I have a 3 year old Glockenapfel apple tree that has been girdled by pests and is slowly dying. There are a few leaves hanging on at the ends of the branches. I had a hard time getting a scion of this tree, so I'd like to save it. I'm wondering which would work best (if either): taking some scions right now and 1) saving it in moist paper towel in the fridge until next spring, or 2) grafting it right now (end of August) onto some rootstock I have growing in pots.
Well at least it is a local cultivar listed here at Nick Botners collection. So the bulk of apples in the spring scion event in Oregon are supplied from that collection and so there are easy possibilities to negotiate that if you live not too far away.
Apples are not too hard to August bud onto other stocks and if not done soon before trees go into rest then it's gone almost for sure. It sounds like the only life support from the roots are the outer woody tissues.
If you have some root suckering near the trunk, you could also try some inarch grafting using attached growing extension (sion) in a method similar to grafting with detached sion. Use multiples depending on your damage.
Bridge grafting similarly will transfer energy/nutrients past the damaged trunk area. Using detached sion wood... another apple. Waterspouts are a recommended source.
See Here: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/en.....98-003.htm
and here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/....._for_trees
Some 'heroic?', anyway more advanced grafting techniques you could try nOW..... always, always, better when pushing energy up... however, you won't be out anything but your effort. And if you get takes.... so much the better. I did some top working on a couple of limb stubs around this time three or five years ago... the favorable resultant takes put me two seasons (6 mos.) ahead of waiting for dormant season grafting times, the way I see it.
The repair will be easier on younger trees where you can find the cambium more easily. Three year old should be easy to get to.
Another inarching.... Rootstock(s), planted near the trunk, using the root trunk (sion) attached could also be used if you had excess to contribute to the cause.
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