Grafting Repairs Girdled Tree Damage

[woodchux]

Grafting to repair girdled tree damage is nothing new.

I found this pear tree that was repaired in 1893.

Have any of you guys tried anything like this?

 

[Gumneck]

No, but I'll have to on one of my favorite apple trees. I need to do a bridge graft b/c of some decay around the second union.

 

[woodchux]

I look forward to trying this out some day. Usually the girdled trees that i come across have a house or other target too close to risk experimenting.
I do wonder how much added strength can be achieved with this technique.

 

[rfwoodvt]

Ignorant question...

Its not that I've never heard of this, just never taken the time to explore the concept. So....

Anyone care to 'splain to an ignorant fool like myself how one goes about grafting large parts of the cambium? I've done bud grafting and twig grafting but not girdling repair.

Where do you find the donor cambium? how do you scribe....etc

any age or size limitations?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The best donor cambium comes from the tree itself. Young. fast growing shoots work best.
I've done it on smooth bark, but once it gets old enough that the bark starts to "furrow", it would be hard to do.
I have a crabapple tree, which grows like a weed, that I've been practicing on. If you build your skills on a live, healthy tree, you'll have better luck when you have a girdled tree. Plus it's fun.

 

[osb_mail]

The book you need for this subject

The Grafters Hand Book I think the author is R.J. Garner or something like this . This book was wrote like in the 1920s or 1930s but it is still probably the best book on grafting out there .It does have some info grafting to save trees .

 

[woodchux]

Thanks osb_mail ! I googled on that book and found that it can be previewed online for free.
If anyone is intrested here is the link to the book online.
http://books.google.com/books?id=M9...+Search&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1#PPA56,M1