Grafting Trident maple

Trimaptim

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I recently picked up a 25ish year old Trident maple. It will need a branch grafted I think. When is the best time of year to do this? I'm in central Florida.
 

Shibui

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Timing depends on which method you use.
Grafting free scions is usually done just before growth starts but it is possible to still graft scions later in summer if they are defoliated first to reduce water needs.
Approach grafting can be done all through summer but it is easier to work when there are no leaves to get in the way.
Thread grafting is usually done just before buds swell because leafless shoots are easier to thread through the hole but defoliated shoots can be thread grafted later in the season.
 

Trimaptim

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Timing depends on which method you use.
Grafting free scions is usually done just before growth starts but it is possible to still graft scions later in summer if they are defoliated first to reduce water needs.
Approach grafting can be done all through summer but it is easier to work when there are no leaves to get in the way.
Thread grafting is usually done just before buds swell because leafless shoots are easier to thread through the hole but defoliated shoots can be thread grafted later in the season.
So if I was going to get a whip and thread graft then I'd want to wait a couple months when summer is on the decline?
 

Shibui

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Dormant is the best but if you are really determined to try earlier you should be able to try whenever the whip has reasonably hardened wood, possibly even before midsummer.
Because most thread grafting is done early in spring when trees are dormant there will be very little info on best approaches for thread grafting in summer. I remember reading a couple of comments saying it can be done but not sure where. Try searching but I suspect you will need to go through a lot of posts to find anything.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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So if I was going to get a whip and thread graft then I'd want to wait a couple months when summer is on the decline?
If you want to do it right, let the whips grow out this year to make sure they’re long enough to make the grafts next year. If this is the same tree from your other thread, this growth will also go a long way to close all those scars.
 

Drew

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Dormant is the best but if you are really determined to try earlier you should be able to try whenever the whip has reasonably hardened wood, possibly even before midsummer.
Because most thread grafting is done early in spring when trees are dormant there will be very little info on best approaches for thread grafting in summer. I remember reading a couple of comments saying it can be done but not sure where. Try searching but I suspect you will need to go through a lot of posts to find anything.

I prefer to thread graft when my trees are dormant you can see what you are doing better without leaves. I have also thread grafted after defoliation mid summer without problems... if you are referring to the tree you posted in another thread I would wire a few of the top extensions down into roughly the places you want to graft and do the deed in winter/early spring.... no rush is there?
 
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