what else can I graft to manchurian apricot rootstock?

12 years ago

I have a small manchurian apricot that grew from a failed bench graft last spring. I had extras so this was not a problem, and I just let it grow with the others in a nursery bed.

Everything else has been placed and the bed needs to be cleared....trying to decide what to do with it.

If I decide to keep it, Are there other stone fruit that will graft successfully to it?

How does it's (manchurian) bloom time compare to selected varieties and will it provide pollination?

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Comments (10)

franktank232
12 years ago
Wouldn't peaches, plums work fine with apricot?
Scott F Smith
12 years ago
My understanding is nothing reliably grafts to apricot besides apricot. But the data on these things is pretty sparse and it may well work OK. So if you are counting on it I would say don't, but if you have nothing to lose why not give it a shot. Peach can take apricot and plum but just because something works in one direction doesn't mean it will work in the other.

Scott
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zephyray's Yes, you got it...if you know someone who can graft, your root stock would make a perfect specimen to top graft, one or more variety fruit on one tree, from plum to apricot and you will most likely have fruit earlier then if you were to re plant. I had a plum tree that died in the same manner and later grafted several plum onto it over several years,...like this But only do it if someone is willing to, since this spot where you had problems growing trees it would make sense. I have top worked many plum trees for other people and they have plums now, where before they tried for more then 10 years without any plums. No or poor pollination is the major failure in aborting fruit set in plums. Heaving around 4 or more on one tree sure can help. Perhaps you have more room where you can replant one or two, the more the better for cross pollination,...unless your neighborhood has allot of plums...usually not, apples yes. If you want apricot only, then fruit set might not be a problem in your area, apricots are somewhat self fruitful, but it's fun to have several cultivar on one tree, [if you don't have room for other trees] also good for cross pollination. Konrad
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I'm close to the same area. Generally only two kinds of apricots are sold in the southern part of the state: Blenheim (also called 'Royal Apricot') and Goldkist. (Katy is another ultra-low chill variety that has recently started becoming available) Blenheim is by far the popular commercial variety in California, but it is not truly a low-chill variety. It might be able to do okay in Santa Cruz but south of that it is not going to be able to produce fruit consistently, not unless it is up at a higher elevation that gets more winter chill. I have heard of people in certain parts of Orange County being able to get somewhat satisfactory crops from Blenheim, but in San Diego you would be out of luck! Maybe in Vista. So my guess would be that your "high-chill" apricots that were planted are probably Blenheim. Blenheim is more of a 'low to medium' chill apricot. It grows best with 400 chill hours, can produce with less under ideal conditions, if there are no warm winter days, and at 200 chill hours it will have substantially diminished fruit yield and might only produce fruit every other year. I'm almost sure your apricots are Blenheim, Blenheim was the popular apricot variety in Southern California, it was just never ideally adapted to the climate, and certainly not all the way down south in San Diego.
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Hello r_f, apricot varieties bred in Canada, western and mid Europe should be much better adaptable to Norway's wet climate than those from central Asia's dry climate. This is very important for the health and disease susceptibility of the tree, especially if you grow them from seeds on their own roots. In various German forums I often read about these central Asian varieties dying just after a few years of growth outside, but I did not read of a single case of a grown up tree or a tree that has fruited yet. I think that (without selection over many plant generations) these central Asian varieties have no chance to withstand our rather steady wet soils over extended periods of time. The latest flowering variety with very good frost resistance of the bloom and good tree health that I know of is 'Kioto', but taste and flavour are not so satisfying. Cultivars that bloom just a little bit earlier (1-2 days) but still very late and that I would recommend are 'Bergeval', 'Harlayne', 'Bergeron' and 'Leskora', with the first two being the most suitable, imho. The last four apricots also show an exceptional resistance against strong cold spells in late winter, very low bloom susceptibility against late frost, and have a very good, balanced taste and flavour. If you have the chance to purchase one of these varieties, I would advise you to choose any type of Wangenheims rootstocks, i.e. 'Wavit', 'Waxwa' or 'Weiwa'. Good luck with your project! Greetings from Germany Michael T. H.
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Konrad___far_north
12 years ago
I got a manchurian many years ago but it doesn't fruit as seen in pictures, the fruit is kind of mealy/dry, looks more like a plum. Could be some different seddling? I then grafted other plums onto it, it seems to have worked for me. I would just do it and see the outcome.
windfall_rob
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks all.

I had read that peach would work but was "short lived"...whatever that means. And I saw one reference to asian type plums working.

Konrad, were those euro or asian hybrid plums that you tried?

Good full sun space is pretty precious to us, if I can let it grow up a bit and then use it to host multiple grafts then I am inclined to give it the space. But that is sounded dodgy at best.

Obviously I could graft more apricot onto it, but they are such a stretch for us I had not planned to try more.

I had also considered no grafts and planting it off on the "edge" where it will get rather poor sun but still be close to the other apricots. Leave it purely for the spring flowers to see (and aide pollination) and to possibly use as a "trap tree" for the PC pressure. But I think it would fruit to rarely to use in that fashion.
Konrad___far_north
12 years ago
>>Konrad, were those euro or asian hybrid plums that you tried? It was Manchurian (Prunus mandschurica)

Here is a link that might be useful: Apricot Manchurian (Prunus mandschurica)
Konrad___far_north
12 years ago
This is the plum I grafted on, [Sprout's Sunshine]
{{gwi:83889}}
john_in_sc
12 years ago
"Peach Tree Short Life" is a common rootstock issue... It's especially problematic in places with cold winters....

Around here... where we don't have frozen tundra winters... What it means is that your peach graft will probably take - but it won't live much past 5-10 years.. and will probably die after the first really hard winter... Now... Our "Hard winters" are about like what you guys would call "Spring"...

Thanks
Scott F Smith
12 years ago
Rob, what I heard was some asian plums work and some don't, its like how some pears work on quince and some don't.

Scott
windfall_rob
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks Konrad
Thanks John, that makes sense

Scott, that sounds right given the little info I have found

I think I am going to go ahead and plant it out. I had no intention of more apricots but intentions can change!
It feathered out pretty well last summer so perhaps I will try to work it over to three or four varieties if I can find some small diameter scions.
I am thinking harlayne, jerseycot, and alfred or adirondak gold (if I can find it)

Anybody on here have any experience with some of the super hardy prairie/Canadian selections?
olpea
12 years ago
""Peach Tree Short Life" is a common rootstock issue... It's especially problematic in places with cold winters...."

Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL) is common in the southeast and different from "short-lived" Rob referred to.

The biggest contributor to PTSL is the ring nematode which is also prevalent in the Southeast. To my knowledge areas with more severe winters do not experience PTSL as long as the nematode is not present.

The "short-lived" Rob referred to is plain old graft incompatibility.

Here is a link that might be useful: Peach Tree Short Life

what else can I graft to manchurian apricot rootstock?

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franktank232

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what else can I graft to manchurian apricot rootstock?

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