Grafting

Love Apple Farms By Annette Truong

Supplies •  Grafting (& budding) knife •  Hand pruners •  Elastic bands •  Wax Tape •  Tree seal •  Optional:

“grafting tool”

Why Graft

•  Control tree size •  Rootstocks have helpful

characteristics (resistant to nematodes, eg)

•  Multiple varieties on one tree •  Add a pollinator •  Completely change your tree •  Repair damage •  Enjoyment & accomplishment

Rootstocks & Scions

•  Scions – are the branches

pruned from the desired fruit variety

•  Rootstocks – are the root system

onto which the scion is grafted

Scion & Rootstock Care

•  When you obtain scions, they must be kept slightly moist and cold so they stay dormant until they are used.

•  Damp newspaper, zipper plastic bags, and a refrigerator.

•  Usually you are waiting for the rootstocks to arrive – upon arrival of rootstocks you can start grafting, or keep cool & shaded

The Cambium

•  Trees consist of many layers. The most important being just under the bark, called the cambium.

•  “Cambium is a layer of material inside a plant or tree which consists of actively dividing cells which generate growth for the plant. The cambium is filled with undifferentiated cells which have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cells, depending on where in the plant they are growing.” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cambium.htm

Rootstock compatibility chart

Rootstock size

Two important grafts

•  Beginners only need to know two types of grafts – Whip graft – Cleft graft

Cleft Graft

•  Can be unequal diamters

•  One side of the cambium must match

•  If the rootstock is large enough, two scions can be clefted at once

Cleft Con’t

•  Use your hand pruners to cut across (head) the rootstock to about 6” or so.

•  Use your grafting knife to carefully cut a cleft across the rootstock.

•  Cut a scion in half (only 2-3 buds are needed) •  Use your grafting knife to cut the bottom of the

scion into a wedge with two smooth strokes.

Cleft Con’t

•  Using your knife to wedge open the cleft, carefully insert the scion making sure the cambium is in contact on ONE side.

•  Give the scion a small angle to ensure cambium overlap

•  Use a rubber band to tie around the cleft

•  Wrap with parafilm wax tape •  Paint top of scion with tree seal

Whip (& tongue) Graft

•  Best with equal-diameter stock •  Angle cut scion and rootstock

at same angle •  1/3 down from tip, cleft both scion and

rootstock forming tongues •  Join with tongues overlapping each

other •  Tie with rubber band, wrap with wax

Success rate: 50% •  A high success rate for grafting

is 50%. Often new grafters will experience 0% success the first time – I pruned a peach tree last month that had ZERO of the 8 grafts on it succeed

•  The key is to keep your rootstock alive, then try again! Keep trying, as you get muscle memory and experience you will learn yourself what works and what doesn’t.

Q&A