posted 7 years ago
I'm in the same situation. I grafted 4 scions, but I did it the hard way, especially for a first timer. I did an interstem graft. I put a semi-dwarf rootstock onto a semi-full rootstock. What I really mean is I cut off a stem of the semi-dwarf, grafted that to the semi-full rootstock and then grafted my scions to that. So I did twice the grafting and have twice the grafts to get healed.
I did a MacIntosh, a Redfield, and a Black Oxford. I also grafted a semi-dwarf to the semi-full without a scion so that I can do a T-Bud graft in August.
I saw a bud leafing out on the Redfield yesterday. The others have promising looking buds. I got leafing out on the rootstocks or the interstems also. I know you're supposed to rub off growth on the rootstocks, but I'm worrying over not getting growth on the scions and maybe reusing the rootstocks again next year if it comes to that. So in my planting zone, it still looks promising to me.
I set out an extra M111 and a couple M7 rootstocks that were left after cutting off the stems. A couple of them show growth, one I think was too short. I never cared for how small a dwarf fruit tree is in my area. But I've become really interested in growing a few dwarfs on the M111 semi-full rootstocks. The idea of doing all the work and expense of growing a tree to get 10 apples or 3 Bartlett pears a year, that I've seen, doesn't appeal to me. But an 8 foot high, 8 foot diameter dwarf fruit tree with maybe 3 dozen apples might interest me. I'm thinking maybe a dwarf on that M111 rootstock will promote better growth for me.