Grafting sources?

[Catalpa]

I have this amazing old apple tree. It's at least 70-75 years old and the apples make wonderful pies and sauce. It's reduced to just one third of what it was, due to age and storm damage, and I want to propagate it somehow and take a young version of it with me when I move to the homestead property.

What would work best? There are two large suckers that have grown up as small trees, even with blossoms. Can I dig one of those up and transplant it? Is there any chance of it making it, when there's a lot of rabbit damage on the lower trunk?

Or should I try grafting? What would you recommend as a web site or book where I can learn how to graft?

All responses are much appreciated! :)

[kawalekm]

Hi Catalpa
Grafting is so easy. It worked for me the very first time I tried it. The easiest thing you can do is take some seed directly out of the tree you want to graft. Plant it the same day you core the apple. Apple seeds don't like to dry out and will sprout as soon as they're in the dirt. The seeds should sprout in 2-3 weeks, then you can transplant to 5 gallon pots to grow larger. I've also sprouted peaches, pears, almonds, pistachios and chestnuts the same way. Here's a site that shows grafting methods. Try one of each method and see what works best for you.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/DG0532c.html

I graft my seedlings in early spring before the buds of the tree have started to swell. After one growing season the seedlings are pencil thick and about the right size for grafting. I make a traditional whip graft that I wrap with electrical tape. Make sure that the green inner bark of the scion is tightly pressed against the green inner bark of the rootstock. The scion will start to sprout about 4-6 weeks after grafting, depending on your local weather. Watch the tree it came from. What I see is the scions lagging behind the intact trees by 2-3 weeks.

Here's a pic of one of my grafts
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/kawalekm/GraftedAnjouPear.jpg
Leave the tape on the graft for the whole growing season and peel it off in the fall. Be carefull not to rip any bark off the stem when peeling off the tape. The following spring the newly grafted trees should be ready to go in the ground.
Michael

[Catalpa]

Thanks! I had no idea there were so many ways of grafting. I have tried to plant some of the seeds before, without much luck. Maybe I was letting the seed get too dry. I'll try again.

My tree has baby leaves, and some of the blossoms have begun to open. Do you think it's too late this season to try grafting? And where does one get the rootstock?