How to Graft to a Tree Stump
Think of grafting as a marriage of equals in which two actually do become one. Grafting melds the root-producing part of one tree, termed the root stock, with the shoot-producing part of another tree, termed the scion. Grafting is a useful way of propagating trees that do not produce seeds. It is also used extensively to incorporate a tolerant or hardy root system into a desireable but less tolerant cultivar. Cleft grafts attach scions into the stump of a tree.
Saw off the trunk of a young tree no more than 2 1/2 inches in diameter at a 90 degree angle to the grain. Make a smooth cut in a section of trunk without knots. Do not tear the bark while sawing.
Place the sharp end of a large knife in the center of the tree trunk. Tap it with a hammer until it creates a 2-inch split in the trunk.
Cut a 6- to 8-inch section of 1-year-old wood for the scion. Select a branch about one-quarter inch in diameter with at least three buds. Mark the top or bottom of the scion with a pen or marker, since it will not grow unless inserted in the correct orientation. Place a sharp knife just below the lowest bud. Make a smooth slice, about 1 1/2 inches long to the bottom of the scion. Make a similar cut on the opposite side of the base of the scion, forming a blunt wedge. The side of the wedge with the bud should be slightly thicker than the side without. Prepare a second, identical scion.
Wedge the crack in the tree trunk open with a grafting chisel. Slip the base end of a scion into the crack positioned so that the lowest bud faces out. Insert the second scion on the other side of the slip, bud facing out. Remove the chisel to allow the stock pressure to close the crack and hold the scions in place.
Apply grafting paint over the entire cleft area. Check the paint the following day. If cracks appear, apply an additional layer of paint.
Watch for the grafts to develop shoots during the next growing season. After one year, prune out the weaker scion and leave only one in the graft.
- Garden saw
- Large knife
- Grafting chisel
- Grafting paint
- Garden clippers
- Only plants that are closely related to one another form successful grafts.
- Use this grafting system with branches on bigger trees. You can raise different species of apples or pears on one tree by grafting different cultivar scions onto the sawed-off branch tips.
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