I wrote some time ago about the difference in rootstock that does not work for me.I believe if you grow asian persimmon it is best to use rootstock that grow in your area. If you are young enough you start with seed from a source close to your area,let it grow for a few years then graft the varieties that you want.The reason that i mention years because the rootstock tree,s grow much faster then when you graft too soon,imo.If you buy tree's from mail order nurseries the tree's will not grow a long taproot and therefor not ideal if you live in a area with prolong droughts.I am in such an area and i notice the difference,further more you want your tree's to come out dormancy at the same times.Tony i don't water my persimmon tree's because i have too many spread out over a large area.

Yes and no... often depends on the species and the relative difference in age. Example, last year I grafted a 2 year old scion of avocado onto a 6 month old seedling rootstock; and two months later it was making blooms and avocados; of course I took them off. Alternatively, I grafted Meyer lemon buds from a 3 year old tree onto a 2 year old rootstock; and in 6 months I had fruit. All of this is Guatemala, tropical climate; may not be the same where you live. I don't know all the "rules"; but I know what I see and I love to experiment.

I have grafted medlar onto both hawthorn and prear rootstock. Hawthorn took and the scion leafed out and then failed repeatedly. Pear and quince have been a winners every time for rootstock. Don't waste your time with hawthorn. -Little John

Interstem does affect the vigor of scion which is really what you are talking about. It is a popular combination to insert a 9 interstem between scion and 111 rootstock. This reduces the vigor of the scion without as much reduction of the vigor of the rootstock (you can't reduce the vigor of the top of the tree without some reduction of vigor of the roots). If the scion has more vigor than the interstem then the interstem will presumably reduce its vigor. How much would require research but the longer the interstem and the more dwarfing the greater the affect so a tree grafted high above the original scion should be highly affected by the relative vigor of the scion if my thinking is correct. I have lots of trees grafted off of branches of different varieties and will study this issue more during the next growing season and even as I prune this winter. On my nursery trees I usually try to graft less vigorous varieties as I work my way up the trunk doing my grafting in the middle of the tree so different varieties (usually only two) are added as extensions of the trunk. I haven't always done this, however, so I will look closely at trees with more vigorous varieties attached to less vigorous to determine if the vigor of higher scion is reduced by this relationship.