Deformed Graft

[THE LLC]

Any of y'all seen a bench graft do like this? I have two this way. These are going on their third year since grafting and I pulled the tubes off yesterday and replaced with cages. Looks like the scion grew much more than the root stock giving a larger stem on the scion end and smaller on the root stock end. Also looks like the root stock tried to put out more roots above ground level. I had to stake both of these because the root stock was so weak.

 

[Native Hunter]

Never seen that before myself, but I know what I would do. I would dig it up and put deeper so all of that was below ground. That knot is a Burr Knot. It's wanting to make roots there, and I would put her in the ground to where it could do that. Best wishes.

 

[THE LLC]

Kinda what I did. I had planted them in a divot to catch rain so I just filled that in up to the graft union.

 

[DLH]

I agree that’s your best thing to do. Can you share the rootstock/scion combination? I think this same thing happens if you graft pecan onto hickories haven’t seen it myself but have seen it mentioned browsing the web.

http://northernpecans.blogspot.com/2016/02/unequally-yoked-grafting-hickory-on.html?m=1

 

[THE LLC]

Sure. That is apple onto B118

 

[Turkey Creek]

That is some kind of graft incompatibility. As already mentioned if you dont get the scion to root it will be a goner. The root stock wont catch up with the scion.

 

[THE LLC]

That is some kind of graft incompatibility.

Strange that would be the case with two and the other five not even though they are same rootstocks and same scions.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have it on some varieties more than others, and it almost always is on B118. Redfree tends to be a variety that gives me the same kinds of results on B118. On dwarfing rootstocks it is somewhat normal as the scion can quickly out grow the diameter of the root stock, but they are trellised and no worries about them breaking off in the wind.

 

[THE LLC]

Interesting. So, in that case is it better to use the root stock as a nurse stock and plant the graft union below ground hoping to have the scion root? I'm looking for full sized trees any way.

 

[Native Hunter]

Interesting. So, in that case is it better to use the root stock as a nurse stock and plant the graft union below ground hoping to have the scion root? I'm looking for full sized trees any way.

That's exactly what I started doing three years ago. I do it for two reasons - (1) I got tired of sissy sized trees and (2) I noticed that it makes liberal apple jockey types mad when I talk about it...

 

[THE LLC]

If number 2 is the case, that is EXACTLY what I’m gonna do!!

 

[Turkey Creek]

Yes plant it deep enough for the scion to be maybe an 1" into the ground. If you plant it too deep you risk the current roots suffocating before anything else has grown.

 

[John Barnes]

TC, that's nice to know about Redfree as I'm grafting a couple to B118 today. I'll graft them low and bury the union. Any other varieties do that regularly?

 

[buckvelvet]

Your a sick man @Native Hunter! I've never had the issues described above but I've had some stunted growth on some grafts. 1 Rosedale Crab I saddle grafted on Ranetka and it has grown incredibly slow but no weird outgrowing the rootstock that badly kind of thing.

I've had the scion outgrow the rootstock caliper size in year 1 but in year 2 they even out it seems.

 

[Native Hunter]

Your a sick man @Native Hunter! I've never had the issues described above but I've had some stunted growth on some grafts. 1 Rosedale Crab I saddle grafted on Ranetka and it has grown incredibly slow but no weird outgrowing the rootstock that badly kind of thing.

I've had the scion outgrow the rootstock caliper size in year 1 but in year 2 they even out it seems.

Yep, I'm a sick puppy. I even enjoyed having the Swine Flu.......

Good information on your experiences and thanks for sharing them. I suspect there is still a lot we don't know about incompatibility issues. It's been a while since I have read much of the papers in academia about this, but I seem to recall various reasons and even combinations of reasons that we sometimes see problems. In this case, I think planting the tree deeper will help. Best wishes.

 

[buckvelvet]

I don't disagree at all. It is certain down grade though to lose the characteristics of the rootstock when you got it for a specific reason in the first place though.

You should be out of room to plant trees by now.

 

[Native Hunter]

I don't disagree at all. It is certain down grade though to lose the characteristics of the rootstock when you got it for a specific reason in the first place though.

You should be out of room to plant trees by now.

I am out of room....especially since I have quit doing girly boy trees.... Real trees take up a lot of space. Best wishes my friend....

 

[buckvelvet]

Well when you have a ton of oak trees around ya don't need to plant them.

 

[THE LLC]

Guys, here's a Autumn follow-up on these grafts. Up until I took the original pictures above, I had grown these grafted trees in tubes. I pulled the tubes after I made the original pictures and caged the trees. I noticed up there this past week that the grafts had corrected. In other words as big below as above now. I'm wondering if the tubes didn't cause some of this. Sure seems that way. Next time I am up there I will make a few new pictures.

 

[THE LLC]

Here's a picture of that graft yesterday (10/17/18).