I tried my hand at grafting an Aromatnaya Quince onto a dwarfing quince rootstock that grows around my place like a weed (maybe quince c, not sure ) Anyway, take a looksie at the photo and tell me if I should let it be, or if I should cut my losses and try again next year (which, I'll probably do anyway, since it's fun.) I do know it's not pretty, just not sure if it's bad enough where I need to do like the old timers and put an upside down bucket over it and leave it be until it dies (from lack of sunlight - that's from the pre herbicide days.)
Can't wait till pandemic is over and I can learn from you all at a HOS grafting event!
That looks good to me. I think normally with a cleft graft you'd want the cut edge of the scion about flush with the top of the rootstock. I probably would have made longer cuts on the scion or nipped off the the extra rootstock when I made the graft, or during the summer. But assuming the stock and scion are fully compatible, in a couple years, as the trunk diameter grows, it will subsume those nubs.
You could probably speed that up by nipping them off, but I'd do that when the weather is dry and the tree is growing.
Hi "Rookie", 🙂
I agree with what Jafar said. The next time that you do a wedge-graft, try to make the depth of the split and the length of the wedge about equivalent. That being said, the graft looks really good in terms of the callusing between scion and rootstock. It should do really well! As for "appearances"... believe me I've made more than my share of ugly grafts over the years. Sometimes it just can't be helped, especially in cases where the diameters of root and scion aren't closely matched. The main thing to remember is that a successful graft is a good graft!
Reinettes.
Greg said
jafar said
That looks good to me....Oh good! I'll leave it be. I'd totally forgotten that the rootstock might not be quince c, and might, in fact, be an incompatible type. Thanks Jafar.
I didn't mean to worry you about the compatibility. I'm sure it will be fine.
Just wanted to update that the graft is a live and well, and I moved it into the hellstrip to see if it can survive out there. It's about a 5 foot tall whip now.Greg,
I have perhaps a half-dozen apple grafts that still look a bit like that (--although I usually use a whip-and-tongue graft on apples--). Your graft looks great! I don't mean to be a poet, but, year-by-year those "nubs" disappear. With a strong, healthy graft, the plants can be very forgiving of "looks." What's important is a strong a priori compatibility of the varieties used, and a strong union of physical strength and vasculature.
Jeez! I make it sound so intimidating! .... You're graft is great! With this success, feel free to continue your grafting and adding to your orchard of whatever size. Just one successful graft and you know you can do it! 
Reinettes.
Idyllwild
John S
Marsha H
Viron
jafar
portlandian
1 Guest(s)