grafting fruit trees

[mokiesmom]

Hi, I am new posting to this forum but have been reading it for a long time. I have a question about grafting fruit trees. When is the best time to do it or better yet, when should I not do it? I am in zone 8, Georgia. I gets quite hot here in summer so I need some help with the time period. Thanks in advance.

[opabinia51]

You should take the prunings off in early fall and place them inthe freezer. Then, in winter (around here things are grafted in February) the prunings are inserted in cuts in the tree and then sealed with sealing tape.

You won't see fruit from these grafts until about the second year.

[mokiesmom]

Thank you so much for the information. Question,,,, is there a reason that they go in the freezer? Do they stay alive? I would think that they would be frozen and die. I don't know a thing about grafting but trying to learn. Since I am in the south, the same time period would apply? Thank you

[opabinia51]

It's to firm up the sap in the branchlets so that it doesn't leak out while the branchlets are in storage. And yes, it keeps them alive as well.

Anyway, wait until the trees are dormant then, take your cuttings and wrap them in some newspaper, put them in the freezer.

In mid to late February graft them onto the trees and be sure to seal each graft up really tight with grafting tape.

[peach grafting]

I live in zone 7 (maryland), I am grafting peach trees and was wondering if anyone knows the best time to start this process. I am not sure when to start this anything you can help me with will be great. Thanks to all in advance!!!!

[opabinia51]

Generally speaking when grafting fruit trees, it is best to take the cuttings in the fall (once the trees have gone dormant) and wrap them in newspaper and freeze then, graft them onto the recipient tree in early spring.

Seal them really well with grafting tape (I can't remember the exact name but, I would be able to find it really easily if you'd like) and you should be recieving fruit by the following season or the year after that.

Make sure that the deer don't come up and chew the new grafts up or they won't take.

[peachguy]

For peach grafting it is best to do chip budding which is a form of graft (a google search will give more info on how do it.) But for this grafting method formant buds from the previous year won't work because they can't be dormant. Also on the stock tree, the bark must be slipping which means that it should be in active growth so you can cut and peel the bud off the bark and mount the new bud into that spot easily, this also allows for the graft to heel faster. Like I said do a google search and if you can't find good info I am sre I can find one in my mess of website I keep. Also practice (using a knife and sticks) before doing the big grafts so you make the mistakes on the scraps and not the good fruit tree wood.