Is it possible to graft apricot or peach branches onto a plum tree?

[Marcher]

They're related species and I have no space for any more trees so I wondered if it is possible? I presume so, I think the rootstock used for the prunus species are plums.
Has anyone tried it?

[FB.]

The St.Julien A rootstock is used as a medium vigour rootstock for many stone fruits - also including almonds.

Quince rootstock is used for pear and medlar.

So there's a chance.

Whether there will be unintended consequences is unknown; apples and roses are reasonably compatible, but viruses carried by old apple varieties, or brought-in by aphids, tend to kill the rose part once it become infected.

Certain varieties of fruit aren't compatible with certain rootstocks of the same species - some pears dont thrive on quince, for example, so they tend to have a quince-tolerant pear variety on the quince roots (i.e. the lower trunk - like an interstock), then the desired pear variety grafted on top of that.

[orangepippin]

I am not sure but I don't think so. The St. Julien rootstock, which I think is a form of Prunus insititia, can be used for grafting Plums, Peaches, and Apricots ... but that is not the same as saying you could graft apricot branches on to your plum tree (which is itself grafted on to St. Julien etc). One of the attractions of St. Julien is that it is very compatible with many other Prunus species and varieties.

[yummersetter]

Deacons are selling peach / plum trees Stone fruits so I guess it must be possible. They're extremely experienced in this kind of grafting, so may know special techniques.

[orangepippin]

Hi yummersetter. I think Deacons are grafting these on to a common rootstock, probably St. Julien. That is certainly possible. However that is not the same as grafting on to an existing plum tree (such that the graft would be from apricot or peach directly on to a plum tree).

[FB.]

You could probably use a piece of St.Julien A as an interstock between the different types of plant.

Interstocks are best known for being used to control the size of vigorous rootstocks, but sometimes interstocks are used to link incompatible plants (such as certain pears which are not compatible with quince).

[Marcher]

You could probably use a piece of St.Julien A as an interstock between the different types of plant.

Interstocks are best known for being used to control the size of vigorous rootstocks, but sometimes interstocks are used to link incompatible plants (such as certain pears which are not compatible with quince).

Sounds complicated, maybe I'll leave it. If I remember right the apple tree up the garden has been double worked with an intermediary too.
I don't know where I could get branches of peach or apricots from anyway, I just thought it's a interesting concept.

[Llamas]

GB Online will supply some kinds of budwood for grafting this summer if you email them and ask nicely. I haven't used them before and I'm not sure of how well budwood ships but if you'd like to try grafting they also sell rootstocks and scion wood for winter grafts. If you do decide to try and graft or bud, do a little reading up on peaches, as they're supposed to be a bit fiddily when it comes to temperatures and healing up. The good news is that if you wanted to go for budding, a branch would in theory give you a fair few number of buds to try with, and if you budded a peach on one side of the St Julian A rootstock, and a plum on the other, they might both take and you'd have your two types of fruit on one tree. Cool.