Grafting a pear tree - Advice needed

[greenshoot]

Hi all

My very first time having a go at grafting some pear trees.

I received these root stock and scions in early Feb, only opened the package today to find some strange growth growing on the root stock.

My question is, is this normal and am I able to graft on these root stocks?

[nickdub]

My main query is how/where you have stored these for the last month. Depending on the answers I could make a guess as to whether the current state of play looks good or not.

From here, pot up the root-stocks in damp compost asap - today for preference, and work the compost in among the fine roots, water at the end of this - put somewhere frost free but not hot eg a cold greenhouse. Put the scions somewhere cool and damp, a plastic bag with some damp kitchen roll inside it in the salad draw of the fridge for example.

My money would be on some sort of fungal growth on the root-stocks due to how they were stored - impossible to say for sure at this point what the outcome will be.

In a few weeks, if you're lucky, you should see some signs of growth on the stocks - anyway the situation by then will be clearer and more advice can be given as appropriate.

[greenshoot]

It arrived in black plastic packaging and I left it in the house, totally forgot about it!

Ok, I'll do as you suggest with potting the root and keeping the scions in the fridge.

Should I try and scrape away the fungal?

Thanks

[Lardman]

My money would also be on a fungus. I recognise the packaging and if it's any I've also had problems with scions from them.

The scions look only to be a problem at the cut ends, give everything a wash with sterilising solution (the baby bottle stuff) or a very mild bleach solution and trim back the ends to clean wood then seal them with a dab of Vaseline.

The root stocks look a little more of a problem - clean them down as above and get them into pots in the fresh air and sunlight. I wouldn't put them in the ground just yet.

[nickdub]

It arrived in black plastic packaging and I left it in the house, totally forgot about it!

Ok, I'll do as you suggest with potting the root and keeping the scions in the fridge.

Should I try and scrape away the fungal?

Thanks

I concur with Lardman's advice on this, a good wash with something sterilising if you have it. The main question is whether the root-stocks have dried out too much to be still salvageable to start with - time will be the easiest way to tell.

[greenshoot]

Thanks for your replies.

I washed off the root stock and used my fingers to scrape away the fungus. Now left in the cold frame and waiting for this snow to subside before attempting a graft.

I'll update how they get on later.

[nickdub]

I wouldn't try to do any grafting unless you see some sign from the root-stocks that leads you to believe they are still going to grow. At a pinch, if you have another pear tree around you can access it would be possible to graft the scions on to that, so that you don't lose those too, then you would have options on how to proceed another time.