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Invasive Callery Pear to fruit bearing
Habitat Improvement
Messages posted to thread:
RIT 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
CAS_HNTR 08-Apr-20
RIT 08-Apr-20
t-roy 08-Apr-20
badguybuster 08-Apr-20
Zbone 08-Apr-20
RIT 09-Apr-20
Zbone 09-Apr-20
Smtn10PT 09-Apr-20
BullBuster 09-Apr-20
standswittaknife 09-Apr-20
CAS_HNTR 09-Apr-20
t-roy 09-Apr-20
RIT 09-Apr-20
John in MO / KY 09-Apr-20
Medicinemann 09-Apr-20
RIT 09-Apr-20
RIT 02-May-20
RIT 02-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
Treeline 30-May-20
Teeton 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
Teeton 30-May-20
t-roy 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
RIT 30-May-20
Fuzzy 01-Jun-20
RIT 14-Jul-20
RIT 14-Jul-20
t-roy 14-Jul-20
RIT 14-Jul-20
RIT 14-Jul-20
Teeton 14-Jul-20
wildwilderness 16-Jul-20
RIT 16-Jul-20
RIT 20-Jun-21
RIT 20-Jun-21
Mark S 20-Jun-21
BUCKeye 20-Jun-21
RIT 20-Jun-21
t-roy 20-Jun-21
buckeye 21-Jun-21
Stressless 21-Jun-21
RIT 23-Jun-21
The last savage 27-Jun-21
RIT 26-May-22
RIT 26-May-22
RIT 26-May-22
RIT 26-May-22
Bake 26-May-22
Smtn10PT 26-May-22
APauls 26-May-22
Stressless 28-May-22


By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

RIT's embedded Photo

I was blessed with invasive Callery pear trees on my property. Many of you have probably seen these trees with thorns and hard small pear like fruits. Deer browse them somewhat but they aren’t of much use. I decided to change the tree into a productive fruit bearing tree through grafting. If successful these should be dropping fruit in two short years thanks to the extensive rootstock already established.

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

Above I changed an invasive species to Kieffer, Gate, and a couple of Asian varieties with different drop times. In all I will graft about 25 trees in the next week. I’ll give an update periodically. This is the first time I have tried my hand at grafting so hoping it turns out as planned.

Date:08-Apr-20

I did this to a dozen crabapples.....they haven't made fruit yet but look great.

Do you have that gate pear producing? How you like it?

PS: I would protect the scion...lost many to deer and also due to birds landing on them outstanding scion!

By: RIT
Date:08-Apr-20

No Gates producing yet. I didn’t post the picture but when I was all done I taped branches that extended up about 20” past the scion figuring that’s where the birds would likely land.

My first thought after seeing the height of the scion was that I need to cage the tree to keep deer off the new growth.

By: t-roy
Date:08-Apr-20

Very cool, RIT & your project as well, Craig! I haven’t attempted any type of grafting as of yet. It will be interesting to follow your progress.

Date:08-Apr-20

Lucky you. We are battling Invasive Celendine. Toxic and useless

By: Zbone
Date:08-Apr-20

Hmmmm, interesting....

How do you cut/slice the root tree bark and cut the scions base, and where to find wound sealer and can any type root tree work, or does it have to be of a fruit variety?

My grandfather user to graft fruit trees but I was too young to pay attention how he did it.... Thanks for any info...

By: RIT
Date:09-Apr-20

You need trees that are compatible. Apple to apple pear to pear. They need to be the same genus. Wound sealer can be had from most nurseries or garden centers. I have even seen it at Walmart.

The cut on the tree will depend on what type of graft you choose. I did a bark graft for these trees. Your best best is to google bark grafting or do a search on YouTube. Endless videos of bark grafts that will instruct you loads better than I can. They will also explain how to cut the Scion wood, sealing and caring for your new graft.

By: Zbone
Date:09-Apr-20

Thank you sir...

Date:09-Apr-20

interesting post, please keep us updated!

Date:09-Apr-20

Brilliant

Date:09-Apr-20

very interesting....

Date:09-Apr-20

Another thing you can do if you want to work with smaller branches and not do a bark graft as RIT has shown is to cut the tree back this spring and let it sent a new leader out this year. Trim it back about mid summer to the "best ones" and come next spring you will have a perfect leader to perform a whip and tongue graft with a much more closely sized scion.

Both work, but I prefer to work with more similar sized specimens......I think they "take" better.

Also.....if you are cheap, you can use a $1 toilet bowl wax ring in lieu of wound sealer for the exposed tree wound. Works just about as good from my experience.

By: t-roy
Date:09-Apr-20

Is there a best time of the year to graft in general? Spring vs Fall, or another time?

By: RIT
Date:09-Apr-20

I can’t speak for any other type of graft but for the bark graft you want to do it in the Spring when the bark is slipping. The advice given to me was when the leaves are about the size of a squirrels ear. It’s unmistakable when the bark easily peals away from the cambium layer.

This is all new to me so I can only comment on what I have read or been told. After I did the first few grafts it become easy and felt more natural. I hope to have some photos in a few weeks of some new growth.

Date:09-Apr-20

That is a fantastic idea!

Date:09-Apr-20
Medicinemann's Supporting Link

The instructor has an accent, but is easy to understand....plus he included subtext. YouTube has tons of different sources.

By: RIT
Date:09-Apr-20

Slight accent eh Jake? Good link something I had heard before but heard again on that video was leaving a branch growing. I didn’t do it on the first two grafts but I did do on the rest of them. On the first I forgot about the branch and on the second I had two trees close together. We will see if it makes a difference. I am guessing here but my thoughts are the branchless graft will send up a bunch of suckers instead of pushing new growth.

By: RIT
Date:02-May-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:02-May-20

We had some awfully bad weather just after grafting. We had snow, rain, and temps well below freezing. It took a lot longer than I would have liked but some of the trees are waking up. 6 of 11 grafts are starting to put on green. The other 5 still have the scions alive so we will see.

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

Not sure if it was bad weather, bad grafts, or maybe both but 10 of 11 grafts have made it and started putting on good growth. I expect 6-8’ of growth this year with the extensive root systems already established. With fruit possible within 2 years.

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

A few things I have learned. The wound sealer is nice but once the hot sun arrives it starts to crack and requires attention. Going forward I will be sealing with wax. After the first graft I noticed plumbers tape isn’t as robust as I would like so I switched to good ole electrical tape. I have also seen some videos where they use a small nail. May try it next Spring.

With the big root systems and energy pushing up the tree will send up suckers and shoots. It’s best to keep them pruned off so the energy can be spent on vegetative growth for the new scions.

This is just another habit fueled addiction that I can’t wait time do again and again.

Date:30-May-20

Looks like you are in business!

Never paid any attention to tree grafting but remember seeing a lot of grafted pecans around my grandparents place. Pretty amazing process.

By: Teeton
Date:30-May-20

Wonder if a standard apple like a Macintosh can be grafted to a crabapple?

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

Me neither Treeline but now that I have it’s pretty damn neat.

I would say yes Teeton but there are some factors involved. If I am planting for deer I prefer crabapples and not the small bird size apples.

I recall reading Rome, MacInTosh, Winesap and a few others were actually the best variety to convert from crabs.

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20
RIT's Supporting Link

By: Teeton
Date:30-May-20

Tanks Rit's.

This has me thinking. I have hundreds of crab apples and very few common apples. Last year I started planting apple and pear trees. So far so good on them. Only one has died. This can really JumpStart my apple production. Was planning on putting in 20 more, but now maybe this. I'm assuming I can just get scions and graph them to my crabapple.

Now could I just get scions from local apple trees or should I buy them???? Where did you get your scions?

Guessing I could do more trees this way, than planting in the same time.

By: t-roy
Date:30-May-20

RIT....do you think it would help at all if you would paint over the black wound sealer with white paint to reduce the heating effects from the sun? I know some guys will paint the trunks of some fruit trees with white paint to reduce problems with winter sun scauld.

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

Teeton if you can readily identify local apple trees there is no issues getting scions locally. Just remember it needs to be 1 year old wood. Most of mine came off of my the pear trees I planted the last couple of years. There are some really good online places to get Scions. 39th parallel in Kansas comes to mind. They have a huge selection.

I should have a bunch of pear varieties next year and also a huge selection of crab apples.

You won’t get scions this time of year so start looking to place an order from December - February.

By: RIT
Date:30-May-20

T-toy painting it white would surely change the heat absorbing properties. Never tried it or heard of people doing it but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t help. At some point the electrical tape has to be cut loose so just something to keep in mind.

By: Fuzzy
Date:01-Jun-20

amazing idea!

By: RIT
Date:14-Jul-20

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:14-Jul-20

RIT's embedded Photo

I knew these would grow fast but we have had very little rain and blistering temps and these things have just exploded. Some of these grafts are pushing 40” of growth. Not spindly growth either thick new branches. I have re-taped all the grafts and had to go back and add support branches several times already. They are growing inches per week. I also have had to tape some of the new growth together to stop them from breaking off.

I noticed a few trees with an abnormal amount of ants so I will be sealing up any wounds in the trunk and painting them. I also have had to trim off a lot of suckers to keep the nutrients flowing to the grafts. I cannot wait to get started in the rest of the trees next Spring.

By: t-roy
Date:14-Jul-20

Wow! Those things really took off, RIT! What’s your thoughts on the ants? Are they attracted to something from the grafts, and are you concerned that they may be detrimental to them?

By: RIT
Date:14-Jul-20

t-Roy my thoughts are that they are attracted to the freshness of all suckers I have been breaking off the tree. I haven’t been sealing those up and they tend to leak a little after I break them. I’m not sure they will hurt the grafts but if there are any entry points into the tree they sure can be destructive.

By: RIT
Date:14-Jul-20

t-Roy my thoughts are that they are attracted to the freshness of all suckers I have been breaking off the tree. I haven’t been sealing those up and they tend to leak a little after I break them. I’m not sure they will hurt the grafts but if there are any entry points into the tree they sure can be destructive.

By: Teeton
Date:14-Jul-20

That's impressive, I'm really looking in to doing this next year spring. Thanks a ton, Rit

Date:16-Jul-20

At what point will they be able to support themselves? A couple years?

By: RIT
Date:16-Jul-20

That’s a good question. One I really don’t have the answer for. The original scion has doubled in girth and the grafted site is healing nicely.

The biggest concern right now is high winds and birds landing on branches. I did have one snap off. I cut it back and it has started to regrow.

By: RIT
Date:20-Jun-21

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:20-Jun-21

RIT's embedded Photo

By: Mark S
Date:20-Jun-21

Ingenious. Great job Ryan. Interesting

Date:20-Jun-21

This is one of the most useful threads ever. I grafted a few this spring and a few took and are growing fast. I am a bit worried they might grow too fast to support themselves while I am away.

By: RIT
Date:20-Jun-21

Thanks Mark.

Ron you definitely want to support them. I used sticks and tape them to the trees. I had to change them a few times because the growth was so fast. These things are pushing 10’ already. I expect them to fruit next year.

By: t-roy
Date:20-Jun-21

Very nice, RIT! Do you think you will still need to support the graft somehow, for a few years, or should they be good to go after a year or so?

Date:21-Jun-21

Are they making fruit yet? My peach tree made fruit this year but they all withered up died on the tree.. Never seen this before

Date:21-Jun-21

Really great thread - I don't have many apple/pear fruit trees but man if this would work on cherries I have a woods full of wild cherry.... Congrats on the success!

By: RIT
Date:23-Jun-21

No fruit yet.

I would say the longer you can support the scions the better off you will be. I did so many and the growth was out pacing the sticks so eventually I just stopped with the support. I plan on doing another 20 or so next Spring and my plan there will be to put bigger support sticks up that should last multiple years. I need to prune a couple of these but I was told no pruning the first two years.

Date:27-Jun-21

Nice job brother,, way to go trying a neat process,, i will keep it in mind for future reference,, excellent thread.....thanks

By: RIT
Date:26-May-22

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:26-May-22

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:26-May-22

RIT's embedded Photo

By: RIT
Date:26-May-22

RIT's embedded Photo

By: Bake
Date:26-May-22

Thanks for the updates! I remembered this thread, but for some reason thought it was persimmons. Very cool. Thanks

Date:26-May-22

Excellent! Now to see if they can withstand a heavy fruit load.

By: APauls
Date:26-May-22

I love this stuff. I have a little bit of a green thumb so to speak. I just got a grafting scissor in the mail the other day. You can also graft plums to apple trees as they are in the same family. I had a grandfather who had like 6 different types of fruits on one tree. He loved playing with that stuff.

Date:28-May-22

This is one of the best threads going...


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