The local CRFG folks insist that apple grafting is the easiest of the lot--almost bullet-proof. They do a program with high school students in the area every year and many, many little apple trees result from kids who have probably never even seen a tree :-) Cleft grafting is simplest and, as already noted, you only have to line up one side. Just be sure to agonize over that alignment. If you have really small scion wood, you can always put two pieces in, side-by-side, again matching up both outside cambium layers as closely as possible with the rootstock. If both take, you wait a bit to see which is most vigorous and clip the other off. I also second the advice to "graft high". And keep your leftover scions in the refrigerator as a back-up.

Five branches at one point will be too crowded as they grow bigger. I'd take a couple off, but wait a couple months to see how the structure is present. Pinch off the inward growing buds now so branches grow outward and don't cross. Tape sticks around the branch to hold the new growth. New growth may grow a few feet probably more. Pinch the tips to promote branching as needed. You'll have apples to taste next season. Keep the taped sticks on the thinner branches for next seasons crop. I've got five new varieties of nectarines to try from bark grafts I did last season, lots of new apples pears cots and plums to try too.

Hi Brandon, yes you're right about the Freyburg which I'll have to replace this year. Annoying but hopefully my other 5 (cider) apple trees I bought are going to produce the correct fruit. I'll assume that the parent tree has taken over the grafts and produced fruit similar to what I was trying to replace (once again, annoying). Interesting to note that both grafts pictured in photo 4 have the same fruit and so both appear to have "failed". Perhaps it is because the scion wood was taken from the "Freyburg" tree before it had fruited for the first time? Possibly if my original Freyburg tree was taken over by the rootstock then maybe it is not a suitable source for taking scion wood from? It would be interesting to actually know the reason why this has happened and I'm hopeful that the other grafts of the Cox's will be successful. Dave

"...I'm guessing those get separated out at nurseries, right?..." I think I'd contact the supplier about these questions. Their practices may not be universal. "Any reason not to heel them in in containers to allow for easy removal?" Possible issues include drainage problems, root system formation disadvantages, increase in planting labor due to necessity of addressing distorted root system, and problems removing the container if roots grow out of the bottom. I'm not saying not to use containers, but I did want to mention some possible disadvantages. "...I know I'm supposed to leave a "mother limb" anyway..." I've never heard of the term "mother limb". If you are talking about a central leader, most fruit production pruning methods result in the termination of the leader. "I'll seal up any cuts, but is there much risk of seriously injuring the tree by pruning it back very heavily?" NO!!! Never (well, almost never) seal a pruning cut or wound, except when grafting. Sealing around grafts (for some techniques, is imperative). "Lastly, we have large mess of an ancient apple tree in the backyard that hasn't been kept in any way for decades." Here's my recommendation on that...Search the fruit forum for Harvestman's discussions on this topic, and/or email him for more info. I disagree with him on many topics and sometimes find discussions with him rather difficult (He enjoys being the contrarian, even when discussing fairly well settled matters), but renovating old fruit trees is the one topic in which he may be the most knowledgeable of anyone on GW.