i am by no means any expert.. but since you are wondering.. here it goes ... you said: Why does the rootstock need to be growing and the scion dormant? ===>>> it needs to be moving its vital fluids.. so as to make the sap to heal the wound ... and we would like it to start healing .. before the scion itself becomes active ... in other words.. you want the scab to heal.. before you add weight to the scion ... simplistic .. yes.. but thats how i understand it ... you said: Then I graft - and keep the tent completely sealed until the scions push for two weeks or so. Then you will need to at this point, trim the understock foliage ===>>>>NOT MY UNDERSTANDING .... on anything but green.. i was told to leave the green of the understock on for up to two years [and it doesnt hurt with the all green stuff either] .... after bud burst.. we will retard the new growth by trimming it back [by cutting off next years buds after they set] .. but we want as many needles as possible.. old ones.. to hang on.. and feed the roots and the scion.. while the scion if getting going ... i would leave it all on until at least fall ... but again ... i will defer to anyone who has a better experience ... think of it this way.. the roots are all there.. to support the plant that was there.. so the old needles are not really a negative ... at the beginning ... if you were to denude the plant.. but for the scion.. what is going to make the chlorophyll to feed the plant all next summer.. and store food for winter???? .... that little scion???? i doubt it will support that relatively large trunk and roots ... and dont get confused by some method where the guy is doing hundreds of grafts.. if he cuts early.. and loses a few... its a cost of doing business ... if you are doing one or two.. err on the side of waiting ... and temp is kept as cool as possible.. for as long as possible.. to let the wounds heal... rather than having the scion burst early.. and fall off the trunk ... overly dramatic.. but the point is made ... again.. its all simplistic.. from two classes at gee's tree farm.. long ago ... just my recollections of what they told me.. others have much more experience with hands on.. and i will defer ... just trying to give you some word pix to help that 'wondering' .... ken ps: how about this.. if we were attaching a finger to your left hand.. we wouldnt need to cut off your right hand ... or else you wouldnt be able to feed yourself ... maybe later.. when the transplant is all set.. but not right away ... as with just about everything with trees... whats your hurry... there is always next season ....

I'd let them grow two season and keep the best, one only branch. You can cut about half off but don't trim water sprouts the same currant season. My preferred way is to graft to smaller branches about thumb size...or cut back about half to 3/4 and graft onto water spouts the following year, scion will heal over the same season, not to worry about braking off and healing in a large diameter stock. Bark grafting

I’m back to report that I had a reply to my email to the US DA office, yesterday. I have mixed feelings about the email she sent me. I felt she was both contradictory and a bit condescending. She started off by telling me that IF I had contacted them immediately, THEN they would have been happy to replace the rose. This is true, I did wait too long to contact them. I couldn’t decide if I should bother doing so, or not. I also potted ‘Sister Elizabeth’ up temporarily and asked for opinions here, before proceeding. Although I had clearly explained in my email that I had just potted ‘Sister Elizabeth’ up in that small pot temporarily, while deciding what to do with her, she “scolded” me for planting her too high! She said the roots were too close to the surface and were nearly exposed. She went on to say the union should be planted at ground level, yada yada.... This felt particularly insulting to me, as I had already explained that I had PLANNED to put her into the ground, in a gopher cage, deep enough to eventually go ownroot.(before I saw the graft.) I honestly didn’t know if they’d want the rose back, or would want further pictures. Like I said, I’m not looking for extra work, so if I was going to complain, I wasn’t going to go through the trouble of planting her properly. I believe that by mentioning that I had already contacted the UK office and sent pictures of the graft, I accomplished two things. I managed to irritate her from the start, AND I’m being sent a free replacement ‘Sister Elizabeth’. She told me that there was nothing the UK office could do for me, and my email would most likely just be forwarded to her. She did include the obligatory “sorry for your trouble”, and “have a nice day” type niceties. According to my computer, three minutes after she sent this email, I received a receipt for a new ‘Sister Elizabeth’. The balance was zero. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. It will depend on what the new ‘Sister Elizabeth’ looks like. They are replacing the rose, so I’m grateful for that. I can’t help be feel that if I hadn’t told her that I had contacted the UK office and sent photos, that I might not be receiving a replacement. I hope the new one looks better than the first ‘Sister Elizabeth’. Lisa

I have an 8 foot slider just like this, facing the west. I have a pole rod with fabric panels at both ends and heavily-textured semi sheers in the middle. The rods extend just a bit beyond the doors on the sides so I can push everything out of the way if I want, or pull them all closed in the afternoon to shut out the sun.