]Grafting onto Hawthorn - Crataegus[/size]


Following is a list of fruit species to graft onto hawthorn root stock... (all from the Rosaceae family).

If you have wild growing hawthorns why not graft your favourite fruit tree onto them.

I will not graft all the hawthorns growing here, the oldest will remain as a valuable resource for domestic bees and all other insects looking for pollen and nectar in spring and also for the medical use of the flowers & fruit.

Grafting low will prevent too many wild suckers growing below the graft union and will allow to mount soil up above the graft union to allow formation of own roots for difficult graft unions like pear or juneberry ...

1. All "other" Crataegus interesting for bigger fruits, e.g.: Crataegus arnoldiana, Crataegus azarolus, Crataegus durobrivensis, Crataegus ellwangeriana, Crataegus missouriensis, Crataegus schraderiana, Crataegus submollis, Crataegus succulenta, Crataegus tanacetifolia

2. German medlar, (Mespilus germanica), used by nurseries, easy.

3. Quince, (Cydonia oblonga), (Chaenomeles cathayensis), also as intermediate graft/inter-stock for pears & apples, quince overgrows hawthorn, but to a lesser degree than pear, easy.

4. Mountain ash, (Sorbus aucuparia), e.g. cultivar "Concentra" ...

5. Juneberry, (Amélanchier ...) - best grafted low and after a few years mount soil up above the graft union to allow formation of own roots, easy.

6. Chokeberry, (Aronia melanocarpa), also commonly called black chokeberry, best grafted low and after a few years mount soil up above the graft union to allow formation of own roots.

7. Pear, (Pyrus communis), try the varieties "Joséphine de Malines" or "Beurré Le Brun" as first (or final), intermediate graft and then your choice of pear, otherwise best grafted low and after a few years mount soil up above the graft union to allow formation of own roots, pear overgrows hawthorn and might need a tutor to avoid breaking at the graft union.
http://mapassionduverger.fr/greffage/greffage-sur-aubepine/

8. Service tree, (Sorbus domestica), not easy.

9. Japanese medlar, (Eriobotrya japonica), adds cold hardiness to medlar, not easy.

Where to get scion wood? Here, the goldmine for scion wood: http://fruitiers.net/, if you need help signing in let me know.

Have fun grafting ,;- )


Please note: Hawthorn is a fire-blight host.

I have grafted medlars ( neflier ) on to hawthorne and found that quite easy even for a beginner such as myself . I dont think I will bother with quince as it roots so easy and often has its own little ones I can trans plant

David

Hi David,

I have got plenty of hawthorns I can graft on, scions are fast growing on a already developed root system.
Here are the scions:

http://www.fruitiers.net/bourse.php

better page than the initial link.

,:- )

Herb

Hi Herbert,

We have Hawthorne growing spontaneously in our field and on the borders of it. We also have a *lot* of deer pressure. I have a small espalier Japanese pear (Nashi - Pyrus pyrifolia) tree that the deer tend to defoliate despite my efforts to protect it. I would like to graft it on to waist-high Hawthorne and leave the prickly stuff lower down in the hope of getting fruit that's protected from the deer. Do you have any opinions about this idea?

I have access to other Pyrus spp. through a friend if you think that some varieties are easier to graft.  

Pear is mentioned in several places for grafting on Hawthorne. Apple is also Malinae, and they and pear are both in the tribe Maleae, as is Hawthorne. Has anyone tried to graft apple varieties on? We run Muscovy duck in the field and at times of the year we need more feed for them. They will eat pears when I bring them windfalls from a friend, but they particularly like apples (and regularly sneak through the fence to steal the neighbor's windfalls!!) I know that trying to get fruit trees established in the field will be a very frustrating experience due to our both the deer pressure and our dry summers. I'm inclined to try some experiments, but if others have tried this, it would help to know the results.

Thanks J.

@Herbert P: "...Please note: Hawthorn is a fire-blight host. "

Curious about this as we have had many trees croak from fireblight, but the wild hawthorns in the area seem quite robust.  Will there be local variation here in the hawthorn populations for susceptibility?  Are they a non-symptomatic host?

Interesting thread - thank you.
I note that you mention grafting rowan (sorbus aucuparia) on to hawthorn. I have plenty of sorbus. Is there a list of things graftable to sorbus? Is it mutual/reciprocal? What benefits are to be gained from other sorbus varieties -  are they sweeter flavours?
I am also wanting to talk to people who are pollarding/pruning old (60 yr) sweet chestnut [UK = sativa] for fruit and also accounts of grafting large fruit varieties into the canopy of an older tree.
Is there anything nice graftable onto beech [UK = fagus sylvatica] ?