Growth from Grafts

Successful grafts showed strong growth of the a stem from the graft bud with the much smoother J. regia leaves. In all cases this was accompanied by re-growth from the rootstock. These rootstock buds need to be broken off (not cut off) to extinguish further growth from that rootstock bud. (This has already done in the example below). 

The obvious difference in leaf morphology makes spotting successful grafts much easier.

Where grafts were successful, growth from the fruiting buds was as at least as strong as from the rootstock (surprisingly, at least to us). 

Where there was no sign of growth from the graft buds, almost all trees showed very strong growth from all over the remaining portion of the rootstock. Note the serrated edge of the J. nigra rootstock and the rougher leaf texture.

In some instances, the graft buds were still present, still showing a health green appearance but no shoots, even 6 weeks after the top had been cut off the tree above the graft. In such instances where the graft is still present and if, in addition, the bud is still healthy (not a blackened pit in the centre of the graft), the shoots from the rootstock need to be removed to try to force growth from the graft bud. 

In others, the graft had obviously died and been shed from the trunk. There were also a few where the graft had started to shoot but then died (not illustrated). 

In such instances, a healthy shoot from as high up on the rootstock as possible should be left to grow and all others removed. Thus the rootstock can be used for another attempt at grafting later.