Thank you! I'm just starting my grafting journey. I have ordered my root stalk & will be collecting my scion wood in the next couple weeks here in Kansas. I'm just doing 10 to start with. My grandmother had the absolute best apple tree for baking & fresh eating. No one in the family is sure what the variety is & she has been gone many years. The tree is still producing & has to be older than me (I'm 67). So for sentimental reasons I'm hoping to continue with the variety. My aunt still owns the property & has given me her blessing to take all the clippings I need.
Love this, our neighborhood has a tree that everyone swears is best baking apples around, I started some grafts two seasons ago, looking forward to seeing them flower out this coming year.
This is so exciting!! I have always been interested in this for a while. Those might be the year!! So appreciate how you share new knowledge along your journey!!
There was an apple orchard on the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan that the owner started by going around and collecting cuttings from heirloom apple trees and he specialized in this type of apple. It was for sale a few years ago and I am not sure if it is still open but it was a place to go for cider and heirloom apples. Sounds like what you are doing now, Luke, this is very interesting and a good thing to do!!!
Great information! I bought some scion apple varieties last fall & tried grafting them to my rescue crab trees. I won’t know until spring/ summer if they survived. We’ve had a weird winter. 🤗🇨🇦
Not MI, but my research was what kinds of root stock grow well in my area (NE) and what diseases are around here and then slim down the root stock 'species' for that. We need stuff that will survive cold winters and survive in poorer soils. Then I decided if I wanted 20ft trees (standard) or something more around 8ft (dwarf). I am growing for home made cider, on family land, so wanted smaller trees. In the NE I seem to have settled on b-9 and g-11.
This is interesting , we purchased 40 acres near North Branch, Mi, about 30 acres is wooded with an abandoned apple orchard the trees are 100+ years old. How do you figure out what kind of apple trees they are? Does the state offer DNA to the public? Thanks
My favorite rootstock came from a seed at Top of the lakes roadside park. In the old park there is a crabapple that grew there next to a Rowan ash. That area sees winter longer than other areas. Figured anything that has survived there has some good genetics. I like full size trees or xl for rootstocks. I believe the larger trees develop better roots. I collect scions when the skunk cabbage blooms.
Please please please bring back red Ruben, basil as a repeat offering on your website. It’s my favorite basil and so a few companies have it for sale. I think only two other companies offer that I have found maybe three. It sold out before my payday.
Our place came with one surviving pear. Grafts to it have worked really great....until a woodchuck (or porcupine) decimated the tree this past fall....GRRRRR. So yes, you can graft pear to pear. (I've heard rumors that pear onto apple will work, but never seen it.)
Really interesting Luke. Thank you for the information. Take care. By the way I thought that the bigger the root graft, the better. What about the root stock?
I listened as you mentioned adding water to the stored scions, but I always do damp saw dust in my baggies. Been collecting scions for over five years (tons of wild/forgotten apple trees in VT) and never had mold. I agree that just water is probably no good, but use of soaked saw dust, or a very lightly damp paper towel, allows for release and absorption of water in the bag. Seems to work for me. Also, apologies for long reply, you only got very few cuttings for each new tree? How is your success rate? I am sitting around 70% success rate on most stuff, but I always get about 8-10 scions to deal with loss from fridge and loss after grafting. Looking forward to this year and seeing how these all worked out this fall!!!
@@JRoadzReegz I seen another you tuber talk about propagating rootstock by taking the piece that’s cut off & dipping in rooting hormone before sticking in moist soil. Worth a try instead of throwing away. 🤷🏼♀️
Possibly, but the reasons for grafting are - you can control the size of tree based on root stock, you can get fruit much quicker from the older/stronger root ball of an established tree.
Hi Luke - Please make sure people check the local laws! - My wife's nephew picked up Pecans on the side of the road in Georgia and was Arrested!!! They had FALLEN OFF THE TREE and were on the ground. Just a PSA.
He wasn’t arrested because he knew the law, he was probably arrested because he didn’t know the law. Which is the sad thing. Generally police don’t even know these laws. They are generally the type to assume the property owner vs. some stranger on their “property”.
I spend early fall spotting trees as I drive around, then taste testing the ones that look good. I record that info and then get my cuttings in early winter, like Dec in the north east. It's probably impossible to find out what 'kind' since even some of the land owners have not known when I ask. But if it works for cider flavors then I will add them to my collection.
Genuine question for you. Why bother collecting cuttings from trees that have an unknown quality of fruit? I understand you are looking at preserving genetics but wouldn't planting a seed do the same thing and allow you to potentially produce a new variety of fruit or even a rootstock better suited for your area? I can see collecting cuttings if you have a sentimental attachment to a certain tree or you know it produces a good fruit but this seems like a lot of extra work to me without a real upside. No disrespect meant, just looking for enlightenment. Thanks for all you do!
You do actually scout out the trees before. I start in the early fall looking for trees with good fruit, very low damage, good juice, balance of flavor, acidity, tartness. About 1 in 10 trees comes close to this. Then I collect my cuttings in early winter. The cuttings will always be same as the tree you scouted, as you are making a clone. Wild see will never breed true to form, it is always a cross pollination. If you are growing to harvest and not just for fun, then knowing your root stock is really important. Your whole growing/harvesting process will revolve around how your trees grow.
Tye recourse is a black eye and fat lip the law also states pretty clearly where my property ends. Going to depend on where you are some people dont care about a "law". Mgiht endup worse then that for you if you encounter the wrong guy.
A right of way that is on private property is not automatically public property to forage. Yes, someone can walk there, snowmobile, ride a bike.. but that doesn't make it public property for you to take. I hope that you look into the laws a bit more thoroughly regarding foraging and don't continue to encourage/condone theft.
It is absolutely not theft. 🤣 our friend is a lawyer and had a good chuckle reading this reply. He has won every single case like this. The law is so clear, we just choose to ignore it because we live in such an entitled culture that everything we see around us we want for ourselves.
@MIgardener I'm sure there are ways a lawyer can work around things. It happens all the time. And you're right. You do seem entitled to take whatever you want without talking to the person who owns the property. I'm sure most people wouldn't mind some tree cuttings but taking food off someone else's table that they have worked for, because you "found" it first on the piece of land they paid for and continue to pay for.. is certainly rude and entitled. I'm honestly disappointed in your snarky response.. I thought more highly of you than that.
Please do not spread misinformation about Michigan easements. My deeds state that my property line runs along center line of the road. So that area is included in the overall acreage calculations. Meaning I pay property tax on that area. The county road and drain commision have access to use the area 33 feet from center line of road to maintain road safety and utilities. That does not give the general public rights or access to that area. "Easements are not to be considered public areas and are not open to the public".
I would definitely have neighbors call the police on me taking scions for grafting because I'm autistic and ADHD so I look weird and people take that as suspicious behavior, I was stopped by a neighbor in another neighborhood just taking a walk and he said that some neighbors actually called the police on me and was on the road in this community walking and taking pictures of plants, their were no no trespassing signs and no gates on this community, and this one neighbor who claimed that the neighbors called the police was recording me with his smartphone and telling me to say my name and address to help the police because he said that he was talking to the police.
@@kimberlylamantia7794 Yeah only I wasn't taking cuttings, I was taking pictures of plants so I'm assuming neighbors thought I was "casing the joint", this neighbor that said the police were called showed a picture of me walking because they have cameras in the neighborhood, so I was thinking to myself "so your point is?!..." SMH I will never walk anywhere ever again, I'm actually on disability for a panic disorder and agoraphobia and this was the worst case scenario that happened to me when I had anxiety to begin with.
@DavidSmith-vz9uu I'm very sorry to hear that. I've encountered similar situations wandering my neighborhood, which is a shame because there are a lot big trees and beautiful gardens around. Being out in nature helps my anxiety. Stay strong 😊
Erm.. that didnt happen because you're autistic or adhd or look weird its because they were a miserable busybody freak, there probably wasnt any other neighbour who called the police at all they were just a weirdo
@@DavidSmith-vz9uuI'm sorry you had to go through that. People are so primed to think the worst of strangers that they're blind to innocent behavior and panic for no reason. Your curiosity is inspiring. When spring comes, I'm going to go to my local park and take some pictures. I've always wanted to learn more about the local plant life. Thanks for sharing your story! Keep doing what you love to do!
Yes looking forward to the next video the grafting on rootstock!!!
You got it! I'll be sure to show you that in the next video.
Thank you! I'm just starting my grafting journey. I have ordered my root stalk & will be collecting my scion wood in the next couple weeks here in Kansas. I'm just doing 10 to start with. My grandmother had the absolute best apple tree for baking & fresh eating. No one in the family is sure what the variety is & she has been gone many years. The tree is still producing & has to be older than me (I'm 67). So for sentimental reasons I'm hoping to continue with the variety. My aunt still owns the property & has given me her blessing to take all the clippings I need.
Where did you order your root stalk from?
@ Raintree Nursery. I haven’t received them yet so can’t comment on quality.
@susanbergling8781 thank you. I'm curious. I want to add some trees this year and this seems cool.
Love this, our neighborhood has a tree that everyone swears is best baking apples around, I started some grafts two seasons ago, looking forward to seeing them flower out this coming year.
This is so exciting!! I have always been interested in this for a while. Those might be the year!! So appreciate how you share new knowledge along your journey!!
This was interesting. I can hardly wait for you to graft. That is what I want to try.
This entire process is fascinating to me. I am really enjoying this series. You’ve opened up a whole new understanding of apple propagation.
There was an apple orchard on the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan that the owner started by going around and collecting cuttings from heirloom apple trees and he specialized in this type of apple. It was for sale a few years ago and I am not sure if it is still open but it was a place to go for cider and heirloom apples. Sounds like what you are doing now, Luke, this is very interesting and a good thing to do!!!
Must be nice to be able to drive around and find apple trees in ditches 😁
Loved the video. I will be following you along on this journey.
Great information! I bought some scion apple varieties last fall & tried grafting them to my rescue crab trees. I won’t know until spring/ summer if they survived. We’ve had a weird winter. 🤗🇨🇦
Really cool video. Looking forward to seeing what the results are once they produce fruit
Me too! I’m excited to see how they do.
I think this is very interesting. Thank-you for posting this video and I'm looking forward to the next one!
Super excited about these videos! Can you share your process for finding rootstock?
Not MI, but my research was what kinds of root stock grow well in my area (NE) and what diseases are around here and then slim down the root stock 'species' for that. We need stuff that will survive cold winters and survive in poorer soils. Then I decided if I wanted 20ft trees (standard) or something more around 8ft (dwarf). I am growing for home made cider, on family land, so wanted smaller trees. In the NE I seem to have settled on b-9 and g-11.
This is interesting , we purchased 40 acres near North Branch, Mi, about 30 acres is wooded with an abandoned apple orchard the trees are 100+ years old. How do you figure out what kind of apple trees they are? Does the state offer DNA to the public?
Thanks
Contact North American Fruit Tree Experiment. NAFEX or Washington State University's Apple Genome Project.
My favorite rootstock came from a seed at Top of the lakes roadside park. In the old park there is a crabapple that grew there next to a Rowan ash. That area sees winter longer than other areas. Figured anything that has survived there has some good genetics. I like full size trees or xl for rootstocks. I believe the larger trees develop better roots. I collect scions when the skunk cabbage blooms.
Can you let us know what root stock you are going to use so I can be already to go when you do your grafting? It would be nice to follow along.
We are getting an MM.111 rootstock.
Please please please bring back red Ruben, basil as a repeat offering on your website. It’s my favorite basil and so a few companies have it for sale. I think only two other companies offer that I have found maybe three. It sold out before my payday.
Would this work with vintage pear trees?
Yes!
@@MIgardener Thank You! I think finding varieties that are already doing well in your area and "cloning" them is the best way to get a fruit tree!
Our place came with one surviving pear. Grafts to it have worked really great....until a woodchuck (or porcupine) decimated the tree this past fall....GRRRRR. So yes, you can graft pear to pear. (I've heard rumors that pear onto apple will work, but never seen it.)
Great series
Really interesting Luke. Thank you for the information. Take care. By the way I thought that the bigger the root graft, the better. What about the root stock?
I listened as you mentioned adding water to the stored scions, but I always do damp saw dust in my baggies. Been collecting scions for over five years (tons of wild/forgotten apple trees in VT) and never had mold. I agree that just water is probably no good, but use of soaked saw dust, or a very lightly damp paper towel, allows for release and absorption of water in the bag. Seems to work for me. Also, apologies for long reply, you only got very few cuttings for each new tree? How is your success rate? I am sitting around 70% success rate on most stuff, but I always get about 8-10 scions to deal with loss from fridge and loss after grafting. Looking forward to this year and seeing how these all worked out this fall!!!
Do you have any info on fig trees
My channel does
You can check with your county to find out what the distance of the right of way is where you want to go.
How to get scionwood: Sneak up on a cold, unsuspecting tree, go Edward Scissorhands on all the new growth. Splice onto existing stump, and voila!
Please teach us how to propagate rootstock next (air layering?) to unleash unlimited free trees!!!!
@@JRoadzReegz I seen another you tuber talk about propagating rootstock by taking the piece that’s cut off & dipping in rooting hormone before sticking in moist soil. Worth a try instead of throwing away. 🤷🏼♀️
So could you also root them like a fig cutting?
Possibly, but the reasons for grafting are - you can control the size of tree based on root stock, you can get fruit much quicker from the older/stronger root ball of an established tree.
8:24 WTF you guys have ditch asparagus?!?! we don't get that here... Lucky..
Yep! In loads of places.
Where do you get your root stalks from? Did you order them online or is it a company local to you. I live in Central Wisconsin.
Ill be apple hunting soon
Does this video pertain to apples only? I will go back and watch the videos that I’ve missed, but I’m also super impatient. 😂
Hi Luke - Please make sure people check the local laws! - My wife's nephew picked up Pecans on the side of the road in Georgia and was Arrested!!! They had FALLEN OFF THE TREE and were on the ground. Just a PSA.
He wasn’t arrested because he knew the law, he was probably arrested because he didn’t know the law. Which is the sad thing. Generally police don’t even know these laws. They are generally the type to assume the property owner vs. some stranger on their “property”.
What could I graft an Asian pear on to? The parent tree is dying but does still have live parts,I'd love to try to save its genes.
Hoe do you know what type of apple you are cutting to graft?
Did you label after each cutting?
I spend early fall spotting trees as I drive around, then taste testing the ones that look good. I record that info and then get my cuttings in early winter, like Dec in the north east. It's probably impossible to find out what 'kind' since even some of the land owners have not known when I ask. But if it works for cider flavors then I will add them to my collection.
Are you trying to keep these unique apples all to yourself?
Are there any conservative groups that can check these areas for endangered plants and trees and dig them up and move them to a nature conservatory?
Genuine question for you. Why bother collecting cuttings from trees that have an unknown quality of fruit? I understand you are looking at preserving genetics but wouldn't planting a seed do the same thing and allow you to potentially produce a new variety of fruit or even a rootstock better suited for your area? I can see collecting cuttings if you have a sentimental attachment to a certain tree or you know it produces a good fruit but this seems like a lot of extra work to me without a real upside. No disrespect meant, just looking for enlightenment. Thanks for all you do!
You do actually scout out the trees before. I start in the early fall looking for trees with good fruit, very low damage, good juice, balance of flavor, acidity, tartness. About 1 in 10 trees comes close to this. Then I collect my cuttings in early winter. The cuttings will always be same as the tree you scouted, as you are making a clone. Wild see will never breed true to form, it is always a cross pollination. If you are growing to harvest and not just for fun, then knowing your root stock is really important. Your whole growing/harvesting process will revolve around how your trees grow.
Tye recourse is a black eye and fat lip the law also states pretty clearly where my property ends. Going to depend on where you are some people dont care about a "law". Mgiht endup worse then that for you if you encounter the wrong guy.
A right of way that is on private property is not automatically public property to forage. Yes, someone can walk there, snowmobile, ride a bike.. but that doesn't make it public property for you to take. I hope that you look into the laws a bit more thoroughly regarding foraging and don't continue to encourage/condone theft.
It is absolutely not theft. 🤣 our friend is a lawyer and had a good chuckle reading this reply. He has won every single case like this. The law is so clear, we just choose to ignore it because we live in such an entitled culture that everything we see around us we want for ourselves.
@MIgardener I'm sure there are ways a lawyer can work around things. It happens all the time. And you're right. You do seem entitled to take whatever you want without talking to the person who owns the property. I'm sure most people wouldn't mind some tree cuttings but taking food off someone else's table that they have worked for, because you "found" it first on the piece of land they paid for and continue to pay for.. is certainly rude and entitled. I'm honestly disappointed in your snarky response.. I thought more highly of you than that.
Please do not spread misinformation about Michigan easements. My deeds state that my property line runs along center line of the road. So that area is included in the overall acreage calculations. Meaning I pay property tax on that area.
The county road and drain commision have access to use the area 33 feet from center line of road to maintain road safety and utilities. That does not give the general public rights or access to that area. "Easements are not to be considered public areas and are not open to the public".
I would definitely have neighbors call the police on me taking scions for grafting because I'm autistic and ADHD so I look weird and people take that as suspicious behavior, I was stopped by a neighbor in another neighborhood just taking a walk and he said that some neighbors actually called the police on me and was on the road in this community walking and taking pictures of plants, their were no no trespassing signs and no gates on this community, and this one neighbor who claimed that the neighbors called the police was recording me with his smartphone and telling me to say my name and address to help the police because he said that he was talking to the police.
That's rotten! People complain far too much. I would let you take cuttings from my trees 🙂
@@kimberlylamantia7794 Yeah only I wasn't taking cuttings, I was taking pictures of plants so I'm assuming neighbors thought I was "casing the joint", this neighbor that said the police were called showed a picture of me walking because they have cameras in the neighborhood, so I was thinking to myself "so your point is?!..." SMH I will never walk anywhere ever again, I'm actually on disability for a panic disorder and agoraphobia and this was the worst case scenario that happened to me when I had anxiety to begin with.
@DavidSmith-vz9uu I'm very sorry to hear that. I've encountered similar situations wandering my neighborhood, which is a shame because there are a lot big trees and beautiful gardens around. Being out in nature helps my anxiety. Stay strong 😊
Erm.. that didnt happen because you're autistic or adhd or look weird its because they were a miserable busybody freak, there probably wasnt any other neighbour who called the police at all they were just a weirdo
@@DavidSmith-vz9uuI'm sorry you had to go through that. People are so primed to think the worst of strangers that they're blind to innocent behavior and panic for no reason. Your curiosity is inspiring. When spring comes, I'm going to go to my local park and take some pictures. I've always wanted to learn more about the local plant life. Thanks for sharing your story! Keep doing what you love to do!
Abandoned farms. Goldmine.
I wish I could find some!