Author Topic: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?  (Read 2928 times)

funlul

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Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« on: October 12, 2015, 01:12:32 PM »
Hello all from 100F Southern Cal...  :) 

I am hoping to top my 3 yrs old peach tree (nursery likely screwed it up and gave us a poor variety) and graft it coming spring. The trunk diameter is roughly 3 inches. When would you recommend topping it, so there will be fresh greenwoods ready for graft when scion exchanges come up in Jan / Feb 2016?

For a mature citrus tree ~1.5 stories tall, how much trimming is required before it will consider taking new grafts? Your thoughts are much much appreciated!!
« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 01:37:35 PM by funlul »
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

venturabananas

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Re: Best timing to top a tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2015, 09:32:56 AM »
I wouldn't top it to produce new shoots to graft on to.  You can graft straight to older wood (e.g., with a bark or cleft grafts) with very high success rates on stone fruit.

funlul

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Re: Best timing to top a tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2015, 10:46:20 AM »
I wouldn't top it to produce new shoots to graft on to.  You can graft straight to older wood (e.g., with a bark or cleft grafts) with very high success rates on stone fruit.

thank you! your recommendation would be topping it only when the scion woods become available?
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

funlul

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2015, 01:41:27 PM »
So far I've only had success with v-cuts, all veneer grafts failed for some reason. This University of Minnesota page has some interesting info.

Budding?...
Quote
(Budding) is the most commonly used method for fruit tree production in the nursery, but can also be used for topworking plum, cherry, apricots, and peach as well as young apple and pear trees. (Cherry, plum, apricot, and peach are not easily cleft grafted or whip grafted.)

Age of stock
Quote
Young, vigorous fruit trees up to 5 years old are best for topworking. Older apple and pear trees of almost any age can be topworked but the operation is more severe and those over 10 years old must be worked at a higher point.
Young trees should have 1 to 2 feet of branch between the trunk and the graft. Otherwise the good crotch formation of the understock will be lost by the trunk expanding past the union.
Trees up to 5 years old can be grafted at one time. On older trees about half – the upper and center part only – should be worked at one time. The remainder should be worked a year later.

Hmmmmm... Your thoughts? Other sources definitely recommended cleft / wedge grafting for peach trees.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 01:51:20 PM by funlul »
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

venturabananas

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Re: Best timing to top a tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2015, 10:41:03 AM »
I wouldn't top it to produce new shoots to graft on to.  You can graft straight to older wood (e.g., with a bark or cleft grafts) with very high success rates on stone fruit.

thank you! your recommendation would be topping it only when the scion woods become available?

Yes, in my experience that would work well.  You could top it straight down to a stump, but generally the experts seem to recommend leaving at least one nurse branch on the tree.  I've used the approach shown in the following video with great success, and variants thereof.

http://www.davewilson.com/community-and-resources/videos/how-graft-fruit-tree-0

venturabananas

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2015, 10:44:05 AM »
Budding is generally used during the active growth season to produce new, small, grafted plants on desired rootstock.  Topworking of stone fruits is normally done differently, with cleft grafts or bark grafts (both are very easy) at the end of the dormant season.

funlul

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2017, 03:47:17 PM »
Bark graft failed miserably on me.
Cleft graft on two smaller branches took and I had quite some harvest this season, only to find out I don't like them. Will top the tree again and hope there is new growth for coming spring sigh.
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

funlul

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2017, 04:01:24 PM »
The late variety peaches are still hanging on the tree yet to mature.
But I trimmed off quite some early variety branches to
1) figure out which grafts from this spring took
2) give them growing / breathing room.
Out of idk how many tries this spring, there are 7 sticks still pushing. One apricot, one plum (maybe?) and the rest peaches. If weather cools down after harvest, I'll try to graft again... Poor peach tree >o<
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

Mark in Texas

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2017, 09:24:34 AM »
Funny as  I chopped down this 10 yr. old, unproductive 25'W peach tree in order to get shoots to graft to next spring.  That was a month ago and so far no output.  :(  Am in the heart of commercial peach country and have access to 21 varieties form the oldest peach growing family in our county, keeping my fingers crossed.  If you guys are in chill hours zone 650-900 be glad to give some commercial variety recommendations.  We just froze a bunch yesterday - Loring and Harvester.



Good luck!
« Last Edit: June 24, 2017, 09:26:44 AM by Mark in Texas »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2017, 09:28:08 AM »
Budding is generally used during the active growth season to produce new, small, grafted plants on desired rootstock.  Topworking of stone fruits is normally done differently, with cleft grafts or bark grafts (both are very easy) at the end of the dormant season.

How do you do a bark graft when the trunk is 10" or better and hard as a rock?

funlul

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Re: Best timing to top a peach tree in hope for spring grafting?
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2017, 01:10:46 AM »
Funny as  I chopped down this 10 yr. old, unproductive 25'W peach tree in order to get shoots to graft to next spring.  That was a month ago and so far no output.  :( 

Thank you, fingers crossed, and good luck!!
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon