Main Tree: Wonderful, source plant from Treeland Nursery, May 2013
Graft 1: Ariana, scion wood from tucsonken / Ken S., Feb 2016
Graft 2: Desertnyi, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2016
Graft 3: Gissarski Rosovyi, scion wood from snowjunky / Steven L., Jan 2017
Graft 4: Red Silk, scion wood from Dave Wilson Nursery (from plant I own), Feb 2017
Graft 5: Medovyi Vasha, scion wood from smatthew / CRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 6: Parfianka, scion wood from smatthew / CRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 7: Angel Red, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 8: Dahistan, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 9: Sirenevyi, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 10: Sharp Velvet, scion wood from Dave Wilson Nursery (from plant I own), Feb 2017
Graft 11: How Sweet It Is, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 12: Myatadzhy, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 13: Sin Pepe, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 14: Eversweet, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 15: Mae, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 16: Fleischman, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
Graft 17: Purple Heart, scion wood from AZRFG Scion Exchange, Feb 2017
I have a several year old Wondeful. And it got to be a big plant (8-10 ft tall, 6-8 ft around). And it would make pomegranates... technically. They never colored up nicely. The arils were always pink-ish, never red. The flavor was tart, with very little sweetness, but with an unpleasant bitterness. The seeds were hard. Meh...
But, the plant is very vigorous. So I thought: If it doesn't make good pomegranates, it will make a good rootstock.
Spring 2016: I grafted two varieties (Desertnyi and Ariana). One was a chip-bud and one was a cleft graft. Both took. So I decided to do a more aggressive grafting experiment.
Winter 2016-2017: While the plant is dormant, cut back the east half of the large Wonderful bush. The idea here is that I will make a bunch of grafting locations on the east side of the plant and the mature / large Wonderful branches on the west side will protect the grafts from the afternoon sun.
Spring 2017: Grafted on 15 different varieties. All were cleft grafts. Success rate 100% (15 for 15). Scion wood diameter ranged from very small (3/32") to large (3/8"). All grafts grew extremely well the Summer 2017. And one of the grafts (Dahistan) held fruit.
Winter 2017-2018: Cut back the west half of the remaining Wonderful branches because the grafts on the east half are well-established.
Spring 2018: Grafted on scion wood from trimmings from the east half (mostly: Parfianka, Mae, Medovyi Vasha). Tried cleft and veneer grafting. Takes on cleft grafts: 100%. Takes on veneer grafts: ~75%.
Spring 2017 just leafing out (after severe trimming in the Winter to make grafting locations). Blue tags are grafts done Spring 2017.
Ariana cleft graft from 2016
Desertnyi chip bud from 2016
Cleft graft leafing out
Frankenpomegranate Spring 2018
