HELP: Topworking 5-ft. Mango Seedling

[johnb51]

If I wanted to topwork this 5-ft. mango seedling to a named variety (probably PPK/LM), what would be the best way to do it?  Where to cut it?  Wait for new growth?  How to graft?

[johnb51]

[spaugh]

I would cut that puppy about 1ft high and do a simple cleft on it.  At least here its best to graft before summer not after for mangos.  Maybe thete its warm enough to push them still but for CA its too late. 

[Orkine]

If I were to topowork this I will cut either at the yellow or orange line and wait for it to send 3 or 4 new branches.  I will graft the two varieties I was interested in to the regrowth.

In this case I will cut just above the internode and hope for 4 or more shoots that I can reduce to 3 or 4 to graft in to.

[Cookie Monster]

You can side veneer graft at about 3 feet high, where the wood is still green. Then after a month, when the graft heals, start cutting back the rootstock above the graft.

[johnb51]

Thanks for the advice, guys.  Do you think I should wait until spring?

[kapps]

It’s too late to lop it off and graft it unless you do the side veneer like Cookie Monster said. If you want to do a cleft draft, you could lop it now (making sure to leave a good number of leaves In the canopy) and hope that it pushes several branches in its final growth flush this year. Then after the first flush next year hardens off, graft into those shoots.

Alternatively, leave it as-is over the winter and then lop it off as low as you want when it starts warming up in spring. Graft it once the first flush hardens off. This would let you get a lower graft and possibly use less scions of that’s a concern for you. You just need one scion to take off on a short stump and you’ll have a full mango bush/tree in a couple years.

[Cookie Monster]

I'd do the side veneer now while it's still green. Even if it fails, you can still try again in the spring.