We have an old scrawny apple tree - can branches/twigs (whatever it is that is grafted to root stock) - be taken from an old tree and put on young roots?

The apples are not very impressive looking, but have a great flavor.

Hi BIG.

I have no personal experience of this but it is very commonly done here in France - last autumn my neighbour took a twig (scion is the correct term :mrgreen: ) off a knackered old cherry tree of ours and grafted it onto a new rootstock.

With apples, I do know that one of the purposes of grafting is to dwarf the tree so that the fruit is more accessible and it fruits earlier in it's life, so you would need to bear this in mind when chosing what rootstock to use. In England, they are graded by the letter M and a number, don't know if it's the same in the US.

It sounds like this tree is worth regenerating so I'd give it a try if I were you; here's a link with the how tos - http://www.ehow.com/how_2042618_graft-fruit-trees.html

Hope it helps. :D

I have no idea about grafting fruit, but my dad loved to do that. Wish I would have learned more about it from him - he's been gone for 12 years. There is a tree in my mother's orchard with about 4 or 5 different varieties of apples on it - you just have to pick which limb you want!

wow, saravincent, I didn't know you could do that! How awesome to have different varieties on the same tree...just awesome. Would love to see a picture of that, with the fruit on it. amazing! :D

Your wish is my command oh Mousie one! Here's a pic of a tree with several types of apple and one with two types of blossom! :D

k3n - what a great photo! My dad had a green thumb. There wasn't a square inch that he didn't try something. I guess i learned a lot from just watching, but not enough! I'll bet there are lots of web sites for grafting. Keep us up to date!

Is that ever something? I love it.
You could have different apples to please everyone in the family!
That's amazing, and yours look so healthy...I just want to pick one, and let the juice run down my chin and hands as I eat it! slurp! :mrgreen:

bearisgrey, yes you can do that, but one should probably contact their County Extension office for advice or your local Master Gardeners program.

The most difficult part is the after care of the graft. Proper care has to be maintained for one to two years in order for the graft to take correctly and to maintain a healthy plant.

The time of year, where the cuts are made, how they are attached, maintenance, all play an important roll in the success of the graft.
Hope this helps. The old trees are worth saving if possible.
Good luck.

You Might check the university in your area,ours has a master gardners program and they even have a "farm" that they work, of course a nursery would work too,but they might try to sell you new trees instead

What a great idea. I don't have a green thumb at all so I am not help at all.