saving a heritage apple (OT)

leo g_13

"As you all probably know, I took 2 pieces of dad's Wolf River Apple graft, that he grafted from Uncle Sam's tree. I could not find the wax and binder that dad had given to me a few years ago to do a graft from a tree that was in our yard when we bought the place. That apple tree, which I am not sure what variety it is, started to die, so I grafted a piece onto our sour apple tree. After 4 years of growing, it finally set some flowers this year, and was loaded (until I thinned the apples last night) with apples......


Now back to the Wolf River story.......

So I couldn't find the grafting material, and no matter whom I called, yes Tuse, even Lee Valley, no one stocked that stuff anymore. The gent that I talked to @ Lee Valley though put me onto a woman who is a professional grafter. She said that using wax and binder had been done away with years ago. Now, the way to do it, is to cut thin strips of plastic, bind the pieces and then use some tape to hold it all together.

Well you know me, never one to use 2 steps, when it seems that one should suffice. Since I couldn't find the duct tape, I robbed some hockey sock tape from Bryson. I dutifully cut the host tree branches at an angle, and did likewise to the whips. Then I put them together, and like a "good Canadian kid" taped em up.

This was done in March and about mid-way through May, when nothing was going on, I figured that the graft hadn't taken. For some reason though, Dad had told me before I even attempted this latest graft, that sometimes it takes until June or longer for things to happen.

Well lo and behold, I heard that voice in my head back in May, so thought that it wouldn't hurt to just leave the grafts alone. Well last Saturday, June the 27th, it appeared that one of the grafts was developing a leaf set. Today I confirmed it!
Uncle Sam's Wolf River Apple lives on in my back yard!

Enjoy the pics!

Leo"


Ps - a bit of history, my Uncle Sam passed on 2 years ago at the age of 98. He lived by himself since he was about 30, on 5 acres in Langley, B.C. raising chickens, fruit trees, blueberries and assorted other veges. My Dad, who turned 94 this past March, has always been very adept at grafting. SO my Uncle had a Wolf River Apple tree. If you have ever seen this apple, you will know that it can get to be big enough that you can make a pie out of just one apple. As kids, these were the apples that we always coveted from my uncles farm, so there is some real nostalgia attched to these apples for the Galozo clan. about 10-12 years ago, my dad did another of his magic grafts, and started 4 Wolf River grafts from my uncles tree. As time has gone by, I too have played around with grafting, having been succesful just once before. Now my uncles tree lives on anew, once again, with the original being a good 50 - 60 years old, I feel quite proud today.

Enjoy,

Leo G

DanHolohan

A new side of Leo.

I like it!

nicholas bonham-carter

wolf river apples

what size pie would that be?

you might not want your graft to support water melon-sized apples for a couple of seasons yet to come!

please don't forget to save some seeds for the rest of us gardeners on the wall here [or are they seedless water melon-sized?]!--nbc

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Leo, While We are on the Subject

You wouldn't know how to propagate blueberries would you. I tried a heating pad with a plastic bag, but they didn't take. Since I used a heating pad it is heating related.

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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Leo G_103

Bob, from all the reading I've done,

Blueberries are one of the hardest to take cuttings from. Of course my Uncle Sam would just take a cutting, plop it in the ground, and mostly they would take. He had a very green thumb that man!

Leo G

Leo G_103

Thanx Dan,

Always been there, but as life progreese, it seems that I am starting to understand just how special/fleeting it is.

Leo G_103

Nicholas

Because it is very hard to pollinate most apple species with their own pollen, most seeds from apples will not grow "true". Almost all commercial/nursery trees are therefore grafted. Check around your area, bet you can find a place that grafts fruit trees, and see if they do Wolf River. Believe me, your tree will be the talk of neighbours/friends and anyone else who sees this hierloom variety!