When to graft prunus mume or japanese plum/ standard plum?

[Jason_mazzy]

A tree I posted long ago which was not in great health has responded with great vigor to the gentle root tease and repot. The branches have all grown 2-3 feet in length and are pushing fall growth now (which I just pinched).

as can be problems with old prunus species there was no back budding, and all the unhealthy foliage (I believe thrips) has left very long 6-12 inch areas of twiggy branch.

This bad boy definitely needs a grafting.

Now I have not grafted before just watched the videos so perhaps I will try myself or get some help BUT either way when is best grafting time?

Ryan Neil suggests late summer for pines if you can protect from freezing. These being deciduous I am not certain if this would work seeing as dormancy is quickly upon us.

Any suggestions?



BEFORE: (AFTER TREATMENT AND NEW GROWTH STARTING)




Now:

 

[Jason_mazzy]

bump it up

 

[bonhe]

In my area, mid-May to June is the best time for ume.
Bonhe

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You are seeing the challenge with ume; often the leaf buds are only at the tips of the branches. Since the buds closest to the base usually aren't viable, they don't leave much to cut back to. That's why it's so important to prune them back as they're extending in the spring...for me, that's late April. It stops the extension growth, and encourages back-budding along each branch.

Peter Tea has one of the best articles about ume, and in it, he stated grafting is done in February and September. From his post:

"Grafting. Since Flowering Plum doesn’t normally back bud, they tend to get leggy after many years of growth. That is where grafting comes to play. When a Flowering Plum get’s too leggy, people will cut the new growth off the tree and graft it into the old wood. The best time to graft is in February or September (Early Spring or early Fall)."

Two thoughts:
1. Keep all the growth on it, so you'll have scions to graft with in the spring.
2. My ume still buds back to the trunk when I cut it hard after blooming. It's far less controlled than grafting, but if you try cutting it back hard in February, using some of the cut canes to graft with and it doesn't work, you still have a chance to get some back budding...just not predictably where you want it.

Good luck, it's a great trunk and an uncommon species around here.