Apple graftlings

[Trufflenut]

Hi guys
I'm considering planting a 300 tree orchard next July (winter in Australia) and one supplier has offered me graftlings which I believe are newly grafted rootstocks with their bud and tape in place. What do you think of this? He acknowledges that there will be failures and will include extras to allow for this... Your thoughts would be good. It could be advantageous to get trees like this, or it may not be a good idea.
Thanks very much for your technical opinions.
Alison

[womblesd]

I started my orchard with one year old whips; now I am expanding it with grafts from the original trees. Its a lot cheaper buying 300 grafts than buying 300 whips. You may need to grow the grafts in a nursery for a year, then transplant to orchard as one year whips.

[appledude]

Might I recommend you purchase 10 graftlings from your source and 300 rootstocks, possibly from another source? Grow the graftlings for a year then take scion wood and graft the other 290 you need? You would save thousands of dollars if you did so!

[OrangePippin-Richard]

The main issue is the failure rate, and how quickly you can fill the space with a tree that will catch-up. The advantage of planting this way is that you don't suffer the usual check to growth that you get with 1 or 2 year trees.

[Trufflenut]

Thank you to all for those excellent replies. I'll let you know what happens and send photos of thenew orchard!