Hi Will,
I also have a Moorpark Apricot here in a suburb of Chicago. It is on
dwarf rootstock. In the past 5 seasons of growth, I have had two good
crops,
including last years and three years ago. I also do hand pollination,
although
last year I think I over did it.
The reason for grafting is to preserve the genetic character of the
original tree.
Planting a seed mixes the genetics of the original tree with those of
the tree from
which the pollen came from. If you can control this pollination by hand
pollinating
or being sure that no other tree of another variety is supplying pollen,
than the seed
will probably bear true to the original tree. Self pollinating trees
like your Apricot
have a greater chance of growing the original tree from seed. Size of
the tree is controlled
by the rootstock upon which you graft your scion wood. I don't know
about St. Julien rootstock
in the UK. We have a Fruit, Nut, and Berry Inventory Book, here in the
States. Perhaps there
is a similar book in the UK, which should list all available rootstocks.

Sherwin Dubren


WillA wrote:

Hi,

I have an Apriocot tree(Morrpark) it is currently flowering so I am
trying to pollinate it using camel hair brush etc.... where are the
insects when you need them?

I am rather hoping fruit will be produced. If they are I would like to
try and propegate grow from seed to tree. It may seem a bit premature
but I would like to try grafting and have a few of questiions

Why are fruit trees often grafted, is it to control size?

Why does there seem to be no suppliers of St Julien A rootstock on the
web in the UK?

Will
--
WillA
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