The fine art of grafting weeds -Part 2

I was very pleased to see the “weed” apple seedling I grafted “Ashmead’s Kernal” scionwood on last year accepted my productive suggestion.

It had grown an enormous water sprout on the side, so wasn’t entirely convinced. I snipped the water sprout off to remind the little seedling I’d like it to nourish the graft. We’ll see if it listens.

During my winter work of raking, I came across another little apple seedling. Ironically, one of the apple trees I planted about 6 years ago is most unhappy right next to this happy little seedling. See the height and branching of the seedling lying next to the rootstock I just cut it from before inserting the graft.

The scionwood is from one of the most productive apples in the food forest -“Fuji”. I’d love to have more of these.

I am now in love with “Elba” peach. Mine fruited for the first time last year with several baseball-sized fruit that were melt-in-the-mouth rich sweetness. Although that description hardly covers the experience.

So I snipped off a branch from one of the snow peaches (see the nice harvest of golf ball sized fruit these yielded last year in The end of Mortal Tree).

The attempted mulberry graft I tried last year was not successful. Mulberries are late to leaf. Between that, and the tardy spring last year, my graft had to wait a long time before the rootstock really woke up and pumped sap for nourishment. This year I am trying a little later. You can see the hefty sprout the tree grew last year.

Also, all those spurs of dead branches sticking out between the grafting bandage grew last year in response to my cutting the tree back. This year, I hope all that pent up energy goes into the “Silk Hope” scionwood.

Another grafting experiment: “Carmine” goumi on “Amber” autumn olive. The “Ruby” autumn olive I am very impressed with in terms of production -drips with luscious red come early fall. The Amber not so much. It’s about 8 ft tall by about as wide now, and has hardly fruited. Whether this is position or variety I’m not sure.

I really like the large, pendulous fruit of goumi that show up in early summer. So I snipped a couple “Amber” branches and slipped in a couple “Carmine.”

All that’s left now is to see what takes, grows, and fruits abundantly.