Today is part 3 of our how to propagate plants series. We will be discussing a more difficult, but no less important method: grafting. If you are unfamiliar with what grafting is, it is taking a small piece of one plant (called a scion) and attaching it to a different plant (called the rootstock) in a manner which allows them to grow together to become a new plant. Grafting is typically done on woody plants. It can also be done on herbaceous plants such as tomatoes. Additionally, we are typically talking about grafting different cultivars of the same species. Trying to graft two different species together rarely works.
Grafting is very important as it allows us to clonally propagate woody plants that cannot be rooted. That is not its only benefit though. Grafting also allows us to utilize rootstocks that add desirable traits to the plant. For example, fruit trees are typically grafted on dwarfing rootstocks which make the trees smaller and fruitful at a younger age. Another example of a way that grafting can be valuable is by allowing us to place a soil disease or pest susceptible cultivar on a rootstock that is resistant. This allows us to successfully grow those plants in less than optimum environments.
Now many gardeners think that grafting is a skill that is beyond their ability
However, that is likely not true. Grafting is not difficult, it just requires proper application of technique and a knowledge of exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Additionally, it requires practice to get good at getting things to line up correctly. It’s also worth noting that some species are considerably easier and more forgiving to graft. We suggest you start your grafting journey with one of them. Hibiscus is an excellent first plant to graft. Apples and pears are also remarkably easy to work with.
Now there are many different ways to graft (bud, cleft, whip, whip and tongue etc.). Different grafting techniques are better suited to different situations. Nonetheless, they all rely upon the same principles for success. Regardless of which technique you use, all grafting success is reliant upon creating good contact between the cambium of the scion and the rootstock. The cambium is the green layer between the brown outer bark and the white inner wood.

The reason that it is so important to line up the cambium is that this is the only living, actively growing part of the wood. In order for your scion and rootstock to successfully grow together their two cambium layers must be close together. Ideally you want them touching as much as possible. As the rootstock responds to the injury you created, it produces a mass of scar tissue that grows together with the scion connecting the two together into one plant.
Today we are going to show you how to do a cleft graft.
The reason we have chosen cleft grafts is because we feel that it is one of the easiest and most versatile grafts for a beginner to master. After you have mastered this technique you can move on to some of the more difficult techniques. Cleft grafting is nice because it can be used on branches of various sizes regardless of the size of the scion. It can even be used to ‘topwork’ old trees. This is done by cutting back the tree to a few main branches and grafting new varieties on to them.
A few basic supplies are needed to graft a tree. You need a very sharp knife, and some sort of grafting tape or film. Grafting tape is simply a special stretchy plastic that you use to hold your graft together. The grafting tape also prevents your scion from drying out and dying before it starts to receive nutrients from the rootstock. Having a roll of electrical tape can also be handy to have in your grafting kit. We also recommend cut-proof gloves to protect your fingers.
The first thing you need to do if you want to graft a tree is to acquire your scion wood.
Scions can be purchased from various places or you can collect your own if the plant you wish to graft is available to you. Scions should be collected in the winter from healthy growth which is that year’s wood. If you are not going to use them immediately, they should be stored in the refrigerator. Place them in a plastic bag and keep them moist but not wet until it is time to make your grafts.
The ideal time to graft many plants is in the spring. Trees like apples and pears are ideally grafted around the time they are just starting to leaf out. This is because the tree is actively growing. The graft union will heal quickly and allow the scion to leaf out at a normal time. Some plants such as kiwi benefit from being grafted when the weather is warmer. A quick Google search will tell you the ideal time to perform your grafts if you are unsure.
To make a cleft graft, you will need 1-2 scion pieces each with at least 2 buds on them.



If you are grafting to a rootstock who’s branch is the same diameter as your scion, you only need 1 scion piece. If you are grafting to a branch that is much larger than your scion you will need 2 pieces.
Step 1: Take your scion piece and carefully cut the bottom of it into a V shape. Be careful to leave cambium down the sides of the V and try not to damage the bark as you make your cuts.
Step 2: Next VERY carefully split your rootstock down the middle far enough that you can firmly insert your scion piece into the split. You need to be able to push it in far enough that you can line up the cambium on the scion and rootstock. If your rootstock is large, repeat the process so that you have a scion for both sides of your spilt.
Please be extremely careful when splitting your rootstock, and wear cut-proof gloves. It is extremely easy to cut your self very badly doing this step.
Step 3: Once you have carefully lined up your cambiums as closely as possible, take your grafting tape and tightly wrap your graft. Be very careful not to knock your scions out of place as you are wrapping. You will want to continue wrapping the grafting tape up your scions. Completely covered the scions in a single layer of tape to prevent them from drying out. If you are grafting onto a large branch you may wish to use grafting wax to seal the large wound. We often like to follow up wrapping our graft union with a layer of electrical tape to help hold everything together securely. Don’t wrap the entire scion with electrical tape, just the graft union.
That’s it. Then you wait.



If your graft is successful, you should see your scion start to leaf out in a few weeks or months. How long it takes depends on species and when you grafted it. If your scion has leafed out and is struggling to burst through the grafting film, it is ok to carefully help it. Be extremely gentle, so that you don’t break your fragile new graft. Also, do not unwrap your actual graft union. We usually remove the electrical tape after our graft has taken and the scion is actively growing. Do not remove the grafting tape until the following spring.
We hope this inspires you to give grafting a try. Having this skill opens up the opportunity for home gardeners to grow heirloom fruit varieties that are not commercially available. This not only gives you access to unique flavors but also to varieties better suited to local environments and low input conditions. Plus, by growing almost extinct heirloom varieties, you have the opportunity to help preserve a piece of history and genetic diversity we might need some day.
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