Gumba: If you have a local extension agent that is so accommodating that he can be convinced to help with grafting, I think he would be my primary source of advice. Oregon is a major commercial fruit-producing state, and there is a lot of knowledge and experience there. Not that people around the country would not be willing to help you, but knowledge of local conditions and climate is important. Asking for advice on whether to graft or buy finished trees, is asking others to make a decision that you can and should make yourself. Around here, most people would advise you to try the grafting. You will gain more experience and a greater sense of satisfaction if you do it yourself, even though the trees may be slowed down a bit compared to finished trees -- though not much. Grafting yourself also offers you the ability to choose your own rootstock/scion combinations, including some varieties you may not find as finished trees. You may be in an area that is quite favorable to fruitgrowing, compared with many others, and I would not make variety choices based on what a few people you talk to believe. As for integrated pest management (IPM), that is just a dressed-up name for common sense. It can be many things, but is usually a combination of limited spraying, when necessary, combined with cultural practices like pruning and orchard cleanup. Bagging apples in ziploc sandwich bags as protection against insects is another of these practices that I follow myself. Organically acceptable sprays and things like insect traps can also be thrown into this basket. Whether or not any spraying is "excessive" depends on who you are asking. Committed organic growers see it as a mortal sin, but most of us are willing to do some spraying, combined with the measures I mention above. If you want to try difficult varieties like Cox's Orange Pippin, I would say go ahead. You might have just the climate to grow this apple. But check with your extension man first. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for the heads up nhardy, Cummins must have had an order change or was waiting for a fall count, as a whole bunch of those weren't listed as of a week ago. Bob Purvis had told me he had sent cold hardy cultivar scionwood to them, but I wasn't expecting trees to be available for another season. I am ordering some other stuff from them this season. Wish I had known these were in their beds...but I already put in an order for some Manchurian rootstock and scionwood from another source (Bob Purvis)...gonna try to build a tomcot and a hargrand. The more I research, the more I think the krymsk may be more dwarfing than I want for these trees anyhow. I am seeing numbers of 50-60%. I am going to try a few plums on K1 and perhaps even a peach...the cornell test plots found it to markedly improve winter hardiness on peaches over a severe test winter they had back in '05. The same effect was noticed with american plum seedling rootstock, and I have read theories that these rootstocks are shutting down growth earlier in the fall and allowing the tree to harden off more effectively. Anybody with experience with the k1 I would be glad to hear. I have read several posts from fruitnut that he has not been too keen on it...especialy not for anything but plums and pluot.

Hello, I would like to know if there is a good source for rootstocks and scionwoods for apple tree in Canada? I don't know about ordering from USA, but, I think this will be more complicate, that is why I am looking inside Canada first. Can you help me ? Thanks, Maskoutain

i have been busy.... raintree nursery has all of rootstocks for cherry, apple, pear available and they just got a shipment of st. julian roostock for peach as of 3-22-13- 5:00p.m. milwaukee,wis. time. burnt ridge nurseries also has rootstock available both of the above places handle individual trees and raintree gives a break with 5 or more per roostock- call them at 1-800-391-8892. plus ,there is 1 spot open for the grafting class in madison, on 3-23-13 at the olbrich botanical gardens 3330 atwood ave. madison,wis. phone # 608-246-4550