrence Nursery, which specializes in cold, northern climate fruits: "St. Lawrence Nurseries does not grow or sell dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees because they do not have the hardiness, vigor, and disease resistance needed to thrive in our northern climate. So what Is "Standard"? Although the word Ã¢ÂÂstandardÃ¢ÂÂ implies that all apples grafted onto standard rootstock grow to be about the same size, this is not the case. For instance, Red Delicious or McIntosh seeds from cannery waste have often been used to grow Ã¢ÂÂstandardÃ¢ÂÂ rootstock. Growing in Zone 6 or 7, trees grafted to these rootstocks will often reach a mature height in excess of 30 feet, necessitating a 40-foot orchard spacing and long ladders. In contrast, Malus antonovka, a Ã¢ÂÂstandardÃ¢ÂÂ seedling rootstock, when grown in Zone 3 or 4 without pruning, will produce a 15 foot tree. (See photo p. 22.) The same tree can be kept at 10-12 feet by annual pruning. We use Antonovka for our apple rootstock. It is the most tried-and-true rootstock known, having been used for 500 years in Russia. Northern grown and well pruned apple trees on Antonovka rootstock are equivalent to Ã¢ÂÂsemi-dwarfÃ¢ÂÂ trees in size, yet still retain the necessary vigor to flower, fruit and become dormant within the time constraints of a short growing season." Here is a link that might be useful: WHICH APPLES SHOULD I CHOOSE?
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Comments (7)
Joe is right, grafting on an established tree will get you to production way faster. In fact, I've sometimes let a strong new graft bear fruit the same year I grafted it especially if I want to sample a new variety. (this is not recommended, though) On the other hand, I don't understand why people pay so much attention to the stories around how long it takes to get fruit on specific rootstocks. I have had many, many varieties of apples fruit prolifically the year I actually planted the tree. Now mind you I didn't plant benchgrafts, if you plant a bench graft, you'll be waiting a long time. So go for it, and graft a branch over to a Belle De Boscoop. And to answer the question - can you live without a Belle De Boscoop, well, the answer depends on you trying it out. Every climate and soil is different, and may or may not produce tasty fruit for any specific varieties. That's the beauty of grafting: you can try one branch, and if the fruit is good, then you can devote more space to that specific variety. I am currently testing 180 varieties in my garden, and a number of favorites are emerging, the rest I will most likely dump. The downside is that getting into grafting entails a risk: you can catch collector's fever and end up with hundreds, if not thousands of different varieties, and your trees will end up looking like X-mas trees with all the tags on them. it's too late for me, but you can still save yourself. :)
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Comments (1)
Jacques, I have not tried Apple on Pyracantha. There are some apples and pears that are graft-compatible with one another. 'Winter Banana' apple is reputed to accept most pears, and forms long-lasting, compatible unions. I have grafted pear onto some seedling apple understocks that were mistakenly included in a bundle of P.communis seedlings I purchased one year... One apple seedling refused to take a pear graft - 3 times in the first season; the second accepted the pear graft, which grew vigorously the first year, but declined and died over the next two growing seasons. I have grafted pear onto quince, and onto native cockspur hawthorn, Crataegus crus-galli; have one surviving graft of pear on hawthorn that is now 15 years old; very dwarfed, fruiting sparsely.
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curtis
10 years ago
As noted, it is commonly done. However my limited experience is that best results occur when you plant the rootstock and then graft when the root stocks are beginning to break dormancy.

It is more difficult to graft onto planted rootstock especially if you have bad, back, feet, etc. But you quickly get the hang of it.
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murkwell
10 years ago
I bench grafted a quince tree and then kept it in a dorm fridge for at least a couple of weeks.

During that time it formed ice formed on the tree and roots. It established fine.
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benfisher
Original Author
10 years ago
I did 25 last year, stored them a few weeks. I got concerned about mold,dry etc, so I potted them, and stuck them in my heated ice fishing shack. three snow storms and a hundred pounds of lp gas later they turned out well. with lp gas at 5$ per gallon I'm not going to heat the unless I really have to. I have a ten year old son who hopes to pot 50 of them and sell them in 2 or 3 years. thanks for all the input....it confirmed my thoughts
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