Can you graft scion wood as you collect it?

[Shufigo]

I have a source of pear scion (Keiffer and Moonglow) who needs the Bartlett and Ayers that I've got. If we wait until the start of the grafting season, is it OK to cut and graft to each others trees the same morning? It would seem that both the scion and recipient branches would have sap flowing. It'd be nice to get all done in one session and not go the 'scion wood in the 'fridge drawer' route.

 

[dogdoc]

I'm not saying it won't work and have heard of people doing "green" grafting. I have no experience but you will have much better success if you are using dormant scions grafted to a tree that is not dormant. When the scion is dormant it has energy stored. When using non-dormant scions energy is going to be used to push and grow the leaves from the scions. Without a healed bond then all the stored energy will be used up quickly in the scion. It takes a couple of weeks for the grafting union to heal so that sap from the rootstock can feed the scion. If the scion runs out of energy before the union is healed it will die.

 

[Neahawg]

Yeah I've grafted a few different trees where the buds were about to open and none took.

 

[Shufigo]

Thanks guys. Did a bit of research on it (which I guess I could have done before I posted), and the only method I found that had positive results was bud grafting. Appreciate your in put.

 

[Native Hunter]

Last year we top worked some crabapples which were earlier leafing out than some nearby apples. We ran out of scions near the last tree and I took some scions from a nearby apple tree and we grafted directly after cutting the scions.

Below is a pic of that tree a few days ago when I removed the tape and pruned the new growth.

So in some instances what you suggested will work, but as others have stated, not ideal for most situations.

Now I'm considering grafting onto last year's grafts with something new this year.....

 

[DLH]

I've done the same as Native I collected Ayers from him that showed signs of breaking dormancy I think the leaves were white but don't hold me to it. Bark grafted them to a pear about the same size hall as the above crab all three scions took. Hail storm got one wind got the next now I have one left and it grew to 8-9 ft in one season. I think it could be done easily field grafting since they have a nice root system established but bench grafting with small rootstocks would be more difficult.

 

[Shufigo]

DLH, You're saying you grafted an Ayer pear to an Apple? And it took? OK, now I'm realizing how much of a rookie I am. Enlighten me, please.

 

[Native Hunter]

No, he isn't saying that. He grafted pear to pear..........

 

[DLH]

Native is correct I did pear to pear but collect my scions really late.

 

[Shufigo]

OK, re-read the post and found my confusion. Lol.

 

[DLH]

Here is the pear I mentioned grafting earlier. This was taken august 12th I think it put on another 12in before the growing season was done too.