Grafting a White Pine

[gerald randall]

I want to do some grafting on a White Pine. I have grown some of the sub branches fairly long and want to graft them onto other branches and possibly the trunk. When is the best time to do this? Can I use both hard and soft wood for the graft? Some of the branches I want to use as the donor are not very mature yet. I want to assure the best results as this is a fairly old White Pine and I may not have a second chance with these grafts.

Advice please.

[treeman]

I want to do some grafting on a White Pine. I have grown some of the sub branches fairly long and want to graft them onto other branches and possibly the trunk. When is the best time to do this? Can I use both hard and soft wood for the graft? Some of the branches I want to use as the donor are not very mature yet. I want to assure the best results as this is a fairly old White Pine and I may not have a second chance with these grafts.

Advice please.

If you want to cut shoots as scions it may be too late. It certainly is here. If the buds are moving at all then you have missed the boat for this spring. But you can do it late summer when the new growths have hardened off.
If you intend to approach graft, you still may be able to do it if the growth is just starting to move. However White pines bleed a lot (especially in spring) so I would advise you wait till winter or early spring for this as well.
The best wood to use is 1 year old for scions and 2 or 3 year old for approach.
If it is an old tree it will be more difficult than with a young one. Take your time to study it carefully and plan and prepare for your grafting next season??

[gerald randall]

Treeman

Thanks a lot for the info, much appreciated. I am rather sentimental about this tree. I know that I can mess this up and then damage the tree forever. This is not an experiment tree which I have a second chance with. I do not know pines well. So I am dependant on experience of others on this.

I will be experimenting if I do not get advice. Not something I want.

It is hot around here now. Most pines are growing and this one is in the ground and growing very strongly already. I thought it was the best time to do this during the growing season. Clearly not.

Thanks

[shibui]

Hi Gerald,
Treeman is THE pine grafting expert in this area. I would take careful note of what he says.

[Bush bunny]

I suppose you know that the tree lives in Cape Town. Are you Southern or Northern Hemisphere? Can't remember, but needless to say you would be warmer than some of our areas in Spring, especially the temperate areas.

[gerald randall]

If I have it right our temperatures are pretty much the same as Sydney. Coastal region. Our country is similar to Australia, from desert to topical. Indian Ocean on the one side and Atlantic on the other. Cape Town has both oceans. It is now well into spring here with everything growing strongly. Southern Hemisphere.

My intention is approach grafts. I will wait until winter and then do the grafts. No need to take a chance now. We have a lot of water in winter, but I will seal the graft well. One season to wait is not serious. I have waited two decades already.

Thanks for the advice.