I forgot to ask one more ? When using a rootstock for grafting, do I have to sacrifice the entire plant, by cutting the plant off at the stump. I was orginally think that you should dig up part of the root system and chop off a branch of that, then use that for grafting. From what Ive read it sounds like you have to chop the top part off entirely leaving the rootstock. I have a sand cherry, and I want to graft peaches on it. So do I need to chip the top part off, then graft the scion to the rootstock.

Jim Cummins once wrote about dubious nurseries grafting peach to sand cherry to get a dwarf. It was kind of a funny write-up. I wish I'd saved it, but here is the gist.

1. Nursery plants 1000 sand cherry rootstocks and grafts peaches.

2. One year later, nursery digs up trees, 100 of them break at the graft union. 900 available for sale.

3. Joe Customer sees peach trees advertised in catalog. "Delicious full-sized peaches from a dwarf tree!"

4. Joe orders two trees. He plants them.

5. Waters and cares for them first summer, but one dies.

6. The following spring Joe is delighted to see his remaining tree flowering. It sets fruit.

7. All summer long sees the fruit developing, gets excited about mouth watering peaches. Anticipates calling the neighbors over to share in his bounty.

8. Before peaches are ripe, remaining tree collapses due to graft incompatibility.

9. Joe figures he must have done something wrong and orders four more dwarf peach trees.

I recommend you start with the pears, then apples. When you are good with those, then try peaches. I am at the point where 95% of my apples and pears "take". MAYBE 10% of my peaches "take". Peaches are finicky and discouraging, IMO.

Carla in Sac

Pears as in European pears? How about Asian Pears? Are they as easy?

How about some good resources for grafting techniques in general? I've watched some seedling grafting in utube but have read some about budding grafting as well. Which is more widely used on a commercial basis? Is there a better technique than others?

There is a guy that offers grafting classes for $25 over the weekend (an hour or so). Would that be worth taking?

Sandra

If you really want to learn to graft, the book, The Grafter's Handbook by R.J. Garner is for you. It covers everything.

This was my first year grafting and I was very disappointed in myself. The only luck I had was with the Chip Bud Graft using rubber bands and then covering with Parafilm grafting tape. I had no luck without the rubber bands.

Chip Bud grafting doesn't make a very pretty tree but it does make a tree.

My club have a Grafting workshop every March. I definitely recommend attending it if you like to learn grafting and you are within driving distance of Lancaster, Pa.
We will have rootstock available as well as scionwood at the workshop.

Bass

Here is a link that might be useful: Backyard fruit growers

On a side note--
Sandra and Brandon, you might want to put your e-mail addresses on your "My Page" e-mail link instead of showing up in your post, because these posts come up publically on google searches, and your e-mail address will be picked up by spammers and sold around the world, so you will get spam forever more!

Carla in Sac

Brandon...perhaps you can learn from here...

Konrad

Here is a link that might be useful: Bark Grafting

You can also check the whip and tongue demo at my website.
Bass

Here is a link that might be useful: Grafting toturial