We have many multi grafted trees in the fruit garden
This, of course, makes it more challenging to prune the tree since you have to be very careful not to prune off varieties you grafted on.
To find these multi grafted varieties, look for small tags written with the name of the top grafted varieties throughout these trees. Each tree should also have a label at its base saying it is a multi grafted tree. To read a description of the many varieties of pears top worked in the garden read the variety descriptions below.
Each of the multi grafted trees has a sign at its base saying it is a multi grafted tree and noting its rootstock. We have trees with multiple European Pear cultivars, trees with
multiple Asian Pear cultivars and trees with both European and Asian pears. It usually doesn’t work to graft apples on to a pear tree or pears on to an apple tree.
How to Make a Multi Grafted Tree
Several types of grafts can be used to top graft. Cleft graft and bark graft are two of the most common. Bark grafts were used on this project. Each branch is labeled with the variety which has been grafted onto it. We offer classes for our members to learn how to do top working.
Sometimes the tree is grafted over, all at once, but with larger trees it is often grafted over a period of two or three years, as in the case with the keeper pear tree. The first year the upper tier of this tree was cut back but allowed to grow to provide leaves to support the tree. Â The second year the grafts in the lower level were well established and the upper tier was removed.
Varieties on each of our multi- grafted pears and location of each tree.
Most of the Multi-grafted pear trees are located in W2 near this sign. Tree #3 and tree #4 are located in W4 near the multi-grafted apple trees. #5 is in the east part of the garden.
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #1
Located W2, F6 Planted 2003. This is the first pear tree we top worked on, including adding several pear varieties that were great keepers. Ever since Roman times people have relied on pears picked while rock hard in the late fall that can be stored in cool dry conditions for many months and then brought out in the spring to ripen on the counter and eat in the spring when no other fresh fruit was available. These “keeper pear” after years of disinterest have become popular again as gardeners want to again store their own fruit and not rely entirely on grocery stores. We wanted to have some keeper (storage) pears in the Fruit Garden, and we had quite a few large Bosc pear trees on quince C rootstock, which dwarfs the pear, so we decided to top graft some of the Bosc pears over to the following keeper pears.
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #1
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #2
Location W4, F16 This relatively large Mishirasu Asian Pear tree has two interesting grafted varieties, Yoinashi (an Asian Variety) and Mustafa Bey, (a Turkish one).
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #2
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #3
Location W2, D9 planted 2003. On Quince C rootstock. Bosc top worked with Harrow Delight.
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #3
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #4
Location W2, H10 planted 2003. Bosc top worked with Highland, Gem, Thorn and Summer Blood Birne.
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #4
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #5
Location W4, F16 This relatively large Mishirasu Asian Pear tree has two interesting grafted varieties, Yoinashi (an Asian Variety) and Mustafa Bey, (a Turkish one).
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #5
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #6
Location W4, F18 Planted in 2002. The tree is on standard Betulaefolia rootstock and top worked to Misharasu and Shinsui.
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #6
Multi-grafted Pear Tree #7
Location W4, E18 Planted 2017. This tree has Spaulding and Orcas pears on it.
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #7
Multi graft pear #8
This European pear multi variety trees is located in E4, R18. It is in the east part of the garden and not near the other top worked tree. It was planted in 1999 and has Harrow Delight, White Doyenne, Clapp’s Favorite and Atlantic Queen
Link to Varietals on Pear Tree #8
