Fruitwise apple tree grafting guide, rind grafting

[Fourhundredplus20]

I like the time of your video!

[jonewer]

Looks like a good simple method - less tricky than other methods or is just the master making it look easy? ;)

[stephenhayesuk]

@jonewer I think it is simple, but like other 'simple' skills (mending a puncture in a bicycle tyre, tying a knot, doing up your showlaces) it needs to be done correctly

This particular tree is no longer with us, the grafts took but we had a change of plan for the area concerned. I have some successful rind grafts from this spring's grafting. I have modified my technique to site the scion centrally rather than to one side, and it seems to work better, I'll put up a video to show this

[firstbasmen12]

stephen growing an apple orchard looks like a bit of fun. but i live in the apple capital of the united states...so my question is what other purpose is there besides selling the apples in an orchard?

[stephenhayesuk]

@firstbasmen12 Other reasons to grow an orchard besides selling apples......

preservation of rare varieties, enjoying them yourself, having some space where you can do what you like (bonfire party, art studio, mini music festival, sleep overs) hedge laying, watching trees you planted grow

A benefit I never anticipated when I began the orchard in 1992 was the internet. These YouTubes seem to have attracted a virtual community of folks who share some common interests. Skill sharing is a joy.

[letsplaydoctorplease]

do you train your branches to grow up like that?

[MATERNIDADLAPIEDAD]

is this technique applied to pecans?

[stephenhayesuk]

@MATERNIDADLAPIEDAD Probably, but I have never grown pecans so I cannot say. The principles of grafting are fairly universal, and these techniques work equally well for pears, apples, quince, plum, peach and other trees I know, so why not?

I believe pecans are similar to walnuts. I just looked up walnuts in my R J Garner grafters handbook and the techniques appear similar. Timing, good clean cuts that fit well, the right stock, the right scion, and good sealing and tying in are key.

[binashraf]

i have a whip, a 1 or 2 yr old apple tree, no branches yet, just going straight up, it's growing in a bucket and is about 34 inches tall, some of the leaves have started growing twisted and distorted and have brown edges ,losing the green colour and going light green and almost yellow on some parts, do you know why this is?

[jonewer]

@binashraf I had a similar thing. There were a lot of aphids on it which didnt help. I was worried it would die but its come back to life now.

[telemarker77]

nice job. thanks for the recommendation on the grafting knife i bought one.

[Florinvld]

Thank you very much for this explications,excellent video.

SUCCESS !

[FLORINOID]

when you take your scion wood and how you store? thanks

[stephenhayesuk]

I have mentioned this a few times, but it does no harm to repeat it.

I cut my scion wood in late winter, usually end of February and early March well before the spring manifests itself in new growth.

I store my scion wood in polythene bags in my refrigerator, until I do my grafting in April as new growth begins. My success rate is very high with this method, I am sure that grafting late winter harvested scion wood, stored cool and damp, on to newly growing wood, is key to success.

[vaughano2]

@stephenhayesuk This is an old comment, but I thought I'd emphasise your point on waiting to graft until the rootstock starts to become active. I've been taking my scions in July (Australia), storing in fridge and grafting in mid-late August. I too have a very high success rate with this approach, and I think this timing of both harvesting scions and grafting is a key thing for success, possibly more important than precise technique.

Good job, love your videos.

[andrewnorris1]

Dear Stephen Hayes, thanks a million for posting these videos. I've just seen three now but they are so helpful. I wonder whether this technique, of rind grafting, would work for plums. We acquired an orchard of some 50 plums, quite old, tall and many have broken tops due to wind, snow. Might this be a way to rejuvenate our poor old trees? I'd really appreciate a couple of words if you can help. Many thanks, Andrew

[stephenhayesuk]

Kind of you to say so Andrew.

Your plums probably need pruning more than grafting. I have had plums grow back well after devastating wounds caused by over heavy branches snapping right off. All I did was tidy up the wound with a sharp saw and paint it, nature did the rest.

Any trees which are totally disease ridden are best removed, but others can be sawn back hard, but do it in spring, not winter. Best guide to restoring a neglected orchard is in The Fruit Garden Displayed. regards

[hablerz]

@andrewnorris1 Try to keep sharp knives away from you plums.

[thegoodlifefarm]

kudos! Thanks so much for a well explained and well shot video. Really enjoying the work you've put in to share your expertise with everyone. Thanks again!

[binashraf]

excellent video, well explained and clear :) good teacher! lol

[EweTubio]

Great Stephen,

Thanks for that mate, made it look too easy.

Cheers.

[anne0203]

fascinating !

[wannabeswat]

hi Stephen! love you teaching style. awesome.

What am i specifically looking for when selecting my scion wood? does grafting work with both section and end cuttings, providing there are wood buds?

how do you tell the difference between wood buds and fruit buds?

thanks for any help you can provide!

[stephenhayesuk]

Hi wannabeswat, thanks for the generous comment.

any clean, straight section of last year's wood with buds is fine as scion.

I showed this in my first pruning video; a growth bud is small and flush with the trig, fruit buds are much larger and stick out. It is uncommon to get fruit buds on one year old wood, it can happen but they will tend to be at the bottom of a very long, strong extension. Study the trees and you'll see.

However, sometimes a growth bud will blossom!

[surharper]

Thanks Stephen for the inspiration... keep up the good work.

[surharper]

Oh yes, one more question? Can I use beeswax as grafting wax?

[stephenhayesuk]

beeswax woudl be OK but I think you'd have to melt it first. There is probably a recipe somewhere for mixing it with turpentine or something to soften it (don't try this without checkinfg!)

they used to use cow manure or clay, but I can't remcceoend it. Probably Vaseline would do. I stick to Tenax grafting wax

[surharper]

Wow, what a quick response... thanks.

I know about the scion cut, what I meant was about the large cut on the tree truck itself when you have performed a rind graft. It is quite a large surface on some trees. In the video I did not see that you cover/protected the inner exposed trunk wood. Thanks again

[surharper]

Great to see your technique. I notice you did not cover the top to the cut in this graft with wax or tape. Is this not needed or did you just not show it? It looks like the cleft graft video show the rind graft cut covered with tape?

[stephenhayesuk]

hi surharper

If the top of the scion is cut I tend to put a touch of wax on the cut. Of course there is no need to do this if it isn't cut as you have a bud at the top. As a rule, cover all cut surfaces with wax but I don't think its so important as filling in gaps whcih you get for example with a cleft graft.

[zeu97]

U did a greit job with these films,Step :)  now i have the ideea what graft is....and i cant wait the spring to try your technics in my grandparent's garden ...Thank you

[CHEVROLETBLACK]

great video

[stephenhayesuk]

Hi Vern. having the right knife helps a lot, the Opinel number 6 is perfect, readily available and cheap, get one. The blade is so thin its easy to keep sharp. I use a mini steel, also very useful are diamond lap stones, you can get these mail order from Axmminster tools. Stroke the sharpener along the edge at an angle approximately 30 degrees, sharpen each side equally. don't cut yourself.

I only teach what I know, I don't graft peaches or grapes, the principles would be the same I guess.

[vern1967v]

Very helpful.

Could you help buy showing me how to properly sharpen a budding knife? Also do you have any techniques for chip budding peaches?

ALso how about producing grape rootstocks form cuttings.

[barchela]

thanks for the video..keep learning us things..

[UnknownAccount0]

What is this for?

[immodestyblaise]

Thanks Stephen.

Now I feel ready to cut up the only apple tree in my garden.

[cmurkar]

These videos are incredibly helpful. Thank You