Forums:

Top Grafting Elaeagnus with Goumi

Dennis Bangham

pollinator

Posts: 936

Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B

155

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Need some advice on top grafting my Elaeagnus hedge with Goumi. I have about 200 foot of hedge that I want to graft goumi onto. Elaeagnus is just too hard to maintain.

How long can I go after cutting off the tops of the Elaeagnus before I have to graft the scions? I know to leave one branch growing until the grafts take. I would like to cut the hedge down early and start grafting when the bark slips. These are evergreen here so I do not know what signs to look for to start the grafts.

Do I need to completely cover the top of the stump with wax or just where the graft is and any wounds. Is there something cheaper than a lot of wax?

What is the recommendation for type of grafting? Bark Top or Cleft Grafts or other? Any good videos on the technique?

Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!

Ken W Wilson

pollinator

Posts: 1191

Location: Nevada, Mo 64772

124

posted 6 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Which Elaeagnus do you have? What don’t you like about them? My Autumn Olive keeps starting more trunks from the base. I think grafting on them wouldn’t do much to make things easier for you. Mine doesn’t fruit though, so maybe I should graft on a few goumi scions.

Dennis Bangham

pollinator

Posts: 936

Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B

155

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I have Pungens and silverleaf. They get too big and the GOumi I am hoping to find get 6 foot tall and has better tasting berries.

Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!

Ken W Wilson

pollinator

Posts: 1191

Location: Nevada, Mo 64772

124

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

E pungens doesn’t sound very good. Do they really have 2” thorns? How tall are they?

I suspect that grafting goumi onto them will cause them to make more trunks from the roots or base. I think it might be a huge job every year to keep them contained. I haven’t grown pungens though, so I could be wrong.

Goumis are nice little bushes and no trouble at all. Mine haven’t produced fruit yet and are around 6 years old. They did have quite a bit a shade until a year ago.

Dennis Bangham

pollinator

Posts: 936

Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B

155

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

the thorns are not rigid or sharp and are not a problem to me. The problem is they can get 12 foot tall and wide.
I was hopping they would eventually stop growing and remain dwarf but no such luck. It just keeps growing.
A perfect hedge to keep deer out of your yard.
What cultivars of Goumi do you have? Will they remain at 6 feet?

Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!

James Landreth

gardener

Posts: 1180

Location: Western Washington

343

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I recommend Carmine. The berries are much bigger and are very good. My goumis always bear the first or second year in full sun. Birds like them so net a few bushes or you may lose them all

When you reach your lowest point, you are open to the greatest change.
-Avatar Aang

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

360

I like...

posted 6 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

James, would you be willing to send scions or seeds? I have Sweet Scarlet that I will prune in a couple weeks and can trade. They root readily as cuttings, I would not bother grafting. I second what others on here have said, that seems unlikely to work well.

I take a 12" section, fresh trimmed at the base, dip in rooting hormone and stick in the soil. Seems like most years it's best to root them towards mid-spring. This year I am doing softwood cuttings as well, since I am planting a couple hundred and it will more than pay for the setup I need. The chickens eat nothing but goumis for weeks when they are in.

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

James Landreth

gardener

Posts: 1180

Location: Western Washington

343

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I can try! When do you want them?

When you reach your lowest point, you are open to the greatest change.
-Avatar Aang

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

360

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I would wait until they are well-dormant. I trim the spines and can send the sections in a flat rate box. I sent some out last year to people I forget who. Didn't hear about rooting rates but last year was bad for me- it was too wet and most rotted before rooting. I am thinking of sending them mid-spring and cutting them right before. Why store them over the winter?

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

Dennis Bangham

pollinator

Posts: 936

Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B

155

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

TJ Thanks for the advice. It would be easier to just take out the hedge and chip it up for compost.
James, Carmine does sound good but it tends to grow up to 11 to 15 feet. It might make a good corner bush, but I am trying to get away from the difficult task of trimming this back since I live in a suburb.

Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

360

I like...

posted 6 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Dennis Bangham wrote:TJ Thanks for the advice. It would be easier to just take out the hedge and chip it up for compost.
James, Carmine does sound good but it tends to grow up to 11 to 15 feet. It might make a good corner bush, but I am trying to get away from the difficult task of trimming this back since I live in a suburb.

Send it to Mike!

I do love chopping these shrubs around

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com