Go slowly, pruning too aggressively will lead to a lot of waterspouts and very little fruit. The 5 foot per year sounds about right, but I'm looking forward to seeing other opinions.

Sure, sounds fine, you can do it now.. then see what apples you get..if all the same on every trunk or some you don't like then next year you might want to chop them back and graft to lower branches.

Quite a few things to bring that tree around. All growth coming from ground other than primary trunk should be removed. Then remove one or two of larger upper branch forks- you want one central leader and no other upper limbs of similar diameter. Next remove a few other branches (clean back to central trunk) to thin growth. These scaffold branches are best removed over a few years and avoid heading cuts (cutting ends off of branches). Finally remove all sprouts that grow straight up or straight down.

I would look to graft onto the central leader. Grafting onto a lower scaffold branch will result in new growth that may lay on the ground.

thanks for the comments folks. it's pretty cold (for me in the south anyways) the next few days, so I'll try to clean it u pa bit more later in the week, Believe it or not, I already trimmed it a bit (cut some ws's and a few branches in the middle that were rubbing others). I think it may take 2 seasons to get it there.

Slow and steady. It did not get that way in 1 year and so you can't fix it in 1 year either. Sounds to me like you have a good plan. I'm all for grafting early in this process, lets you taste apples sooner, sometimes in only 2 years. You can always just use them as "temporary" grafts. Eg. graft to a place you know you will probably end up removing in a couple years but when you finally do you just take scion wood and re-graft to a better location.

A question about grafting - I am obtaining 12" scions to graft onto this apple tree. The question I have is: do I put the whole 12" onto an existing branch, or cut it in half and use two 6" pieces? I know I'll some at the end by cutting it to graft, so the net may be 10 or 11 inches if I leave them whole.

Hope to get them in the next week or so, and get them on as soon as the arrive. Going for 3 varieties to add right now, then I'll see how they do, and add some more next spring.

Thanks much.

You basically go by # of buds, 3 or 4 buds at most, usually 2 or 3.

Thanks Konrad - was wondering if it might be something like that. Looking forward to giving this a try. I have one other question for you, if I may: does your cherry tree modified method work for apples also? That Stephen Hayes guy seems to favor what he calls a saddle graft.

Thanks again.

Yeah...

This is fine but when scion/stock is the same size, most people, [also me] prefer whip and tongue.

He seems to leave too many buds on. As a first time grafter with stock heavier, which I think you're doing then cleft graft is the easiest. My bark graft is a little harder to to, no need of splitting stock and will grow nicer together, my preferred method when grafting stock up to thumb size.

Several here but like this rind [bark] I wouldn't do.....

thanks much! One more question that I just though of (sorry for all of the questions), which is the location of the grafts. I was going to just cut the end of a limb off where the scion and stock were the same size. In my case, though, that might be 3 feet from the trunk. Is that OK, or do I need to cut most of the branch off that I am grafting onto (as in down to where there are no buds on the branch), and then graft there?

Hope that makes sense, thanks again for all of the help.

Ideally cut most off...then most energy gets into the graft for a successful take.

I like to chop most off and graft onto new growth, [water sprouts] the following year, these have lots of energy and the thinner branches can grow together in one season.

Figured that was the case - thanks again for your help. I just went out and looked, and there are several smaller branches that I can cut to graft onto, so I should be able to get some good locations. Not just waiting for the wood to get here.....

Sure...when saying chop down a major limb, you end up with several smaller cut back side branches, perhaps a foot long...these you'll be grafting onto. When I was grafting the following year, these smaller branches can be cut flush to limb, new shoots will sprout along the limb for grafting next year.

thanks Konrad. I figured I would cut back some side branches for the grafts. Hopefully, they'll take, or I'll learn in the process. I have plans for baby frankenapple.

I just did 12 apple grafts - my first time grafting. I did 4 grafts of 3 apple varieties onto my tree of unknown variety shown above.tribute

I learned an important grafter's secret: the secret ingredient grafter's ingredient is blood. If you do not want to contribute this secret ingredient, you might want to know that Applewood splits very easily. When that happens, you screw up the rootstock by splitting it way too far, and your fingers are in significant peril if they are anywhere close.

We'll see if any of them stick - I am hoping so. Some looked better than others when they were done in terms of the fit of the scion into the rootstock. The pre-finger-sliced-half-off ones probably stand a better chance than the afters.

Good luck. Apples are super forgiving so I am sure you will do fine. Particularly as you have given your blood offering to the gardening gods.

Well, it's been three weeks since I did the grafts. It has gotten hot quickly, so it's so easy to forget that we are only a few weeks into the growing season. Two weeks ago, it was still relatively cold (50's/30's), but now it's 80/60.

So, two of the grafts are pushing out leaves. One is pretty vigorous - the light switch flipped, and it took off. The other is just starting to push out a leaf.

Of the other 10, 1 or 2 look dried out and likely dead. The others look dormant still, about like they did when I grafted them. There is one where the buds have some color, but there aren't leaves yet.

So, for now, I'm 2 and 2, with 8 no decisions. Hoping some of the others take off. I was really hoping to maybe 6-8 of the 12, so I'll keep watching.

That photo looks like a tree that the suckers are taking over. The main tree may be a decent apple already. I'd cut the big

suckers completely down. Prune

the

main tree and try the fruit. Graft next year if poor.

I'll do some major pruning later in the year, after it's finished this season. One thing I've noticed this spring is that one side of it (north side) put out a whole lot more blossoms than the south side. These sides are each on different trunks.

I'm taking pics of it this year in each stage - just as buds were breaking, blossoms, leafed out, and later with (hopefully) lots of fruit. Hopefully that will help when time comes to do some real work on it this winter.

Just to update - 3 more of the grafts are breaking dormancy, with a few more looking like they will as well. So, of the 12, 5 are active, with about 3 more that look like they may break through. If I go 8 for 12, I'll be thrilled.

Good news - looks like I'll go 10 for 12 with grafts. Project frankentree is officially on now.

I'll trim it and clean it up over winter, and add some more varieties next spring. I hope to end up with maybe 8-10 varieties, with apples from June to Nov.

Congratulations! Be aware that as long as the other 2 don't go brown and shrivel up, do not remove them. Sometimes nothing seems to happen other than a bit of bud swelling and then they take off the following year.

P.S. Good luck at keeping it to only 8-10 varieties! I'm up to 15 on some of my trees that are less than 1/2 the size of yours. My goal it to taste a bunch of different types to see what works in my region and for my taste and then perhaps expand that variety later.

thanks much canuck.

I'll leave the other two and see what happens.

My goal is to graft on more antique types that were grown in my part of the world for 100 or more years, but you can't get any more. Hopefully, that will also mean they do well here. Kind of a "preservation tree" as opposed to a "preservation orchard", because I don't have enough space right now for more than that.

So far, I've found sources for about 6 more. I will probably try to add a few more beyond that.

Here's one of them. I did either two or three buds per graft, this one had three, with two coming out. Do I need to knock one of these off, or let them both go?

Thanks again.

Let it grow..these will be your first fruit bearing branches down the road, you might want to cut some competition wood out to let some light in.

Like Konrad said, let them all grow. Just like when you put in 2 scions at each side of a cleft graft or multiple bark grafts on a large diameter limb/stump. Let them grow and trim down the road once established if needed. I also agree that it looks you need to remove some more of the rootstock growth to let in some more light to the graft. If you have not already, also remove any growth from the limb you grafted to upstream (eg closer to the trunk) at least several inches from your graft site. I usually strip the buds at time of grafting but you can just remove the shoots now if you did not already. You don't want growth from that limb competing with your new graft.

I think a few buds came out on the limb - will clean them up.

I was going to do some major hackery to this tree when it goes dormant. Can I cut branches off now while it's alive?

Only one side of it bloomed. I think the side that didn't produced heavily last year, so is not now. Most of the grafts happen to be on the side that did not bloom much (it did a little, but not much), so removing some limbs wouldn't hurt anything.

If I cut them off now, will some wax on the end be OK? I don't have any tree seal stuff, but I do have wax I used for the grafts.

My plan in winter is to take about 4-5 feet from all sides, then remove some of the inside branches to open this tree up, so I was waiting til then. If I can take a few branches now (or at least cut some back, if not all the way off) w/o hurting the tree, I'll do that this weekend.

Thanks much.

I see you are in Georgia. I don't know what your fireblight situation is. Perhaps talk to your local agricultural extension office? My understanding is that in general it is best either dormant for winter pruning and then mid summer (mid june/july) during a dry spell for summer pruning for vigor control. That however is for drier, less humid climates. Would not want to get fireblight strikes on your limbs with brand new grafts!

I think fireblight can be an issue around here.

I had some aphids attack a few leaves, but I sprayed them with insecticidal soap (organic stuff), and they seem to be growing healthily again.

One of my grafts sprouted flowers, which was a surprise. I don't think they will fertilize, as everything around here has already bloomed. If they do, I'll pinch them off, as I doubt the graft can hold any weight. I thought it would be better to let them fall off by themselves than clip them now.

I presume that graft will still grow branches?

Seems fire blight comes and goes ..around here anyway. [Been good for years]. If you have fireblight then I wouldn't do any cutting...the more you cut the more easily it can get in when warm and humid. If you have flowers on the new grafts from last years wood then it's a tip bearing cultivar. Don't worry about fruit set, they will drop off, abort most of the time. Yes, you should see branches this year.

Thanks Konrad. I don't think I have any fire blight on this tree, but the extension service mentions it as a hazard. After looking at it again yesterday (before this latest round of awful weather hit us), I do see there are leaves coming out too. When I first looked, it seemed like only flowers, but as those are dropping, real growth is coming.

As an update - all but 1 of my grafts is now growing leaves. The one that is not I thought had dried out, but it may be coming to life also. There are two right next to each other, and I thought they were both dead, but one of those sprouted now too.

I'm looking forward to trimming this tree out a bit, opening it up, and doing more grafts next year.

Congrats! It is fun, no? Pears and apples are very forgiving to graft. Have quality scion wood and just get the cambium close and they seem to take. I agree with no fruit this year but I have let them fruit year 2. Much faster than growing from whips!

It will be fun when this tree has 10 or 12 varieties on it. I don't have room for a heritage orchard, so I'm doing a heritage tree, with antique varieties you can't buy anywhere.

Thanks!

Yes. And you will get perhaps 20+ apples of each. If you had one tree each how could you use 50-100lbs x 12! That said, I have that many trees and more in the ground already....

Would love to eventually buy some land and have a little orchard. For now, this will have to do.

The nice thing about multiple varieties is the harvest time is spread out too, so I can use them all.

Updating an old thread. I think the previous owner let this tree over produce just prior to us buying. The neighbor told it me had hundreds of apple the year before we moved in.

Last year, we had maybe 100. I got 2 of them, and critters got all the rest. Gonna have to be aggressive with them this year. Parts of the tree had some, while other parts had none.

Almost all of the grafts had some growth. I think some were too shaded, and lived, but didn't do much.

I finally started to prune this tree yesterday. Yikes, what a job. I was out there for a few hours, and I think only got about 1/5 of the way done. I hope to finish it next weekend. I'm using this guide from UGA Extension service to try to think it out. The part I did yesterday looks much better, but man, what a labor intensive task to do. I also need to cut it shorter. I think this will be a two-year prune project to get this thing under control.

I've also bought 8 more graft varieties for this season. I'm going to try a few different graft types. Hopefully, with the tree thinned out, they'll be more vigorous this year.

The various trunks seemed to produce different apple types, but I'm still not sure. Just as I was thinking it was about time pick a few, I went out of town for 2 days. When I got home, every single apple was gone (maybe 100-150). They were generally pretty small, with some green, and some a blush.

I'm looking forward to this tree, hopefully, doing better this season, both the native parts and the grafts.

Hopefully thinning it out will help. I may thin the apples too, to try to not let it overproduce.

This pic shows what the UGA Extension service recommends as to how to prune a neglected apple tree. This is the first year prune, with a second year cleaning it up a little more.

That is wayyyyyy more work than I bargained for, but we'll get there.

Thanks for the help and encouragement last spring.

Good luck...but >>Would love to eventually buy some land and have a little orchard<<

>>That is wayyyyyy more work than I bargained for<<

You should come prune mine lol.

Thanks - looks fun, well, or something like that.

Can't quite convince the wife that she wants to be a farmer, so for now, I'll do with what I have.

Wow Konrad, that is amazing! I knew you had a big setup but that photo gives a much better idea of what you have going on. Do you sell your fruit? Donate to charity? Can't imagine you are eating it all!

I'm hoping Konrad adopts me, but I'm not sure they allow grit-eating southern kids into his part of the world.

LOL...had a little U pick, most people think they should be for free, hasn't really be fruitful yet...when you spend time with people go over what you have and they pick one here one there...more fall on the ground and an hour later they walk out for $10.00 worth not worth it.. rather let them fall down and have wildlife appreciate them...don't think southern grit eating kids would appreciate apples either.

Seems only good for ones in a 4 year average...in town it's good most years. The year before last I had none at the orchard..late frost killed all flower buds. I use allot for juicing....lots of giveaway and sell some.

Some windfall cut up and dried for animal food...first time last year.

As I read this post it sounds like you have some suckers that have grown tall over the original tree. If it flowers differently one may be rootstock and the other the intended variety. If you grafting it over this is not a big deal. Tag you grafts well for future identification

Konrad - your critter variety is amazing. I added four more varieties today, and 4 more coming next week. Will have about 12 overall. Most are heirloom varieties developed in N GA, with a few TN and NC. Had to throw in some Honeycrisp too. After next week, I'll be done for a bit I think.

This tree now looks more like the one on the right in my post above. I hadn't realized how much I trimmed out of it until I looked at that pic in the first post.

I may add a few more Colonial era varieties over the next few years, but with 12 old-timers now, it's probably good for a bit.

Yikes. That is a frankenapple.

No way I'd have the patience to do all of that at one time.

Happy almost Easter everyone!

I have a question - I did some cleft grafts a few weeks ago, and they are starting to sprout. I covered the whole scion with parafilm so they wouldn't dry out when I did them.

So, the question is - will the leaves push through the parafilm, or do I need to slit it at the leaf buds where it looks like it's pushing up?

Thanks much.

I think I answered myself by looking at some old threads, where folks said they would push through the parafilm.

Yes...don't have to cut open.

Well, much to my surprise, some of the grafts that I put on last year grew fruit spurs, and flowered this spring. Some others grew longer, with no spurs. Maybe those were what the buds were intended for all along, and they just now came out. Anyways, a few flowers on last year's grafts is interesting.

This year's grafts have started to really take off. I think I did a much better job of it this year than last. I have a few more scions on the way, so I hope to get those on this weekend, and harvest a few apples in a few years.

This winter, I'll try to bring this tree back down to size.

BTW - it must've overproduced year before last, then been stunted last year. This year, it is totally covered in flowers. If those turn to apples, I'll have to do a lot of thinning.

Fun stuff - thanks for the help everyone.