Grafting Bramley apple onto another apple

[Wapentake]

Hi,
I live in Holland and there are no Bramley apple trees to buy for love or money.
On a visit last October I bought a Bramley on an M27 rootstock (as all the rest were to big to fit in the car) .
I was wondering what the chances are to graft a small shoot from this onto another apple tree which is on an M26 rootstock ? ie making a (temporary) family tree.
If so must I make it before it comes into leaf or when it is in the green ?
I love apple pie and the local varieties lack the taste, so the more the better.

PS You don't realize the vast range of things you find in the Garden centers, nurseries, etc in the UK, until you live abroad.

Cheers.

[nick the grief]

It's our way of getting revenge for all your Bulbs You really need to graft it on to the rootstock which will be too low down usually. I don't know how it would perform grafting it on to a variety.

[valmarg]

Keukenhoff to you Nick!

Wapentake, I'm sorry, but I'm not compos enough at the moment to reply in full, but there is budding (done in July and early August), and grafting (done in March or April). Both are a bit complicated (understatement) according to my copy of the RHS booklet 'The Fruit Garden Displayed'.

Why do you need a temporary family tree? If you plant the Bramley in the ground, as long as there are another two varieties in the vicinity, it shouldn't take long before you get fruit. Even as early as this year.

[Wapentake]

Hi valmarg,

The Bramley is in a pot and will be planted in the ground when I have made space for it this winter.
I have a cheap unnamed apple tree already (3yrs old), that will grow to +/- 10' (according to the label). If I grafted/budded the Bramley, and it took, I would prune the original apple variety out.
I thought I could try to propagate the Bramley as its unavailable here, to ensure the supply of apples.
I have read that a full size Bramley, on its own root system would be too big for my garden.

Is it that with grafting you have only one apple variety on the root stock and with budding you can have two or more on the root stock ?
If so, what is the advantage/disadvantage of both systems.

Please bear in mind I've never done more then sown seeds and simple propagation of Pelagoniums, only desperation forces my hand to try either.

Hope I've been clear,

Thanks.

[nick the grief]

Try this for some hints etc

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...re/DG0532.html

[Wapentake]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the link to the info, all very useful.
I think I'll try budding as I can keep trying if/when the first fails, where as with grafting you only get one shot at it.

As for all the bulbs/corms over here, there is a down side for gardeners as there is a plague of Lily beetles every year. No matter how many you kill more keep coming.
Do gardeners have the same problems around Spalding and other major mono-culture areas with pests from the commercial boys ? Or is it the other way round ?

Further info over me, I'm English ( Yorkshire - Gods own garden ) and came to Holland for 6 weeks (for work) 18 years ago, met my future wife and stayed.

Cheers.