By Neil Barraclough
Some time ago I posted a photo of a peach grafted and then the graft covered with buddy tape, then a shield of alfoil to keep the sun off. I soon replaced the buddy tape with cling wrap and maintained the alfoil shield.
Some time ago I posted a photo of a peach grafted and then the graft covered with buddy tape, then a shield of alfoil to keep the sun off. I soon replaced the buddy tape with cling wrap and maintained the alfoil shield.
I did three grafts on two different peaches that I had grafted at a young age and were an excellent shape for multi-grafting. By planting the seed onsite, or in this case a very young rootstock seedling peach it develops a much better shape than ones commercially grown too close together. Anyway, one graft that the alfoil and cling wrap blew off for a few days while I was away failed but the other five are looking good, one I did last week not certain yet though.
Budding is the traditional way of propagating peaches and nectarines it has been more reliable than grafting in the past but far less suited to multigrafting and less suited to the much younger trees I'm working with. I often hear of it being referred to as pruning to a vase, vases have near vertical sides so I'm calling it multigrafting towards a funnel, better description. However because I'm working with much younger trees with a much better shape I already have a perfect funnel shape on the way with four lower branches of different varieties. As it is to be in an enclosure and I want to utilise space the best I can I'm going to try for a double funnel with eight varieties and perhaps a branch out of the centre at the top to give a stronger structure for the upper funnel.
All you need to do is to be able to graft and its getting easier for me with the use of hormone. cling wrap and alfoil shields. Have a go friends the grafting season isn't over it's just started, go through to March with anything you can graft dormant.