Author Topic: Avocado grafting  (Read 29495 times)

spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #125 on: October 21, 2019, 04:21:24 PM »
The inarched tree from post #102 had a miracle comeback its alive.  This it it, nimlioh



The avocados grafted last summer have taken off.  Most are 4ft+ tall now.  I will give them another year then let them hold a few fruit in 2021. 

Heres an OTA tree.  Looks beautiful


This one is kahaluu

« Last Edit: October 21, 2019, 04:28:13 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #126 on: October 21, 2019, 04:35:09 PM »
This one is mexicola grande.  It was a 6" stub when I grafted it in summer of last year.  It has now reached 9ft.  Its the most vigorous tree I have.  Its on a bacon rootstock and was watered really hard just to see what it would do.  It was on a timer and getting watered with the others but I also hosed it really hard everytime I visited that tree with what seemed like very excessive amount of water.  It will be ready to bear fruit next year.

« Last Edit: October 21, 2019, 04:39:26 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #127 on: October 21, 2019, 04:41:23 PM »
Ive been very diligent in training the trees to all have a central leader.  Most of these trees got planted on a 12-15 space and will be kept as column shape trees if possible and kept around 15-20ft tall.  A few of the trees still have their training stakes and ties but it looks like they will be removed by 2 years of age.  Im only using a single stake to pull the central leaders perfect straight up.  If the trees are allowed to lean then new dominant branches form and the tree turns into a bush.  That might be preferable to some people but I have decided its not what I want in my orchard.  For 2 reasons.  Having a column tree means higher density planting and more production per area.  And its much easier to get at the fruit.  If you dont have to climb into a big bushy tree.  Theres rattle snakes here and climbing into trees sucks.  I rather use a picker pole.  Some varieties just dont grow in a colmn shape like hass and fuerte tend to get bushy.  But I will at least try to keep them this way.  I have a lot of trees that have bad shapes because I didnt know what I wanted or how to properly prune and shape them when starting out.  Its a really important thing to do in the first few years of growh.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2019, 04:48:00 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #128 on: October 21, 2019, 04:55:51 PM »
Heres a jan boyce tree 1 year in ground and is 6ft now.  Its quite vigorous.  The tree needs to be staked and the leader pulled over to the left to correct the leaning or it will become a bush.  Its not too late to fix this tree and I am going to restake it this week.  It was staked and then the staking was removed and the leader leaned over and a 2nd dominate branch formed on it.  It has a V shape half way up the tree.  I had the orchard on autopilot for a while and I didnt pay attention.  Now I just need to restake this up and correct it.

The other issue with this tree is it has a scaffokd brqnch forming very low on it.  You can see it at the bottom on left side of the tree.  That branch is going out almost horizontal.  And its got leaves touching the ground.  The fruit that forms on that branch will be on the ground.  And it will block the irrigation.  And its going to be a pain in the but to get the feuit off the tree with a big branch down there.  So that will probably also get pruned off now that the tree has gained some size and vigor it wont be missed.

The reason Im posting all this is to give ideas about your own young trees.  Make sure you get things off to the right path when they are young.


« Last Edit: October 21, 2019, 05:01:30 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #129 on: October 26, 2019, 06:28:06 PM »
The trees you have are looking great and your getting some fast growth.

jmart777

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #130 on: October 26, 2019, 07:16:59 PM »
Nice work Brad!

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #131 on: October 27, 2019, 03:55:26 PM »
Great points, success speaks for itself.

Avoman

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #132 on: December 17, 2019, 09:39:42 PM »
I graft in my house so i can have grafting success almost any month of the year,if i had 1 tip to give it would be dont try to graft too young of seedlings thats were ive had most failure rates when ive tryed to graft too small, i advise tree age of 6 months to 1 year old and at least pencil size of trunk or even a bit larger for better take rates. Lately ive mostly done cleft grafts but had success on side grafts also, i use parafilm and sometimes rubber band on outside of parafilm in case im looking for added presure esp if my cuts are not super straight, im ready for commercail grafting cutting tool as i think this could help me for straighter cuts, also cut scions in straightest part of scions as bends in scions has lower success rate.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2019, 09:53:20 PM by Avoman »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #133 on: December 19, 2019, 07:44:53 AM »
Buddy tape and clothespins work well for me on t-bud, side veneer, cleft.  You can forget it if the timing is not right.  I wouldn't think of grafting anything right now as we are damn cold with outside lows in the teens with the last cold front.

spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #134 on: December 19, 2019, 10:31:35 AM »
Ill be doing way more avocado grafting than I care to in a couple months from now.  Theres about 15 seedling I let get big and need to do something with.  Will take some pics. 

All the little grafted trees from this thread are getting flower buds on them now.  Its very tempting to let them each carry a fruit.  Cant wait to try all these new varieties. 
Brad Spaugh

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #135 on: December 20, 2019, 09:31:26 AM »
Ill be doing way more avocado grafting than I care to in a couple months from now.  Theres about 15 seedling I let get big and need to do something with.  Will take some pics. 

All the little grafted trees from this thread are getting flower buds on them now.  Its very tempting to let them each carry a fruit.  Cant wait to try all these new varieties.

How exciting.  On the bigger trees you might want to try t-bud.  Almost a no brainer if the rootstock bark slips easily.  There's a perfect cambium match.  It's my favorite way to graft citrus. On pencil size stock I apply a clothespin just above and one below the slice of budwood.


spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #136 on: December 20, 2019, 03:53:11 PM »
Ill be doing way more avocado grafting than I care to in a couple months from now.  Theres about 15 seedling I let get big and need to do something with.  Will take some pics. 

All the little grafted trees from this thread are getting flower buds on them now.  Its very tempting to let them each carry a fruit.  Cant wait to try all these new varieties.

How exciting.  On the bigger trees you might want to try t-bud.  Almost a no brainer if the rootstock bark slips easily.  There's a perfect cambium match.  It's my favorite way to graft citrus. On pencil size stock I apply a clothespin just above and one below the slice of budwood.

The rootstocks are 1-2 inches wide.  I was going to try doing some bark grafts with pencil or larger size scions.  Maybe take a couple sticks off each rootstock and graft them onto one tree and to see if any produce good fruit. And top work the rest of them with known cultivars.  My problem now is I have 2 months to decide what to graft and where to source it.  I can make duplicate trees with what I have but would like to try and get a few new types if possible. 

Honestly Mark, I don't enjoy the actual grafting.  I find it tedious and laborious.  But when the grafts work and things grow it is very rewarding.  And obviously eating the final product is awesome as well. 
Brad Spaugh

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #137 on: December 28, 2019, 11:55:18 AM »
The rootstocks are 1-2 inches wide.  I was going to try doing some bark grafts with pencil or larger size scions.  Maybe take a couple sticks off each rootstock and graft them onto one tree and to see if any produce good fruit. And top work the rest of them with known cultivars.  My problem now is I have 2 months to decide what to graft and where to source it.  I can make duplicate trees with what I have but would like to try and get a few new types if possible. 

Honestly Mark, I don't enjoy the actual grafting.  I find it tedious and laborious.  But when the grafts work and things grow it is very rewarding.  And obviously eating the final product is awesome as well.

Watching a new graft push is very exciting as is having some tasty fruit that you (here in Texas) few can only dream of.   We're really enjoying citrus now and "they say" oranges are a super healthy fruit.  Really looking forward to some Reeds this summer.  All of grafted avocado trees are just gorgeous and should bloom big time soon.
   



spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #138 on: December 28, 2019, 12:11:29 PM »
Heres one that sprung a sucker.  Lame holiday tree was falling over and seemed to have triggered the rootstock to make a sprout.  In less than 6 months the sucker is as tall as the holiday.  Im going to stump the holiday and dosome bark grafts and also try and put some on the sucker.

Ill put some holiday grafts on my bacon tree too.  This holiday fruit is big and needs a real tree to hold it up.  The holiday has a lousy growth pattern, nice fruits but pathetic tree.  Best bet will be hang it on a stronger tree.




« Last Edit: December 28, 2019, 12:20:07 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #139 on: January 03, 2020, 06:21:39 AM »
Solid plan. That sucker looks to be a good candidate for side veneer.

jtnguyen333

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #140 on: March 05, 2020, 05:50:35 PM »
I just started grafting.  I'm looking forward to grafting avocado soon.   I have a couple seedling trees that are about 1/4 to 1/2 in trunk diameter.  Has anyone try to t-bud with avocado and has success? 

spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #141 on: March 05, 2020, 06:44:38 PM »
Now's a great time James.  I did a lot of grafts in the last 2 weeks and have severalushing now.
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #142 on: March 05, 2020, 06:54:28 PM »
Now's a great time James.  I did a lot of grafts in the last 2 weeks and have severalushing now.
I've never tried a t bud but I have chip budded avocado successfully.

FruitFool

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #143 on: March 05, 2020, 09:32:24 PM »
I have a avocado seedling to graft over.
Also have access to Reed scions from a friend's tree.
What would be good pollinator for Reed?

Thanks,
FruitFool

spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #144 on: March 05, 2020, 11:42:35 PM »
Reed is self fruiting.  It flowers later than most everything. 
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #145 on: March 06, 2020, 01:06:18 AM »
Thanks, Brad

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #146 on: March 06, 2020, 06:56:45 AM »
Reed is self fruiting.  It flowers later than most everything.

My Reed isn't even showing flower buds yet.

So far my sequence of flowering was Pinkerton first (which was self fruitful) and flowering solo, Ardith, Sharwil and Lamb Hass are just beginning to explode with open flowers, and hopefully GEM will have flower buds after 3 grafts took on 3 shoots late 2018.

Most everything was root drenched with Bonzi about 2 months ago.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #147 on: March 06, 2020, 07:10:16 AM »
I just started grafting.  I'm looking forward to grafting avocado soon.   I have a couple seedling trees that are about 1/4 to 1/2 in trunk diameter.  Has anyone try to t-bud with avocado and has success?

If your bark is slipping it should work well.  Take buds from older growth, not growth that is pushing now.  I do/did a lot of T bud on citrus, about 80.  Easy peasy as you get a perfect match of cambium to cambium if you're careful.  A Schick single edge blade is the only way to go as the cuts are clean with no fuzzy tissue shearing.

Clothes pins, one just over and one just under the dormant bud insures a tight fit.
 


For rootstock your size you also might try side veneer grafting.



Reed is on steroids requiring a hair cut at least twice a year.  Fruit is sizing up very nice.



Brad as you know, after a couple of years researching, here's what I figured out would work best for me regarding cooling efficiency, cost, and low maintenance.

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jtnguyen333

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #148 on: March 06, 2020, 11:06:06 AM »
 :D Thanks Brad & Mark. I'm going to wait a year for my in ground seedling to branch out more to do a multi-graft.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2020, 11:09:47 AM by jtnguyen333 »

spaugh

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Re: Avocado grafting
« Reply #149 on: March 06, 2020, 12:47:49 PM »
:D Thanks Brad & Mark. I'm going to wait a year for my in ground seedling to branch out more to do a multi-graft.

Good idea, no reason to rush into it.  It doesnt cost you anything to wait to graft since your root system is growing, the new grafts will grow super fast if youcut the tree back and top work. 
Brad Spaugh