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 ....

Thank you Dax. This was about my third year in trying to propagate this J. virginiana. The first year I tried strong rooting hormone on cuttings, that failed. Second year I tried grafting with a knife (not razor sharp, just sharp) and doing the bag method except I did not let them breath, those all failed (quick), Spider mite infestation on the root stalks, and the knife not being razor sharp was likely the main causes for a quick death. Third year (this year) The scions seemed green for a long time in the humidity chamber after grafting, but I think that was just because the humidity preserved the chlorophyll even though the scions where getting little to no water uptake from the root stalk (guessing). The only ones to eventually grow a tiny bit and did not turn brown for the longest time, were the ones I had half in a jar of water (approach grafts), and they actually grew, but after I took the "graft" out of the humidity and removed the jar the tender new growth quickly shrived up and the last couple of scions I had died. I don't know if this guess is true or not, But I've been guessing (and hoping) the the only reason they failed is because I got the scions off the parent tree as the tree was coming out of dormancy in February (pollen cones on the tree where large and swollen, and just about to burst open). A very warm winter did not help either (breaking dormancy even earlier than typical.) So perhaps the scions did not have time to heal before the water started to transpire out of the foliage of the scions and juices flowing in the scions, thus a very poor graft union that was very susceptible to even tiny stresses in the aftercare (in other words: little to no water and nutrient uptake for the scions). Does this sound likely or not, (I don't mind if you disagree with what I said above, I want to learn as much as possible, so you can tell how you think about it). This time I want to get the scions in the dead of winter (in January). Do you think bagging the grafts could be better than the humidity chamber? Bagging them would be more work and I worry about spider mites, but I don't mind to do what ever it takes to get a successful cone of it, I'll do it. I would even spend hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars to graft/clone it successfully. lol You probably know how it is for me, ones favorite plant/tree of a plant enthusiast is kind of like a very close family pet.

There should be some the city planted or I can get you some if you're at the exchange. I've had 3 Evans on Amur stock for about 8 or to 10 years...got rid of them last year... just hardly ever had one cherry on and if there was some then about half the size lol! They were growing in competition with other trees maybe that's why. I'm sure, a Evans on it's own, [with competition] would have done allot better. I just wanted to try a tree form. Some place in Alaska Bernie was saying, [long time ago] they use Amur for sweet stock and persuading US to use also, that's when I got a ton of little seedlings, [minimum order]...after about 10 years I gave up. I have a feeling the Saskatchewan cherries on Amur would also produce smaller fruit. It might be this year or next year to find out, have moved the trees last year out of the nursery, [no more competition].

Ah, Thanks. That's good to know. Before I got my 'Van Pelt's Blue' I saw one of Andy's grafts in a private garden that was around 4 years old that looked great and made me want one. Perhaps it's downhill from here. I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best.