grafting

Grafting is a horticultural technique in which tissues from two plants are joined so that they grow as a single plant. The upper part, or scion, provides the shoot system and the cultivar characteristics, while the lower part, or rootstock, supplies the root system and often influences vigor, size, and adaptation to soil conditions. A successful graft relies on the alignment and contact of the vascular cambium of both partners so they can heal and form a continuous stem.

Common grafting methods include whip-and-tongue grafts, cleft grafts, side-veneer grafts, bark grafts, and budding. Budding is a form of grafting in which a single bud is taken from the scion and inserted into a prepared notch in the rootstock. The choice of method depends on plant size, season, and wood characteristics. Grafting is usually performed when cambial layers are active, typically in late winter or early spring in temperate climates, but timing varies with species.

Compatibility is crucial; grafts are most reliable between closely related species or cultivars within the same species. Incompatibility can prevent a successful union or lead to weak growth. The rootstock can influence vigor, tolerance to drought or soil conditions, and resistance to soil-borne pests, while the scion determines fruit, flower, or leaf attributes.

Applications include propagation of cultivars that do not root easily from cuttings, modification of tree size, and repair of injured trees. Grafting is widely used in fruit production and ornamentals to combine desirable traits, enable climate adaptation, and manage orchard structure through dwarfing or multi-variety plantings.