Have My Grafts Failed?

**flynch** · 07-04-2017, 09:41 PM

I've been grafting for a few years now and it's far too early in the year to tell yet. Sometimes they can be slow as they heal into each other. Just leave them alone for now,either they've taken or they haven't. If they haven't in the next few months the scion will dry out. The root stock should be fine as long as its watered properly. Just prune out the dead scions in a few months and the root stock will grow away.

Your pictures won't display on my tablet so can't give any better advice than to wait.

**flynch** · 07-04-2017, 09:49 PM

Hard wood cuttings, i.e. scion, for apples don't root well (I've tried) apparently green stems do but I haven't tried this. If they have failed I doubt you can save the scion. If it concerns you let me know what varieties you grafted and if I have it I'll send you scions next year.

**hydroxy** · 07-04-2017, 09:49 PM

Ah ok, well I took apart maybe about 6 of the 27 I had planted. However I have since repaired the grafts by cutting away about two inches on either side of the graft and reattaching them again with some new grafting shears and grafting sealant I got.

It does seem like they've done virtually nothing since I attached them at the end of February. Is this to be expected?

I have another question also, how much scion should be above the graft, some trees I've got just maybe about 4 inches or so but with others I have maybe a 12 inches approx. Would you recommend pruning those to shorter lengths?

**flynch** · 07-04-2017, 10:01 PM

I've done 30 grafts this year and some buds are only just beginning to swell. This is quite normal.

I'll send you some pictures of mine tomorrow.

The longer the wood the greater the risk it can be knocked or dry out before it heals in. 12 inches I'd say is too long you could have done 2 grafts with that. I'd prune them down to 4 or 5 inches. Be careful not to knock it whilst doing that.

Don't worry I had the same panic the first time I grafted

**boundtothesoil** · 07-04-2017, 10:09 PM

Originally posted by hydroxy View Post

It does seem like they've done virtually nothing since I attached them at the end of February. Is this to be expected?

I wait until at least June to write off a graft as 'failed'. Some unions take a while to get going, especially if there is not a good match up between the cambiums of the rootstock and scion. You really need patience in this game. And as flynch says, you can salvage the rootstock from a failed graft without any bother

**Guest** · 08-04-2017, 05:52 AM

Another vote for patience. Mine live their first year in a shady sheltered corner. I check one they don't dry out (not very often), two check for shoots off the rootstock and remove if needs be (but I am not familiar with Supporter 4). I don't worry about failures until summer.

Fingers crossed for you

Also I can't see your pics.

**hydroxy** · 09-04-2017, 01:06 AM

Ok, thanks for all the advice guys.

Originally posted by Norfolkgrey View Post

Another vote for patience. Mine live their first year in a shady sheltered corner. I check one they don't dry out (not very often), two check for shoots off the rootstock and remove if needs be (but I am not familiar with Supporter 4). I don't worry about failures until summer.

Fingers crossed for you

Also I can't see your pics.

Maybe a browser issue, perhaps its because the image is too wide for the forum.

**Lardman** · 09-04-2017, 07:25 AM

I've got a couple of failures this year already. The plums (no surprise there I've never managed to get one to take), 1 pear looks unhappy and at least 2 apples. Looking at them I'd say it was poor scion quality rather than my fat grafting fingers. I'll grab some pictures later today.

Originally posted by boundtothesoil View Post

And as flynch says, you can salvage the rootstock from a failed graft without any bother

Unless you've made a complete hash of it, having already tried 3 times to on the same root stock with saddle, cleft grafts and then a chip bud, then they tend to give up

Maybe a browser issue, perhaps its because the image is too wide for the forum.

You've linked them in your dropbox which needs to be logged in to view.

**hydroxy** · 09-04-2017, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by Lardman View Post

You've linked them in your dropbox which needs to be logged in to view.

Ah sorry about that, ok I've uploaded them again here to Imgur.

**Guest** · 09-04-2017, 01:57 PM

Some of those look dry. You need to look for the cambium (the nice green bit) on both the rootstock and scion and line them up before sealing. Sorry if I am stating the obvious.

**hydroxy** · 09-04-2017, 02:43 PM

Originally posted by Norfolkgrey View Post

Some of those look dry. You need to look for the cambium (the nice green bit) on both the rootstock and scion and line them up before sealing. Sorry if I am stating the obvious.

Yeah I did this when sealing them with wax. They were all as lined up as I could get. Maybe I am thinking I had the wax too hot or something, maybe that caused the cambium to be damaged somewhat.

**Lardman** · 11-04-2017, 12:49 PM

Apple : Ellisons Orange Cleft Graft. I wasn't sure about the scion when it came in but grafted it anyway, but you can see it's gone orange and very dead and not just dry.

Plum : Warwickshire Drooper. This looked very dry when it arrived but I cut it back to live wood. Looking at the colouring and shrinkage it doesn't look like the graft has taken, I'm still holding out hope though for the first 2 buds.

It's not entirely clear from your pictures but if that's the scion in the foreground it looks to me you may have grafted it upside down?

**lookbettertomorow** · 16-04-2017, 03:58 AM

Hi, I'd say it's more to do with when you did it, February is far too early, the sap needs to be rising. I'm doing mine this weekend, bit too late but worth a go due to cold spring, I'm half way up north!

**Guest** · 16-04-2017, 05:27 AM

Originally posted by lookbettertomorow View Post

Hi, I'd say it's more to do with when you did it, February is far too early, the sap needs to be rising. I'm doing mine this weekend, bit too late but worth a go due to cold spring, I'm half way up north!

Not meaning to be controversial but.......

I always thought cold wasn't an issue as long as they don't dry out. The last couple of years I have done mine the early part of Feb and had good results with apples.

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