Graft/Bud plum on nectarine rootstock

[It never rains..it pours]

After this exceptional summer with 12 fruit but they havent come to anything decent have decided the nectarine is using valuable south facing wall space inefficiently. Rather than dig up all the paving, etc to get the roots out (trunk at soil level 4 to 5 inches wide) I was wondering if I could graft/bud or other, some plum onto it. In fact anything that is more productive. ?

[nickdub]

No harm in trying budding some plum varieties on to it now, providing you can get the scions.

I'd also suggest buying at least one new bare root tree over the winter too. Then if you need it, you have it and if you don't you can pass it on to a fellow gardener as a present - the one thing you can never recover from is wasted time.

[Snoop Puss]

Very good last eleven words there, nickdub.

[It never rains..it pours]

Thank you for the reply Nickdub.
Is there a maximum branch size to bud on ?. Keen if possible to start a plum as close to rootstock as possible. Do I need any special wrapping tape or will something like cling film do ?
Yes agree, can never recover wasted time, but have 2 plums already, this is more about saving a big root removal job and im a bit tight

[Lardman]

Can you interstem a plum and nectarine ? Assuming the rootstock is St Julian A you'd be fine on the stock but would the plum take on the nectarine?

How much roostock do you have to work with? Id be tempted to try budding at the base with just one bud and cut the nectarine off completely if it takes. Alternatively chances are if you cut the lot down it will send a roostock sucker up for you to graft onto.

Any old tape will do a cut up freezer bag is ideal. I've had problems this year with the electrical tape I usually use taking the bark off - not ideal.

[nickdub]

Cling film is fine - cut it into 1/2" wide strips.

Best to work with this season's growth - both sending and receiving :-)

Chip and T budding are both possible, but I reckon chip is less time of the year sensitive

A v sharp knife is a necessity, as is a good lineup of the cambium layers

probably cut a few pieces of branch out of whatever shrub and try some practice runs in v good light - then just chuck that away, unless you already have a feel for this art.

watch some U-tube videos

Good luck and let us know how it goes. :-)

[Jay-ell]

Bearing in mind that I know absolutely nothing about grafting would it be possible to have both and create a family tree with both fruits on it?

[Paulieb]

Yeah, provided you could get the scions (cuttings) you could graft a plum, nectarine, peach, an almond and a greengage onto it. Would probably run out of space but it would be nothing if not interesting!

[It never rains..it pours]

Thank you for the replies and advice. Will try quite a few all over and see what if any takes. Seems theres no downside as long as use 2 stanley knifes so no disease spead to the donating plums. Imagine doing during a cooler few days & watering the nectarine first so not water stressed helps