Topworking Appletrees

sorry about double post

In 2004 we did a variety trail experiment. A couple of the varieties did very good, several bombed out most due to cedar apple rust. I was going to pull these trees completely out of the ground and replant but I have heard people mentioning topworking. Not having dont any grafting, is this where you graft in buds from good trees and completely eliminate the other branches without buds? It would be nice to be able to use the rootstocks already growing as a base for new trees. WVMJ

Top whoring?
Not familiar with it. Is that something like a mermaid party?


*edit* WHO CHANGED THE GD TITLE??????

I was all interested in top woring.

It certainly is possible. I am not an expert but the usual way with apples is to cut the tree back to a stump and graft new stems onto the trunk, keeping contact between the cambium layers, then seal over with grafting wax which can be ordered over the internet. Another way is to insert buds under the bark and tie up with tape. You can research grafting and topworking on youtube.
Grafting is done in late winter and budding in spring.

I have done quite a bit of this, and continue to rework trees every year, as I learn which varieties perform well here. There are some good YouTube videos - I forget the guy's name, somebody in England - showing the different techniques. I'll try to find them and post links.

I mostly use Cleft Graft and Rind Graft techniques, but also some whip-and-tongue, splice, and wedge grafts. Which technique to use is dependent on what you have to work with, the character of the original tree as well as the nature of the new scions; also time of year is important. An old book, "The Grafter's Handbook" by R. J. Garner, remains the best text on the subject.

I have trees that were totally topworked three years ago and are now beginning to produce fruit. If done right, new growth is extremely vigorous. Basically, you collect scion wood (vigorous, preferably straight shoots of that year's growth) during the dormant season, then graft them on just before (or at) budswell in spring, when sap has started flowing. You can usually obtain scionwood from other orchardists or at scion exchanges.

You can also bud graft in August or possibly even now, if you hurry. It's a fun graft to do, where you insert single leaf buds from the tree you want to propagate, and well suited for top working.

My post was posted in the "topworing" double post.....here it seems silly