Simply because I misplace thing so easily, I'm copying a Summer grafting post here by Dave Verkade (an 8th generation nurseryman) along with email he is allowing me to share. Great info Dave....THANK YOU! Barbara Posted by davidv 6 (davesnursery@verizon.net) on Mon, May 4, 09 at 7:15 Dax It seems to me that after the hardening off of the spring growth I guess around the mid to end of July into August is when you would want to try summer grafting. I did over 1,500 grafts last summer of all different cultivars both conifer and deciduous. They did all right but the extra work that goes into this was extraordinary boarding on over whelming. I tented them in the greenhouse under white plastic. The only thing on the unions was the band and grafting tape. After seeing how a graft does in a plastic bag without tape I have come to the conclusion that tape is not needed. I will try again this summer but will not use tape. I will be placing a complete box of grafted plants in a plastic bag and place the box outside under shade trees sealed up for two weeks. The moisture from the pots should provide enough humidity for this procedure. If I need to I will apply a fungicide. Last year I used Cleary 3336 at intervals. The grafting was of Firs, Cedrus, Pines, Spruce, Chamaecyparis, Maples, Zelkova, Hamamelis etc. the entire genus that I carry I gave a try to. Although the grafting can be done in the summer, this is when I am the busiest re-potting plants plus the fact that I have a much better success rate in the winter then in the summer. This is not to say that the summer is bad only that I have more time in the winter. If the summer grafting goes better for me this year and I can come to the same percentages as winter then I will pick the tougher plants to graft and get them out of the way and have more time for winter grafting plus the fact that I will be able to start the heat in the greenhouse much later which will be a big factor. Dave From email: "It seems pines and spruces do the best for me. Particularly blue spruce and 5 needle pine. I would think that they could stand high temps. The temps are usually what is the outside temp. You can't control that. The biggest thing is to place the newly grafted plants in the shade possibly some deep shade and open the bags maybe twice during the two weeks, unless you acquire a fungus, then opening the bag more frequently would be advised. Leave the bag open about 2 hours and close back up for the rest of the day. No special root stock prep. is needed. ....you may post what I say" "I like grafting close to the crown of the root. this way I am able to bury the graft on the finished product. You can view this procedure by going to the site www.davesnursery.com I have planting instructions on this. Also you must remember not to use an over sized scion. I have found that using smaller scions will make up faster then a scion that was just to big for the root stock. You will also find that bonsai growers prefer the close grafting to the crown of the root. This is where a lot of us differ. Most west coast grafters will graft the scion at approx. 4 to 6" above the crown. Makes for a lousy graft and the transition of the two trunks are always visible. My theory is either a Standard graft or a low graft. nothing in between." Dave

Yeah, there's a lot to like about the Korean fir understock. Nice and juicy, and the green cortex layer is so thick. A good selection for the climate here, so any problems growing out the plants will not be the fault of the understock at least. Plus koreana makes such a beauiful tree in its own right. I wanted to save a few to grow as species trees, but I couldn't do it in the end, ran out of understock. Of the 50 that I ordered from Itasca, 2 turned out to be balsamea. I didn't even graft on those, didn't bother to waste my time...

Ken and Dax, Thank you kindly for your explanations. I know I was using some of the incorrect terminology (rootstock vs understock) so that will take some learning but I will get there. Ken, oh I was definitely not thinking about planting the graft underground! Although I completely believe you that someone has done it! I was just trying to figure out how much top growth the understock should have on a young grafted plant. Thank you for your link as well, definitely a good read. What are your thoughts about planting slightly above grade or does it have to be exactly at grade as long as the root flare is showing? Dax, thank you for your explanation. That makes a lot of sense to me. I will plant and then discard the understock in a few years as instructed by Conifer Kingdon. This property I purchased this summer came with quite a few different conifers. In my 0.25 acres, urban yard, I have never had a want or need for them before, but since getting to this three acres I have been perusing and learning and finally got a few. From Conifer Kingdom I received : Picea glauca 'Pendula' Abies concolor 'Blue Cloak' Abies concolor 'Wintergold' Picea omorika 'Peve Tijn' Pinus schwerinii 'Wiethorst' (x. schwerinii) (plus three maples) Should I expect to have to stake the weeping white spruce? I also have an order I am awaiting from evergreen nursery that contains: Arborvitae - Glauca Prostrata Arborvitae - Golden Globe Arborvitae - Hetzi Midget Arborvitae - Rheingold Globe Chamaecyparis - Blue Fuzzy Dwarf Chamaecyparis - Curly Top Chamaecyparis - Heatherbun Chamaecyparis - Mikko Chamaecyparis - Squarrosa Sulphurea Cypress - Green Thread Filifera Pine - Dwarf Mugo Juniper - Saybrook Gold I will get some photos soon as I definitely have some questions about the conifers on the property and will need to take some photos for that. Some appear to have been planted in too small of a space (of course...) Thank you again!

I've never tried it, but I really don't think it would last long, even in the slim chance that it seemed to take at first. Ask in the Maple Forum. Maybe someone over there has tried it.