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Fruit & Orchards

Apricots on Plum Rootstocks

9 years ago

I've read that grafts between apricots and Myrobalan are weak and often result in damage at the graft or delayed incompatibility. Apricot seedling rootstocks are recommended for best results. Peach seedlings are somewhere in between. Myrobalan is only recommended for sites where apricot and peach rootstocks cannot tolerate the soil. However, shorter life expectancy is to be expected.

Any opinions on this? Does delayed Myrobalan incompatibility contribute to sudden unexpected death of apricots after a few vigorous years? What about Marianna 2624?

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Comments (2)

econ0003
9 years ago
I have a Blenheim on Myro 29C from Dave Wilson Nursery. I haven't had any problems after four growing seasons. Maybe some varieties of Apricot don't do as well on Myro 29C? Maybe a more harsh climate would cause more problems?
nyRockFarmer
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, it probably depends on variety and environmental conditions. The statements I've seen are broad and don't help understand the situation. It's like the research community is aware of the issue, but the rest of the world is mostly oblivious or not concerned. I found two places I saw this:

https://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/5108/1/FLS-100.pdf

"The best rootstocks for apricots are apricot seed-
lings. Myrobalan rootstocks have been used quite
extensively, but apricots on this rootstock are subject
to delayed incompatibility and frequently break off at
the bud union three or four years after planting. Peach
seedlings have also been used as rootstocks for apri-
cots, but trees on peach seedlings are not as long lived
as those on apricot seedlings. "

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/02-035.htm

"Myrobalan Plum Seedling - These are not normally recommended for use with apricots for several reasons. The graft union between apricot and myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera) is weak and may break in a strong wind. Slow decline of apricot trees on Myrobalan seedling rootstock has also been reported. Apricot trees on Myrobalan seedling normally come into bearing later than trees on apricot seedling. Myrobalan seedling rootstock is only recommended for areas where drainage is imperfect and apricot seedling will not perform well. "

I think it is a warning to plan your orchard with the expectation of shorter life expectancies and higher losses if you use myrobalan. It should be manageable with a good plan for replacing losses. However, the stakes would be higher for the homeowners that only want one or two trees.
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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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Blenheims are famous for canker around here, and I wouldn't plant nor graft any Blenheims. So you could have a reservoir of canker on the stock. But I am not sure if it would be the same in your case. Over here, the Blenheims rarely every bear crops. All pluots that I have experimented on are vigorous on apricots, much more so with Apriums that they seem to take over the apricot that you gaft them to. Japanese plums (aka Asian) will also be just right on Apricots (not too vigorous as pluots or apriums would be). Actually the Asian plums were called Japanese plums, and the Japanese plums did not really originate from Japan but from China. As credit to the Japanese, they were the ones who worked hard to improve most of the plums that originally came from China, so the world has known them to be Japanese plums. Now to prevent confusion between origins from China or Japan, we simply call them Asian plums. The European plums, excepting for very few types, are usually poor growers or incompatible on my apricots. I will be experimenting with Nanking Cherry if I can do a lot of prunus cultivar grafts on it. I love its small stature. If you really want many species grafted successfully together on one tree, I would rely on using apriums as the stock or interstem. These interstems first grows upright after grafting and so easy to position and receive various grafts on a tree without them crossing over, minimizing competition and agressive pruning to keep the grafted cultivars balanced.
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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.
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