Removing weeds with heavy and powerful machines can result in breaking a precious tree. This 3 years old apple tree was very difficult to obtain and its one of my best varieties.

Since it broke at the old graft union the first method I tried was to re graft the variety to the old root stock. The brake point was very close to the ground so the bark grafting technique was the only option I had.

broken tree

I started by cutting the stump and smoothing the cut to obtain a good uniform surface for grafting. I collected a few scions from the broken tree, selecting those that had the buds still dormant. I protected the scions from dehydration, by wrapping them in Paraffin. This happened in late March, and the bark was still not slipping easily so I had to be careful to avoid breaking it. To know more about this grafting technique on the subject. After cutting and inserting the scions I applied pressure with elastic tape.

tree grafting

I finished by covering the whole area with a pruning mastic so air and rain water can’t get in. As higher temperatures were expected I protected the grafts with aluminum foil. 5 weeks later the first leaves started to appear and I opened the aluminum foil. After 7 weeks the grafts seem to have taken. After 2 more weeks, with an aphid attack and sunburn they are struggling a bit, but I am confident they will pull through. My second option was grafting the variety to a new root stock as a backup, just in case the bark graft might fail. I used the modified cleft graft.After 6 weeks, the graft is developing nicely. After 2 months, I have a nice backup of my original tree.

The third option was trying to root the tree main trunk has it still had a few small roots. Extremely heavy pruning was essential for this attempt, since water absorption from a small amount of roots can’t keep up with evaporation from lots of leaves. Without the help of a dedicated root stock the tree can’t survive in the orchard heavy clay so, I decided to plant it on a patch of sandy, well-draining soil. Keeping the soil moist during the next few weeks is extremely important to give the tree a chance to root.

graft union

After 6 weeks, some buds are starting to break and the original leaves are still there. Things are looking good. After 2 months, the rooting seems a success. We will see how it grows and produces, planted on its own roots, in the following months.

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