David WE Roberts wrote:

"Rusty Hinge" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

"redonda" wrote in message
...
snip
Well, actually it's a little late.

One cuts the scions off, a bit longer than you intend using, after the
leaves have dopped, and heel them in. Then, before the buds burst,
(for apples, early April, dunno bout plums) you dig them up, trim to
length and cut the graft.
snip

Problem being that you are not supposed to prune (?) plums -
errr.....what is it called when you turn plums in to
prunes?......reboot outside the growing season because of the chances
of silverleaf infection.

Yup, but you're cutting off the cut ends of the scions, and covering the
graft with Edam-flavoured wax, and silverleaf just doesn't go for Dutch
cheese.

It used to be illegal IIRC but that was when plums were grown
commercially and there were real fears that amateur fruit growers could
spread silver leaf disease and ruin the commercial crops.

Regardless, you are only supposed to prune them when they are growing
strongly so that they have time to heal before winter.
Also, silver leaf spores spread during the winter months.

You're not pruning, you're grafting. Silverleaf spores don't burrow, and
assuming you're quick with your grafting and waxing, and clean the two
mating ends of the graft (which you'd do anyway, wouldn't you?),
silverleaf is unlikely to be quick enough to get in.

I must assume, therefore, that you are only supposed to graft them
during the growing season for similar reasons.

Nope. You hould always graft as the sap in the stock is rising.

Apples, on the other hand, are generally pruned over winter when they
are dormant - and from your description they are grafted over the same
period.

So I don't know if you take the scion earlier and overwinter for longer
or if you do a straight cut and graft around June when the trees are
growing strongly.

April, before the buds burst.

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_2155542_graft-plum-trees.html says to take the
scions in winter then keep in the fridge until April/May.
However I can't see how you can take a scion without cutting the parent
tree and again I can't see how it is O.K. to take scions from plum trees
over winter but not to prune them.

You disinfect the cut(s) and seal them.

Not sure how accurate 'ehow' guides are - possibly slightly less than
Wikipedia?

I prefer to consult a good gardening book - preferably one which has
passed through several editions.

Mine were first published in 1940 and 1943, and have no mention of
fridges...

--
Rusty