Q: I would like to experiment with grafting pear and apple trees. What kind of rootstocks are best and where can I get them?

A: When choosing rootstock, it all depends on how big you want the mature tree to be. If you want a full-sized apple tree, graft onto a pencil- to broomstick-sized seedling tree. If you want a dwarf apple, you can buy Malling rootstocks from Internet suppliers. Pears are grafted onto Callery pear rootstock for a full sized tree. Getting a dwarf pear is more complicated and not recommended until you are sure your grafting technique is first rate. Lots of good information is available from http://xrl.us/GRAFTING (broken link)