Hi, Scott, et al, In a different forum/thread, I posted the same question: i.e. do 4 saplings growing close form a single trunk of a solid single core or multiple cores, and 'Brandon6b' replied that, if this did happen, the core/tree-formed may rot. I hope this isn't the case: my reply..... That is very disappointing: that the rot will occur and sometimes will be the cause of premature tree death. In nature, I've seen enormous threes that seem to survive this natural arrangement, or maybe I'm not interpreting the observation correctly: there are 4+ large trunks that are growing so closely that, for the first few feet, the run in parallel contact with one another; maybe they are not 4 separate trees (of the same species and size) but 4 separate suckers coming from the same root system. Maybe a way out of this issue is to get this to happen early on: to arrange the 4 saplings (that are of 1" diameters or so) only 2" apart from each other; to me, it would seem that this would have to cause a single solid tree trunk of the 4. I hope I can figure this out soon, because the saplings are on their way in the mail and are bare root. Thanks, Steve

Thanks. It just really surprised me. I never see sap running in the boxelder, which is the most prolific sap-running tree I have, until late March or April shortly before the buds swell and the leaves start to break. Figured this time of year, the walnut would have all its liquids socked away somewhere. Got another little taste today from the drips although the temperature never got above 25, and a little sap-cicle towards sunset when the drops had frozen solid on the cut ends. The sap is nicely, mildly sweet. I think the boxelder sap has a higher sugar content or at least a sweeter taste. The branches got grazed by sheep sometime over the winter. They didn't get much--maybe an inch or two as they are too high for them to reach except for the couple ladies that have learned how to stand up on their hind legs. I have found that sheep make great husk removers for the walnuts in the fall. Leave the nuts on the ground when they fall off the tree, the sheep will eat the husks right off and leave the nuts lay. Still a small tree, not many nuts, not worried about toxicity although I never gave it a thought, either. But, the sheep do scarf down the leaves as they fall and I haven't had any 4 legs up afterwards!

at horts link.. go down to the part labeled: Pruning large branches (Figure 3, below) in figure 3 ... and mind you.. took me about 20 years to figure this out ... IF YOU CAN NOT HOLD UP THE BRANCH once its cut [meaning a big branch] ... due to weight.. simply hack it off about a foot or two from the trunk.. and get rid of all that weight.. which might cause it to rip the bark down the trunk ... then make the surgical cut ... it is just soooo much easier ... now same pic ... see between the trunk.. and the branch.. there is a protrusion ... and now that i look again.. and a label the says BRANCH COLLAR ... well get this.. thats the branch collar.. go figure ... lol ... DO NOT LEAVE BRANCH MATERIAL past the collar .. AND DO NOT CUT OFF THE COLLAR .. [dont worry about your prior cuts.. the tree will take care of it] that is about it ... except for buying the right saw ... check out the link .. i can get knockoffs for about $12 ... double teeth.. i can.. with practice.. cut a one inch branch with maybe 6 swipes.. works on the push and the pull ... [the other day.. a 2 inch branch on a soft pine in 8 swipes] check any garden store .... probably even the bigboxstore ... the right tool.. makes all the difference in the world ... soooo ... hack one off.. use the branch to learn your saw a bit.. then go in surgically and DO THE RIGHT THING ... then walk away from the tree.. and clean up the mess you made ... you might get so excited about your new saw.. that you will be pruning the whole yard.. and then down the road ... lol ... BTW .. the beauty of the folding part is... you close it.. and slip it in the back pocket of your jeans.. and you never lose it .... good luck kenPS: one of the reviews at the link says: The kerf setting on the A700 is correct from the start and binding is not a problem. ===>>> what the heck is kerf .. and i presume that what makes it so freaking sharp ... or self cleaning as you go???? Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks, Sharon, I'm glad they're helping! Keep whatever you're using as a stock WELL watered. You want it to be growing as vigorously as it possibly can, pushing as much sap as possible up those canes so it keeps the buds well hydrated. The higher the sap pressure, the more sap it flows up that stem, the faster it's going to knit and push growth. Go out and start hacking up suckers and any other trimmings from your roses to become familiar with what the cambium layer looks like. The easiest way to see what it's like is to break a prickle off a newly growing stem. It's the brighter green, juicy, wet tissue just under the bark/skin. That's the key ingredient for any of this to work. You want that layer of tissue on the exposed "wound" in the stock as well as on the back of the scion (bud). As long as there is SOME on each, they will adhere to each other and form precisely the tissue needed to supply nourishment to the new bud and force it to grow. It honestly doesn't matter which method of grafting/budding you use. They ALL work as long as the sap pushes, there is cambium layer to cambium layer contact and you don't let them dry out. Once you are past allowing the process to intimidate you, it becomes FUN, fast and easy! I am careful not to cross bud roses which might expose potentially uninfected types to RMV. I will rebud a stock in which the bud has failed with the SAME rose as I had previously used on that stock and I don't mix roses on the same longer whip. I know some of them are already infected. I just don't want to be the cause of something NOT infected, becoming so. With all those older HTs from your mother in your garden, you must have some prunings you can play with. Give them a try. It really does make it so much easier than waiting until you have spent time rooting stocks and finding THE rose you've always wanted. If you need something to play with as a stock, just ask! Yup, you're pushing right through, bluegirl. Good job! Congratulations! Amazing how EASY it can be, isn't it? Your mist set up definitely helps push things along quickly. Of course, your back ground of grafting fruit trees absolutely helps, too. I'm proud of you! Thanks. Kim