In the spring of 2012, I attempted to graft a Pear scion onto my apple tree using Winter Banana Apple as an inter stem. (All of he grafting i do is "Whip and Tongue" grafts wrapped in grafting tape. I then coat the wrapped union with grafting wax) The parent branch was a Winesap Apple branch with a grafted Winter Banana Apple scion from a few years before. (I actually have two of these paired branches.) I then attempted to graft two "Kieffer" Pear scions onto my two Winter Banana Apple inter stems. The "Kieffer" Pear scions started to grow, but died a few weeks later. This spring (2014) I attempted to graft this Apple / Pear union again using the same Winter Banana Apple inter stems. I had just enough branch on my Winter Banana branches to try this experiment one more time. This time around, I used "Sunrise Pear" scionwood. The grafting was a screaming success! (I had enough "Sunrise Pear" scionwood to graft two branches onto my apple tree, and two more onto an ornamental pear. All four pear grafts were a success!) I have no idea why this experiment failed in 2012 and was a success in 2014. I do not know if it had to do with the pear variety used, or if it had to do with environmental circumstances. I will re-post in 2015 with an update. There are a few different treads on this subject so I will be re-posting on those threats also. Below are pictures taken on 07/27/2014.

Hi Margaret, In my case, I'm assuming that the old apple trees on our property came from seed, not from grafting (although I've seen old grafted trees where there's little evidence of the original graft--at least to my untrained eye). I think you're asking whether the *seed* from an apple off a tree that was itself grown from seed will be more likely than a seed from a grafted tree to grow a new tree with similar characteristics (?). I'd say that it will likely share some characteristics with the original tree, but (as with any apple tree grown from seed) will also express characteristics from whatever tree happened to pollinate it. The seeds will always be a genetic lottery. If you want to grow a bunch more trees just like the original, you'd want to cut some fruit wood off your old apple tree and graft those onto rootstocks. Doing so may be worth it--maybe you've got a "lost" variety or something great that's never been discovered.

I know I need to prune some little branches out of the way. I cut the two biggest limbs off the tree when cleft grafting. I only have three small branches left and they will get cut back next spring when I ad more grafts. I left one third of the tree for nurse branches. I can open it up a little more when I get time. So your saying the pear will die. I thought people were growing pears on apple trees from what I have read. Then there were people grafting winter banana and then grafting pear onto that. I have five out of seven pears with leaves. Even if it doesn't take no big deal. It was fun trying.

My setup is actually a rooting and recovery tank. I pulled a bunch of strawberry plants that were weak from overcrowding and exposure and gave them some time to recoup out in a moist environment. So far, they've done well and kept their leaves which is why I actually added the MC. What I did se for the rooting aspect was a few drops of super thrive. I also pull my clones when they were leafed out and didn't want to loose leaves that I had established already. Btw, why are nutes counter productive in rooting with dwc? I can imagine why, but I'd rather ask.