Hey Dave, thanks for taking an interest in your old tree. We’ve HOS member’s who've trekked around the area looking for, identifying, and occasionally collecting scions from unusual specimens. The question is: how “unusual” is your specimen? Any more, 60 to 70 years isn’t that old for an apple tree.

The homestead I’m on was planted by my Great-grandfather over 80 years ago, and though the apple (and pear) trees are ‘old,’ they’re not that unusual… In fact, describing several of the varieties helped identify the age of the orchard. As usual, there were ‘cutting-edge’ varieties back then too! …But you don’t see much demand for “Winter Banana,” “Vanderpool Red” or “Transparent’s” these days… However, I apparently have an older variety of Gravenstein apple that has excited a few in our society, just as you may have an unusual spur (variant) cultivar as well..?

I’ve sent this link to one of our HOS Apple ID people; you could help by describing the fruit as detailed as possible. Also, every fall the Home Orchard Society has it’s All About Fruit Show somewhere near Portland, Oregon. We’ve a table of HOS’s best apple IDers … if you brought in a few apples and leaves, taken from locations around the tree, they’d likely come up with a good guess – after a taste-test of course <!-- s --><img decoding="async" src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s -->

Wow, sorry…

To gather scions: look for pencil diameter ‘water shoots’ of new (last years) growth, usually at or near the tree top. Gather a fist full, it gives more opportunity to match them with rootsock diameters. Cut one foot pieces; soak 3 full-sized pieces of newspaper in water; lift the newspaper and let it drain; roll the scions inside, overlapping the ends (I lay them at an angle for definite overlap); take two bread or heavy plastic shopping bags; place the wrapped scions inside (each end at the bottom of a bag); rubber band both ends and the center – as air-tight as possible; label the bag; stash it inside the far back of a refrigerator shelf and warn other users to ‘leave it along.’

Bring it to our Spring Cutting and Scion Exchange near the first of March; I believe it will be in Hillsboro (OR) this year. [pay at the door] Talk with our rootstock experts about your soil conditions, desired height and previous tree’s vigor then purchase as many rootstocks as you wish new trees; bring everything to the grafting tables [pay again] and let one of us graft if for you. Ask for Viron and you’ll get me; remind me what we’re dealing with – and I’ll do my best to make you some replacement trees!

Dave: “many of the "water shoots" have 1"-3" long side branches on them”

…dang. Older neglected apple trees reach an equilibrium in which their new growth is very balanced with the energy stored in their roots, therefore they don’t push out the 3 to 4 foot ‘water suckers’ like managed trees. In this case - one year shoots don’t have branches; the new growth is likely that 4 to 6 inch ‘tip’ beyond the branches, usually indicated by a circular bud scar, where the terminal or tip bud started last year.

OK, search and salvage the longest sections of one-year growth you can find. I’ve done it … usually on vertical trees… Check the ‘sunny side’ first, looking for smooth-skinned non-branched pencil diameter ‘stems,’ usually a slightly different color (greenish/redish) than surrounding bark. If they're bending, or growing sideways, they’ll still work – not all first year wood grows straight up. Also, look around wounds, the more recent the better; a tree will generally push out a few ‘latent buds’ at a wound, often growing along side the trunk. Same characteristics – no side ‘limbs’ - just smooth and tight buds.

If you can’t find any of prime shoots… the little ones can work~ And, we occasionally graft older wood; experience allows you to differentiate between a fruit and a vegetative bud… but we’d much rather work with pure veggie buds, less thinking! Also, that 4 to 6 inch piece of new growth will work… though we’ll likely grumble … usually making a two-piece cleft graft, amounting to microsurgery on a one year rootstock - but it's like getting 'two grafts for the price of one!' …those often get sent my way… as I’ll look down the table at several grinning grafters <!-- s --><img decoding="async" src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s -->

So, gather what you can, if it’s real slim pickin’s – bring even more. And do snip off those side ‘limbs’ you described – but wrap em up and bring them, too – they’re likely a year old and useful (if tiny). We'll sift through everything looking for the best buds, and as long as there are ‘two in a row,’ we’re generally good – depending on how many trees you’d like... Hey – I’m ready to graft

I do plan to just cut off the broken part, leave the rest standing and see what happens. But only the outer shell is alive, the center of the tree is completely hollow from the ground up.

…I was considering the same suggestion as Shaun… leaving the stump to send up new shoots, if eventually a new tree … I’m sure it’s well above the original graft. And, it’s very common for apple trees that old to have rotted centers, I’ve got one myself, my largest and best producing tree! That ‘outer shell’ is all you need. I’d leave it, without any ‘leveling cuts,’ just let it send up shoots, likely six footers!

Winter Banana apples are unique in appearance, so I’d trust Shaun’s ID; and the age & size would make sense, too. You can still buy them. I had one on my old homestead, at that time - the largest of all my (standard) apple trees. ...Rigged a shortwave radio antenna from it to the house chimney and listened to the world!

Hey, if it’s a WB – you could bark-graft some Bartlett pears into that trunk! That’s one of the few apple/pear combos that survive. In fact, I’d slide in several different apple varieties under the bark when it slips this spring, let the top push out the original WB’s, then train everything (next year) into a useful tree – even lean a few branches over (or threw) the fence for the neighbor

See what Grafting Fever’s like

Your call!

I concur with John, 9 inches is fine … but the more the merrier!

Congratulations on acquiring the additional wood! Explaining your intentions to someone unfamiliar with a Scion can be daunting, I’ve tried. …but I’ve also got the ‘fruits of my’ efforts on trees throughout my yard.

Once had a brother 40 feet up a (to this day) unique and unidentified apple tree perched over a busy street in Milwaukie (OR) obtaining scions because it was/is our Dad’s favorite apple. Another guy finally gave up listening to my explanation and just watched as I pulled out a ladder and took wood from the most productive Transparent apple I’d ever seen… What a magnificent feeling to ‘have’ the identical tree! Sorry, but I’m pumped

I once coated the ends of my scions with grafting seal … but have seen no difference in not… Grafting at our show, the first thing I’ll do is ‘snip’ off the corner edge of a scion, looking for ‘instant green.’ It’s rarely further than an 1/8 inch from the cut end, painted or not. Yours should be fine.