Page 32 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2021

Grafted Rootstocks
August, when I had to bring them outdoors because woolly aphid was starting to take hold. The growth by September can be as much as eight feet (from around three inches to eight feet in six months) on the plum rootstocks. The pears tend to be a
lot less vigorous. The apples could
be four to five feet high. Eighteen months later the same tree could have apples on. Remove all budding bands in early August if they have not degraded naturally. The root system in the buckets tends to be an absolute mass of filigree roots, these roots may require teasing out if they are tight up to the container sides. You can either plant out nine to ten months later or leave to the following Winter, when the root ball will hold the growing medium together better, less damage is done to the plant
Rind graft
Merton Pride being one of them.
This is the way I do it, make a tee cut, preferably on the top side around
two inches long, make a cut across the original cut at the furthest point to form a tee. Gently prize the bark and the cambium layer away from the wood. Take the scion, make a scarf cut as per the grafted rootstocks, take the merest whisker of bark off both upper edges of the scion (this ensures contact with the cambium on the tree) and slide the scion in under the
were to be Emile d’ Hevst provided by Brogdale. A slight problem I couldn’t find the axe, so I had to knock a billhook down through the stump – not easy, anyway I managed it but to get it out I had to knock in a wedge
in the form of an electrician’s bolster chisel, no prizes for guessing what
I used to do for a living. With the billhook cut wedged open I prepared two scions around six inches long
and cut them with the grafting knife to form two-inch-long wedges. These were pushed down either end of the billhook cut, the cambium layer of the scion being in contact with the cambium layer of the stump, only one part of the wedge will be in contact with the cambium layer of the stump, the other will be inside of the stump
- doing nothing. It is important to be precise. This was done on opposite sides of the stump. I left a small ‘church window’ to facilitate some ‘growing over’. The biggest problem was ‘working the bolster chisel out
of the stump. The whole of the top of the stump and the lower parts of the scions were painted with wax. Finally, I photographed this work of art – why not. Both scions took, but one on the left eventually died, from the base of the dead scion sprang new growth; the dilemma is, is the new growth Emile d’ Hevst or is it Vicar of Winkfield? We shall see. Next year or the following year I can graft another scion on it, perhaps another variety.
ATB
First published in the RHS Fruit Group Newsletter.
if planted out when
dormant. Meanwhile
the grafted rootstocks
planted outdoors are
struggling. If you decide
to keep the grafted
rootstocks indoors then
I would think that you
could forget the grafting
wax. Containerised trees
will require to be fed and watered
for a few months after planting. In 2019 I planted out some rare German plum grafted rootstocks on St Julian A that had been in containers, disaster struck, I forgot to water them. Months later I saw they were suffering, alas too late they died.
Rind grafting. My first attempt was in 2018. I reworked the arms/tiers of an espalier Beurre Alexandra Lucas pear. It was down to be grubbed, but why grub a tree when you have an established root system with plenty of oomph? Each arm was cut back leaving around six inches to work on. I reworked with various varieties,
bark, leave a ‘church window’ also as the grafted rootstocks. The first time I did this I used the budding bands - not recommended as being rubber the expanding bark burst the bands and proceeded to push out the scion, luckily it was
a dry spring, and some took. I now use plastic grafting tape
and bind this down with string. I take the lot off in August.
Cleft Grafting. Years ago, my first effort failed miserably- well I had never heard of the cambium layer for a start. The Vicar of Winkfield pear had been problematic for years, lots of wood scab, it had to be sprayed and the fruit was only cooking pear quality and they didn’t keep; it had been under sentence of death for years,
but it kept cropping (they generally do). Thinking about it, why not put something else on to it? I lopped off the trunk at around five feet to provide a blank canvas. The varietal scions
A slight problem I couldn’t find the axe
32 Simply Vegetables