Blossom Time

The apple trees are starting to blossom.

 

The Crabapples are the first to bloom

 

 

The full sized apples are not far behind.

 

Now if the pollinators do their part my next pictures will be of small apples.



Bench Grafting Apple Trees

Received my apple rootstock yesterday and began grafting last evening.  Grafting dormant scion to dormant rootstock is known as Bench Grafting. After grafting I place the tree in a bucket of damp sawdust and store in a cool area of the basement for 3-6 week for the graft to callus or heal. If I have matched the cambium on the scion to the cambium on the rootstock the graft will grow together and I will have a successful graft.

 

My rootstock. This year I am using MM106 rootstock.  It will grow into a 15 to 20 foot tree at maturity.

 

 

 

Everything necessary for a successful graft. The rootstock, scion, grafting knife, and parafilm grafting tape. The double boiler contains bees wax to coat the end of the scion to keep if from drying out.

 

 

 

First graft of the year was a Smokehouse apple. This variety originated in the 1830's as a wild seedling that grew near the smokehouse of a Mr. William Gibbons of Lancaster Pa.

 

Signs of Spring

Woods Frogs on the vernal pond.

 

 

 

 

The crabapples are the first to awaken.