Thread: Grafting an apple tree in Greystanes

Originally Posted by ratchet

I saw on a show last week how easy it can be to graft fruit trees

Was the show hosted by Nonie Hazelhurst, Don Burke etc etc??

You might be better off promoting better fruit set of your existing tree.

This could involve pollination techniques, changing your fertilization or watering regime.

Grafting is not a DIY skill that you can master from watching one TV show I'm afraid. It takes a lot of practice with a lot of failures but there are plenty of books around and no doubt a web search will prove useful.

Give it a go as long as you are just doing bud or other small grafts you wont be damaging the existing tree too much.

Multiple varieties on a single root stock can work well. I may be able to help, pm me,

Sebastiaan

Saw it on Vassili's Garden on SBS a week or so ago. Didn't look too difficult to me.

I think the old Greek guy whose garden he was in had about half a dozen different varieties of apple growing on one tree.

Vasili was the man

pm me,

Sebastiaan

done

Rod

SWMBO has done a few (my thumb is black, kiss of death to anything living) and the last one had 5 species of apple.
She is doing some this year, probably about spring when she goes out and pinches some cuttings from other trees.
She says it is not difficult and uses old panty hose to make the bandage, apparantly it rots in the sunlight and falls off without hurting the stock.

I have done a couple of my Bonsai only ever loosing one the first one I did 12 years ago but I did it to early in winter. Best done now coming up for spring when new sap is being drawn up not when plant is dormant totaly.

I have just done a Crape Myrtel for swmbo friend it was totaly pot bound and in need of saving you'll see in pic's it was left in original pot then placed into one of those recycled tyre pots.
I had to create a Bonsai from original......only time will tell if its a success.

I use spagnom moss to promote and feed the graft held around the graft in heshin.

Grafting easy ,just use graft tape ,bud grafting is easier ,just make a T cut in the branch ,slice a bud off and slip it in and tape it up,the good trick to grafting is do more than you need ,70% hit rate if your lucky if your new to it