Introduction to Fruit Tree Grafting

7/31/2019 Introduction to Fruit Tree Grafting

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Introduction to Fruit Tree

Grafting

Joel A. Reich (M.S.)Horticulture Agent

Boulder County Extension


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Why do we graft?

z Not true from seed

z Weak root system

z Speed up conversion/productionz Dwarfing

z Novelty


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Grafting Vocabulary


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Rootstock

z That part of a tree which becomes the rootsystem of a grafted or budded tree.


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Scion

z A piece of vegetative wood from the desiredvariety containing several buds. This material

will become the top of the tree where fruit Iproduced.


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Cambium

z This is a single layer of cells between the wood

and bark of a tree or shrub that produces newcells. In grafting, the cambium of the scionmust line up as closely as possible with thecambium of the stock for a good union.


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Cultivar

z This is a term now used in place of variety. Itmeans cultivated variety

and differentiates a plant from a botanical ornatural variety.


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What Can be Grafted?

z Most varieties of a particular fruit or floweringspecies are interchangeable and can be

grafted.z Plants of the same botanical genus and

species can usually be grafted even though

they are a different variety


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z Plants with the same genus but of a differentspecies often can be grafted. However, the

result may be weak or short-lived, or they maynot unite at all.


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z Plants of different genera are less successfullygrafted, although there are some cases where

this is possible. For example, quince, genusCydonia, may be used as a dwarfing rootstock

for pear, genus Pyrus.


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What about Genetics?

z Is there a blending of genes when grafts aremade?


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Required Materials

z Sharp knife

z Grafting wax

z Budding strips (or electrical tape)z Rootstock

z

Selected scion(s)


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Types of Grafts

z Whip (a.k.a. whip and tongue)

z Budding (a.k.a. T-budding)

z Cleftz Bark

z

Side


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Whip

The whip graft is usually used for graftingroot stocks and scions but can also beused for raftin small branches.


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Budding

In budding, a single bud does the work of ascion.


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Cleft

The cleft graft is the oneto use on large branches.


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Bark

Bark grafting is relatively easy and requires no specialtools. It is similar to cleft grafting and may be

performed on branches ranging from 1 inch to severalinches in diameter.


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Side

In the side graft, the cut goes across the

grain to reduce splitting.


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Hands-On Activity

Whip andTongue graftingwith apples


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Whip Grafting

Cuts for the whip graft must

be smooth and straight.


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Whip Grafting

Push stock and scion tightlytogether.

Match the two parts together.Unless the scion and stock arethe same size, be sure the

scion is in contact with theinner bark on one side. If thetoe of either the stock or scion

extend beyond the heel of theother, cut if off evenly.


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Whip Grafting

Wrap graft to keep

cuts tight and toprevent drying.

Bind tightly with tape, then

carefully cover the unionand binding material withgrafting compound.


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Whip Grafting

Whip and tonguegraft with scionattached to root

system.

Remove wrapping as soon as the scionhas started to grow to prevent girdlingof the tree.


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Whip Grafting

Now love your

tree for a couple

years and it will

love you back

for decades

Documents

Introduction to Fruit Tree Grafting