Frankengraft

[Stonehenge]

Anybody ever spent time grafting?

Any cool pics of success?

Or wild pics of Frankengraft ? :frank:

[mdvaden]

This is an old post, but in college propagation class, I did a sample that would fit your post title.

On Cedar rootstock, I grafted a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar AND an Atlas Cedar AND a Deodar Cedar AND a Cedar of Lebanon, and one more, maybe a Golden Deodar.

At least 3 or 4 grafts "took". I don't have it now, I think I gave it away. That was about 16 years ago.

[Stonehenge]

I always see those flyers in the newspaper where you can buy a tree that offers 3 or 4 different kinds of fruit, all from one tree...must be one heckuva grafting operation.

Sounds like your 'experiment' would have been an extremely interesting one. :)

[mdvaden]

That grafting is not much harder than slicing a small pocket, and inserting a 1" twig tip with a tapered end.

Realistically, in 1 year, or 2, you, I, or anyone could have up to 20 plus varieties on one tree.

Start with a 2 year old tree that has several branches, and that will grow more. Then find neighbors and people in the area that have different trees.

In the spring, cut some 1" to 2" twig tips, cut a taper, and insert it in a slit in the bark. Maybe two varieties on a branch, one facing one way, another the other way. The key is that each variety has a direction to grow and expand a little. That's why a second or third year for extra branches may be needed.

Now that you brought this up, I think I may sacrifice (utilize) one of my 6 apple trees to add other varieties.

I'm teaching my kid's how to prune. They each have their own apple trees. I can teach them how to graft too.

In Oregon, and other places, if someone can prune an apple tree correctly, they can prune anything. Apple tree pruning fights nature - keeping them confined - and that makes them the greatest strategic pruning around. Anyone that can deal with apple trees can do almost anything.

Note that I said "correctly". That means wider at the base, and narrow at the top. Pyramidal form. And that includes a constant development of inner, new replacement branches to eventually replace the older limbs several years down the line.

That's where most people fail.

[diginahole]

I bet one of those multi fruit trees would also make an interesting espaliered tree. You could be the only guy on your block with a fruit salad fence. I'm thinking apples, cherries, peaches, and pears. I may have to try that one day.