I have better success with grafts on established trees of good vigor. Usually nearly 100%, with robust growth and fruit as early as the second year when I graft as soon or right before first growth. I can see why rootstocks would not work well just after being dug up- how are they supposed to have enough energy to heal and grow a new shoot when desperately trying to replace roots? Maybe that's why commercial nurseries tend to bud graft in summer after rootstocks have recovered. If bench grafts are left in the green house while the grafts establish the high humidity will allow the grafts to survive much longer while the rootstock recovers, I believe. Similar to being able to root a tomato plant from a shoot. I think that the problem with late grafts may be that their growth is the most tender on the tree by the time they begin to grow and leaf hoppers here do a number on them difficult to control. Late peach and plum grafts that aren't susceptible to LH's do fine late for me although not much better than 50%. If I graft at first growth for them I get hardly any takes.

Scottfsmith, Thanks for the link to that article. It answered my question perfectly. I'm using the Bud 118 rootstock for its resistance to drought and its better root system along with its resistance to apple scab. I'm using Bud 9 for its dwarfing and its fruit quality. I'll bud graft onto Bud 9 rootstocks I have already, then when they're dormant I'll cut off the grafted bud and 12 inches of Bud 9 stem to use as the interstem. I'll keep them in the fridge until I get my Bud 118 rootstocks from Treco this winter. This should save me a year of growing time by budding the interstems now. I've decided to do a N-S spacing of 8 feet and an E-W spacing of 12 feet. My orchard spot is a gentle South facing slope near to, but not on top of the mountain. It's a strip of land about 75 yards wide N-S and 200 yards long E-W. It's sheltered on the East side by the house and the woods behind the house, and on the North and West by woods and windbreaks. It gets a constant breeze in the summer but stays pretty calm in the winter. Thanks again everybody for all your help, Paul

I'm going to hijack your thread for just a bit, Glenn, and provide some Yacon information. Yacon is a tender perennial related closely to dahlias and sunflowers. It's native to middle elevations in the Andes from Chile to Equador. I grew it for the first time this year. Plants look sort of like a Jerusalem Artichoke with wide, spade-shaped hairy leaves. They get small, yellowish sunflower-like blooms in the autumn, according to the catalogs, but mine did not bloom. The plants grow these amazingly large, sweet potato like tuberous roots underneath the crown. Mine ranged in size from about 4 ounces to well over a pound, and most were probably in the 10 to 16 ounce range. From six plants, I got probably about 2/3rds to 3/4ths of a bushel (didn't measure them exactly, just threw into a box). The tuber has a dark brown skin, which peels easily but which can also be eaten. Texture of the flesh is similar to waterchestnut or jicama, but is more "delicate." Flavor is a very sweet, mild carrot flavor with fruity overtones. I've found it really good in both salads and stirfried dishes. The plant also grows round, inedible, vegetative tubers that look like small Jerusalem artichokes. These are carried over (hopefully it will work for me) to replant the next season. I ordered my three plants from Nichols Garden Nursery in Oregon last spring. They came as nice potted plants about 4 inches tall. Each one had two distinct sprouts, so I separated them at planting and made 6 total. I grew them in large barrels in good soilless mix, kept them well watered and fertilized. The plants got about 4 to 6 feet tall. I dug them in mid-October. So far, the tubers appear to be storing well -- catalogs and internet sources claim that they will store for 6 to 8 months in cool, semi-humid locations. Seeds of Change, I believe, was also offering these plants in their catalog last year. Over at Idigmygarden.com, in either the Heirloom Gardening or General Digging messageboards, there are a couple of yacon threads, and I posted some photos of my plants and crop taken on the day of harvest back in October. I don't have an exact link searched up, but you can find it pretty easily by doing a search for "yacon" if anyone is interested. OK, now that I've put in my plug for Yacon ... back to your regularly scheduled program. Dennis SE Michigan

MDFarmer Some of the orchards around my area (SE WI) are planting apples on M9 or derivative at 5' apart on trellis system. A friend of mine in NW WI does the same thing but since M9 not hardy for his area he plants on Bud-9. My hobby orchard is on M7 and MM106 but I do have a few apples that are individually staked on M26 or Bud-9 (not sure as I did not buy these trees personally). I am still unsure if I plant anything else if I would use a trellis system or individually stake each tree if using a very dwarf rootstock. some say a trellis is less expensive, yet others are staking each tree as afraid of trellis failure long term. This is what I hear from some commercial growers near me. I do know that I do not see any commercial orchards near me planting anything but super dwarfing rootstocks at 4' and 5' spacing so that appears to be the future of commercial growing in my area. I also should mention nic-29 is being used too for trellis systems around here. IF I do plant some on wire I believe I will be trying M9 as that seems to be the most popular here.