trees for Clara

A good friends mother recently died after being left on the hospital trollly for many hours, and he asked how we could preserve his mothers apple tree. Best I could find were two crab apple and two cox from Aldi and a grafting on as many branches as we could. We did twenty or more so some should take and produce a funky mixed tree.

The gaffer tape may not be the ideal to bind but we'll see

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/dg0532c.html

The Whip Graft

The whip graft is used mostly on young apple and pear trees when the branches are relatively small (not more than ½-inch in diameter) and the understock is about the same diameter as the scion of the new cultivar.
Cut—Cut off a branch of the understock, leaving a stub at least a foot long. Make a straight, slanting cut about 1½ inches long on both the scion and the stock (see A and C in Figure 1). Make the cut straight and even—one stroke with a sharp knife will do it. For the tongue, make a straight draw cut (not split), beginning near the top and cutting about the full length of the level (B and D).

Figure 1. The whip graft is usually used for grafting root stocks and scions but can also be used for grafting small branches.

Union—Match the two parts together (E). Unless the scion and stock are the same size, be sure the scion is in contact with the inner bark on one side. If the toe of either the stock or scion extend beyond the heel of the other, cut if off evenly.
Tying and covering—Bind tightly with tape, then carefully cover the union and binding material with grafting compound.
This type of graft is difficult for the beginner but is used extensively by experienced operators. It lends itself to the tape method of binding. Tape serves to seal the wound and bind the parts together.
While other types of grafts depend on the bark slipping well, the whip graft does not. In fact, it is best if you make this graft before the narrow tongue of wood.
Aftercare—Remove wrapping as soon as the scion has started to grow to prevent girdling of the