Author Topic: Can you graft onto a graft?  (Read 863 times)

Keen

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Can you graft onto a graft?
« on: February 24, 2021, 02:34:30 PM »
Hello, I am new to fruit trees and newer to grafting. I am curious if it is possible to graft onto a graft? I have a Wurtz Avocado tree in my yard that is about a year old. I want to graft onto the main leader a malama variety, then after a few months of growth, graft onto the malama part a sharwill scion. maybe even graft onto that one in a few months a Murashige Avocado variety.
   Is this possible or does it not work like that? my intent is to make a avocado tree that fruits most of the year.
   and on a side note, will the wurtz, which is smaller than most trees, keep the overall tree small even though I've grafted larger more vigorous varieties? Please let me know! Mahalo.

Jagmanjoe

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2021, 03:59:48 PM »
I am not sure about avocados but with mango trees people often top work a tree which generally was started as a graft itself.  So effectively we are grafting onto an existing graft with many mango varieties.

Santa Maria 9b

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2021, 04:27:26 PM »
Yes, you can graft that way. Here is a video of a guy with a similar multi-graphed avocado: https://youtu.be/XZve9AFCQ1s

An easier way to get nearly year round avocados, is to grow a Carmen Variety

Tropical Bay Area

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2021, 04:35:41 PM »
This is called using interstock
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Tommyng

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2021, 05:07:26 PM »
Yes, for avocados, you can graft onto a graft. Just make sure the original graft is fully healed.
Don’t rush, take time and enjoy life and food.

fruitnut1944

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2021, 05:08:16 PM »
The normal way to graft multiple varieties on one tree would be to graft each variety onto a separate branch. That's how I've done it. Put the least vigorous variety on the south side. And prune the most vigorous so that one variety doesn't dominate most of the tree over time.

You could do it your way but there may be issues with keeping each variety growing and productive. And the top variety may come to dominate the tree. If branches on lower varieties die or lose vigor there is no way to make a new branch grow or to increase vigor.

You don't want to graft multiple varieties one on top of another all within one year. Those grafts will certainly break out unless fully supported. So one graft each yr. Let that heal and do another the next yr. I'd still be concerned with those grafts breaking esp if growth is vigorous.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 05:12:27 PM by fruitnut1944 »

Keen

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2021, 08:29:56 PM »
Thanks everyone. The tree is still small so I'm thinking about grafting on a sharwil, because that is the fruit I want the most, then when that branches out, I'll graft on the other varieties to individual branches. thanks. Does anyone know I'd grafting onto the Wurtz will lower the vigor? that's what I want, to keep the tree a manageable size

fruitnut1944

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2021, 10:40:52 PM »
I doubt that will reduce the vigor of the other varieties. If it does that's a bonus. The primary way to reduce size is to prune.

lebmung

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Re: Can you graft onto a graft?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2021, 06:41:28 PM »
I doubt that will reduce the vigor of the other varieties. If it does that's a bonus. The primary way to reduce size is to prune.

I don't know about avocado, but with citrus a graft on graft, which means a graft on interstock , can be affected by interstock. For instance a dwarf interstock will make the tree less vigorous, but not as much as grafted on a dwarf rootstock.