To graft or not to graft with unusually early warm weather???

Shufigo

Shufigo

Active Member
We're having a weird February here in eastern Virginia. One day over 80 degrees already and next week every days' predicted high will be greater than 65. Our normal 'green up' here is around the first of April. If I get fooled and graft early, what am I risking? Will a return to cold temperatures ruin everything?
 
are you bench grafting dormant rootstock or are you grafting seedlings/trees already planted or potted? I have a potted crabapple already leafing out. I personally wouldn't graft until you are pretty darn sure you won't be having a hard freeze. Even if my potted apple and pear seedlings leaf out I won't be grafting till the end of March or first of April.
 
No, this will be outside grafting on four year old deer pears, crabapples and persimmons (with the scions that you kindly said you'd supply). I'm thinking I'll go the conservative route and stick with my original schedule - which seems to be the same as yours in OK. If we have a serious early warm spell, I can always do a few on the pears and crabapples, where I have extra scions and grafting limbs.
 
My Persimmons are always the last tree to come out of dormancy. That's what I love about them--never lose fruit due to a late freeze or early spring. Usually not grafting them until late April to early May. My peach tree is already pushing out flowers:mad:
 
dogdoc said:
My Persimmons are always the last tree to come out of dormancy. That's what I love about them--never lose fruit due to a late freeze or early spring. Usually not grafting them until late April to early May. My peach tree is already pushing out flowers:mad:
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Same here with the persimmons. When do you generally start topworking apple trees?
 
This'll be my first year grafting. What I've read on apples is start when the leaves just start showing green.
 
Native Hunter said:
Same here with the persimmons. When do you generally start topworking apple trees?
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In previous years I graft pretty much as soon as they come out of dormancy. This year might be different. I want to graft my apples as soon as I can. The cooler temps in early spring give the graft union more time to heal before all energy is gone from the scion. When its time to plant my spring plots then its time to top work. With my potted trees I keep at home as soon as leaves start popping out I am grafting. If a late freeze arrives I can always pull them in the house or garage for the night.
 
I'd wait at least til mid March, if you wanted to try top working a few branches with extra scion I say go for it, but don't cut the top out of at chest level just yet.
 
Thanks, guys. I'm going to do just that - despite continuing 70+ temps. I'll be doing some pencil diameter practice grafts with extra wood - - and plan on doing them over further down the branch if they fail.
 
I'm going to top work two Cleveland pears. Chuck's mother in law knew we planted lots of fruit trees and got them on sale for us to plant.
While very grateful to be thought of, they are Cleveland pears.
No problem, Chuck ordered some Perry pear varieties and I'm going to put multiple grafts on each tree.
They're just leafing out so I'll do them one day this week and since they're in pots I can move them to my garage if a freeze happens.
I'll plant them either here at my house or an out of the way place at the farm.
We want to see how they hold up to fireblight.

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