Grafting in the snow

Garter snake in lower left corner.  Snow along top of frame.

I was not the only one to rush the season.  I stumbled across this guy in the yard.

I think he is over-due to shed his skin.

This is the first time I can remember standing in snow while grafting.

Warm temperatures are required for grafts to knit together.  The next four days look promising.

The temperatures look promising for the next four days.   I was grafting "easy" species like apples and pears in the "serious" orchard.  Apples and pears will callous quite happily in 65 degree weather.  Difficult species like walnuts and hazelnuts are much happier healing up in 80 degree days and 70 degree nights.

I still have many short rootstock to field graft.  I generally get on my belly to graft them.  I will wait for the ground to get a little bit drier before I do that.  There is much snow, standing water and mud.