This document provides details on a lesson plan for teaching grafting techniques. It includes learning objectives, subject matter, procedures, and activities. The key points are: 1) The lesson plan covers identifying grafting tools/materials, benefits of grafting skills, following grafting steps, and performing grafting efficiently. 2) Various grafting techniques are discussed, including approach grafting. Advantages of grafting like producing disease-resistant plants in 2-3 years are highlighted. 3) The document provides step-by-step instructions for approach grafting, including preparing rootstock and scion, making level cuts, and tying the graft. Ideal timing is mentioned.

1. DETAILED LESSON PLAN IN TECHNOLOGY ANDLIVELIHOOD EDUCATION (SECONDARY)
I. LEARNINGOBJECTIVES
1. Identifythe toolsandmaterialsforgrafting
2. Cite benefitsof havingthe skillsingrafting
3. Followthe stepbystepof grafting
4. Performgraftingefficiently
II. SUBJECT MATTER
TOPIC: GRAFTING TECHNIQUES
REFERENCES: Google,PlantPropagationbook
MATERIALS: Visual aide,REALIA
ValuesIntegration: AppreciationandImitation,Teamwork andCooperation
III. PROCEDURE/LEARNINGACTIVITIES
Teacher’s Activity
Teacher invite the students to stand up for
the opening prayer.
“ Let us put ourselves in the presence of God.
In the name of the Father, and of the son, and
of the Holy spirit, Amen. Our Father……. Let’s
thank God for entrusting another year to our
borrowed life. May this year be filled with
love, peace, happiness, wealth, good health,
success and hope for everyone.
GraftigTechniquesn
1. In the naturepl ant species have various mechanisms for reproduction.
Seeds, rooting on
the stem, tubers and suckers are the important ones. Plant propagation
techniques became
popular with modern horticulture for asexual
multiplication of commercial plants in large numbers. Grafting is an
age old practice. But its commercial application and new techniques
started few decades ago. Tissue Culture is one more
popularasexual method of multiplication
of plants. But it is commercially successful only in soft wood plants like
banana, cardamom,
flower and ornamentalplant species.
2. Majority of the plants produce seeds. Then why do you need
grafting? To answer this

2. question let us understand the problems of seedlings first. The male
part of the plantpollen
unites with the female part ovule to form seed. Due to recombination of
genes the next
generation plant differs in its characters than its mother plant. This
variation is more evident in
case of cross pollination. Hence
the seedlings from a sweet mango tree may give sour fruit.
Best jackfruit may become useless in next generation. Off course this is
the reason for the
varietal diversity in nature. But in commercial horticulture we need plants
with similar
characters for good quality and yield. Here the grafting techniques help
us a lot.
3. Seedlings take long time to bear fruit.But the grafted plants can givefruit
after 2-3 years.
Grafting technique is used to escape from certain diseases in some crops.
For example grafting pepper onwild pippaliis popular to avoid wilt disease.
A wild type of grape called ‘Dog ridge’
can withstand drought and avoid the absorption of poisonous elements.
Grafting commercial
varieties on this Dog ridge brought revolution in grape production. Many
ornamental plants do
not produce seeds. At the same time they do not root easily from stem
cuttings. For the
multiplication of such plants grafting technique is inevitable. Grafting is
helpful to produce
composite plants with many varieties and for the rejuvenation of old trees.
4.Grafting means uniting 2 plants of the same species. Shoot of a
requiredvariety plant is grafted on a seedling with astout root system.
Normally 2 different species will not unite.
Even then inter specific combination is possible in citrus, sapota, grape
and in few more plant
species. Grafting is restricted only to dicot plants. It is not possible in
monocot plants like
areca nut and coconut. Graft plant is dwarf by nature since it is from a
lateral shoot. It spreads

3. wider than its height. This helps for pruning, spraying, harvesting and
for other cultural operations.
5.There are few problems too with grafted plants Some grafts fail to grow
in to a tree
affecting the yield. In nutmeg and kokum only the shoots growing up
ward are used for
grafting to get good trees from graft plants.In most of the species the
graft plant will not grow
in to a huge tree. Hence they are not useful for timber purpose. Sometimes
approach graft
plants get damaged by heavy wind. Air layered plants without tap root
system can not tolerate
drought. Depending on the root stock you may find slight variation in
the quality of the fruit of the grafted plant. Due to incompatibility between
root stock and scion the graft may fail to
grow properly even after the success of grafting. Few viral and bacterial
diseases are
transmitted through graft plants in lime and pomegranate. Even then the
grafted plants play a
vital role in commercial horticulture.
6.High temperature and high humidity are necessary for the success of
grafting. Hence
winter and heavy rainy season are not ideal for grafting. Natural climate
of the sea coast is the
best for the purpose. Hence most of the commercial nurseries erect poly
houses for grafting.
But in medium rainfall areas shade house is enough for this purpose
since the temperature
and humidity remains ideal in the rainy season.
7.Now let us learn about poly houses meant for plant propagation.
We can categorizethem like high cost, medium cost and low cost poly
houses. This is a high cost poly house built for floriculture. This is very
systematic and durable. But it works out costly for propagation purpose
alone. It costs Rs. 2lakhs per gunta. This is a medium cost poly house.
Poly sheet is set on iron arches. Wind damage to the poly sheet is
minimaldue to its shape. Cost of
construction of this poly house is around Rs. 75,000 per gunta. This is a
low cost poly house. It
is built with locally available wooden and bamboo poles. Technically this
is no way inferior to
the other types. But care is necessary to protect the poly sheet from the
sharp edge of the

4. poles. It is necessary to rebuild this after 2-3 years. It costs around Rs.
40,000 per gunta. Poly house of 1 gunta area accommodates around 10,000
plants.
8. Temperature inside the poly house is 5 to 10 centigrade higher than
outside even in rainy
season. We can raise the relative humidity to 90% by sprinkling water
inside the poly house
even in the winter. It is necessary to bring down the temperature inside
by keeping the door
open in hot noon hours of the summer. Success % and the growth of
the graft plants are
excellent in the poly house. We can retain enough heat for night hours
by closing the door by
evening.
9. The poly sheet used in these poly houses keeps good for 3 to 5 years.
This UV stabilized
poly sheet tolerates direct sun light. Put cement or apply coal tar for the
wooden poles 3 to avoid termites. Select the type of poly house depending
on your investment capacity. Poly
house is inevitable for higher % of success and large scale multiplication
of graft plants.
Government provides subsidy for these poly houses.
10. This is a systematic shade house. Young graft plants need nourishment and hardening in
partial shade at least for 2-3 months. The construction of this shade house is very simple and
systematic. G I pipes support the structure. Upper open end of the pipe is plugged with wooden
piece. Drip irrigation LLDPE pipes are spread in all direction to hold the shade net. This
support is good enough to carry the shade net of light weight. G I wires stretched to the
ground from the side support pipes keep the structure firm. Shade net is buried onall sides to
close the entry except the entry doors. Since the shade net allows the movement of air the
structure escapes the damage due to wind. Cost of construction is bit high, but the structure
keeps good at least for 5-6 years. This shade house is useful even for general nursery purpose.
11. Now let us discuss the actual subject of grafting. Graft plant has 2 parts. Lower portion is
from the seedling and is called rootstock. Upper portion is from the mother plant and is called
scion. Rootstock should be a sturdy disease free seedling with a strong tap root system. For
mango grafts bigger mango stones of wild variety are sown in beds. These produce stout
seedlings. Stone of pulp variety and the matured stones from pickle industry are also acceptable.
Champaka and Rayonseeds are sown in pots or poly bags to produce rootstocks.
12. Scion should be a matured stem from fresh growth of the mother plant. It should have a
dormant bulged vegetative epical bud. Scion should be free from diseases and insects like
stem borer. It is better to cut off the leaves of the scion on the mother plant itself 4 days

5. before separation. Do not pluck the leaves. But cut it off retaining the stock of the leaf on the
stem itself. Use only the fresh scions for grafting. However it can be stored in a wet gunny bag
for 2 days.
13. The principle of grafting is same in all the methods. Two stems will join if the cambium
cell layers of both stems are tied together after giving level cuts. In one more method roots are
induced on the stem to get independent plant. Many methods of grafting are in practice based
on this basic principle.
14. APPROACH GRAFTING:
This is an age old method of grafting. This is in practice in important crop plants like
mango, sapota, champakaetc. Search a twig of the mother plant which matches with the stem
of the seedlingin size In commercial nurseries
ground nursery of dwarf mother plants
4
are maintained for the purpose of approach grafting. Otherw
ise a platform like this is put to
facili
tate grafting. Bring
both the stems together and put marks. Then give level cuts of 2
inches on both the stems. Let the cuts be of 30 to 40% of the thickness of the stems. Use sharp
knife to give level cuts. Do not damage the stems with a blunt knife. This
point applies to all
methods of grafting. Then keep both the stems together and tie with plastic tape. This tape
avoids the entry of air and water inside the graft joint and avoids drying. Tying jute thread is
necessary in this approach graft since both t
he stems are thick and stout. Now let us watch the
method once again.
15. June
–
July months, the beginning of the rainy season is
the
ideal time for approach
grafting. Graft takes 2 to 3 months for healing.
During that period seedlings need watering. I
t is
easy if the rain does that job. Give vertical cut on the scion below the graft joint
after the
union seems perfect
. Give one deeper cut after one week. This brings down the dependence
of the scion on the mother plant. Scion starts absorbing water and
nutrients from the seedling
through the graft joint.
Then
separate the gra
ft from the mother plant. C
ut off the seedling
above the graft joint. Keep on removing the sprouts on the rootstock below the union
.
16. We can get a bigger plant in approach g
raf
ting by selecting bigger shoot
for grafting. But
we can produce limited number of plants in this method. Due to the heavier upper portion
sometimes the approach graft plant bends and breaks at the graft union. Watering the
seedlings is a difficult task on
a large scale if the rain stops. Because of all these reasons
approach grafting is not being practiced by commercial nurseries.

6. 17. What we are using here is a common plastic strip. It is not a gum tape. Soft stretchable
plastic of medium thickness is fo
lded like this and cut for 1 inch width. This plastic strip avoids
air and water entering the graft joint. Remove the tape after the graft union heals completely
and the plant starts growing. Otherwise it makes constriction and limits the growth. Even the
plant may die. This point applies to all the methods of grafting.
18.
STONE GRAFTING
:
The commercial nurseries producing grafts in large numbers
follow stone grafting. Though
this is a simple method, the success rate depends on the skill of the
grafter. Stone grafting is
commonly practiced in mango and cashew. Sow the stones
in beds with loose soil.
Seedlings
will loose the tap root while pulling it out if the soil is hard. Uproot the copper colored young
seedlings with entire root and the stone attached. Cut of the stem leaving 2 to 3 inches
5
above the stone. Make a slit of
1.5 inch
with a sharp k
nife. Select a scion of 4 inches
in
length
and of pencil thickness. Give
slant
cut like this on both sides of the scion. Keep the scion in
the slit of the root
stock and tie with the plastic strip. Only the plastic is enough t
o hold the
union since the
root
stock is soft. Make the packing air tight. Plant this tiny graft plant in a poly
bag filled with potting mixture. Put a poly pouch on the sci
on and keep the graft in a poly
house. Let us watch the method once again.
19. Stone graft kept in an open
place will fail. But in a poly house the success rate is
70 to
80%. Scion fails to sprout if the rootstock with leaves turned in to green is used. Graft fails to
sprout if the stone is detached while pulling it out from the bed or at the time of grafting.
The
reason is the stone is the source of food for the graft plant till the scion produces green leaves.
Successful graft starts sprouting in 2 to 3
weeks. Then t
ake out the poly pouch on the scion.
Cut off the plastic strip once the union is perfect and th
e graft grows
fast
. Keep on removing
the sprouts below the graft joint.
20. Stone grafting is a successful commercial method since one can produce large number of
plants. The graft joint is at the base and the plant grows straight. But this method pro
duces
tiny plant which needs more time and nourishment to attain salable size. Because of this

7. reason stone grafting is loosing popularity in recent years. Remember, poly house is essential
for large scale stone grafting.
21. There is a method called d
ouble grafting in this stone method. The seedling from the
stone is very weak and is almost half of the
thickness of the scion. Hence two
seedlings are
grafted to a single scion. This makes the graft union
strong and the plant will get two
root
systems. He
nce the growth of the graft plant will be better. Except to that the grafting method
is same.
22.
SOFT WOOD GRAFTING
:
Now let us study the most popular method of grafting called soft wood grafting.
This is in
practice in mango, sapota, jackfrui
t, cashew, tamarind, brinjal, hibiscus and in many more
plants. Let us graf
t a mango seedling first. Grow
seedling in a poly bag for one season. Even
the older plant is useful. Grafting is on the green
--‐
soft portion of the plant. Hence it is called
soft woo
d grafting.
23. The grafting method is as usual. Cut off the rootstock above the green portion of the
stem. Keep few leaves below. Make a slit of 1.5 to 2 inch length. Give slant cut on both sides
of
the scion like this. Then keep the scion in the slit of the rootst
ock and tie with the plastic strip.
6
Plastic is enough to keep the joint intact since the stems are soft. Ensure that the packing is
made airtight.
24. Few leaves are necessary below the graft joint. This is to feed the plant till the scion
produces gree
n leaves. Put a plastic pouch on the scion and keep the graft in poly house
for
more % of success
. However the poly house is not compulsory. Remove the pouch on the scion
as and when the scion starts sprouting. Keep on removing the sprouts below the graft
joint.
Otherwise the scion will die.
Cut off the plastic tape after the union heals perfectly and the
plant starts growing. Otherwise it will create constriction and the plant may die. Now let us
watch the method once again.
25. Soft wood grafting
is be
ing used in many forms with few modifications. This is a mango
seedling of unknown variety. Even if it is good it takes many years to give fruits. We can
convert this in to a good variety by soft wood grafting. Cut off all the
shoots
leaving 3 to 4
healthy branches. Graft at soft wood portion as usual. Even we can graft different

8. varieties
to
each of the branches to produce a composite tree. Many farmers plant seedlings on the farm
at required spacing. Then the plants are grafted in s
oft wood grafting method. This is called
‘in situ’ grafting. This method gives better success rate and further growth of the plant.
26. Now let us learn one more usage of soft wood grafting. This method is b
eing used on
large scale for
rejuven
ation or change of variety of old mango and cashew pla
ntations. Cut off
the tree at 2 to
3 fe
et height from the ground in
summer. It will produce many sprouts in 2
--‐
3
months.
Then grafting is done
to 5
--‐
6 selected sprouts in soft wood grafting method. Put po
ly
bags on the scions after grafting. Graft union heals up fast and the branches grow quickly due
to wide spread root system. This graft plant starts yielding within 2
--‐
3 years. However
the
old
big tree may
fail to sprout after cutting at the base. Hence th
e trees up to 1.5 feet diameter
are suitable for this method. This method is successful in converting old seedling plantations of
cashew.
27.
BARK GRAFTING
:
Earlier there was one more method to convert old mango trees in to a graft
plant
. Here t
he
grafting is done on thick bark of the tree and hence it called bark grafting. Since the bark is
thick and hard it needs chisel and hammer to cut open it. Make two cuts in an angle like this
on the trunk just above the ground. Remove a small piece of bar
k to facilitate the insertion of
the scion. Loosen the bark without damaging it. Here a bigger scion of 8 inch length and thumb
thickness is used. Give slant cuts as usual
to the scion. Open the cut bark and insert the scion
7
slowly. Do not damage the scion
by pushing i
t down forcibly. We may put 2
scions on the same
trunk. To keep the bark in place it needs ty
ing with a rope like this. P

9. aste the clay on the cut
marks to prevent air and water entering the graft
joint.
28. This scion starts sprouting within
5
--‐
6 weeks. Union will heal perfectly
and the scion gives
out 2
--‐
3 fle
shes within 6 months. Then cut the tree above the graft union. Fell the tree in
opposite direction without damaging the sprouted scion. This graft ge
ts the whole root system
for feeding
.
Hence it grows in to a big tree within 2
--‐
3 years and starts yielding. We come
across many mango trees grafted in this method.
29.
SIDE
GRAFTING
:
Side grafting is one more simple method which is not in practice commercially. The old
seedlings grown in a bag or pot is the rootstock. Give a slant cut on the stem at 3 inch height.
Cut the scion as usual and place it in the slit of the rootstock. Ty
ing plastic tape is enough to
hold the graft joint. Scion sprouts after 4 weeks. Then cut off the top portion of the rootstock
above the graft joint.
30.
AIR
LAYERING
:
Guava, pomegranate, lime, bread fruit, hibiscus, ixora, musanda, ornamental ru
bber and
many other plants produce roots on their stems naturally. But the rooting is not enough to
produce an independent viable plant for commercial planting.
The systematic method of
inducing enough roots on these stems is called air layering.
31. No
w let us study the method in detail. Bending and putting the stems in the soil for
rooting was the earlier practice. But the availability of such stems was very limited. Hence the
method was modified to root at any height of the plant. This called as air l
ayering. Select
healthy twig of finger size for layering. Put 2 knife marks around the bark and take out a ring of
bark. Scrape the greenish cell layer on the stem to avoid rejoining of the bark. To induce more
root IBA hormone of 500 ppm concentration may
be applied. Sphagnum moss is commonly
used as rooting media. This is
a fern growing
on trees in the forest or on the ground in hilly
region. This is a very loose medium with high water holding capacity. This sphagnum moss is
available for sale in the shop
s selling nursery equipments. Even the saw dust and powdered
organic manure are in use as rooting medium. But moss is the best one.

10. 32. Wet the sphagnum
moss;
squeeze it to drain excess water. Otherwise it will result in the
decay
of the stem and bark i
nside the layer ball. Tie a pl
astic sheet with the help of
jute thread
8
below
the layer mark. Hold it upward
to get a packet shape. Fill the packet with the moist
sphagnum moss tightly. Again tie the opening at the top. Tying should be tight
enough
to
make
the layer ball airtight. It will root within 5
--‐
6 weeks. After enough roots are visible put 2
vertical cuts below the layer ball in a week interval. Then separate the layer from the mother
plant. Cut off the tender portion of the layer plant to minimize ev
aporation since the roots are
yet to establish. Remove the plastic sheet, plant it in a poly bag and keep it under shade. Now
let us watch the whole procedure of air layering once again.
33. Air layering is the only commercial method of propagation in pom
egranate and guava. We
can produce layers in large numbers if we have enough mother plants. Air layering is a simple
and cheaper method of plant multiplication. But the plant dies after separation if the rooting is
not proper.
It is opined that the layer p
lant can not withstand drought since it has no tap root
system. But now a day the plantations will have assured irrigation. Hence the air layering has
become a popular method of plant propagation.
34.
BUDDING
OR
BUD GRAFTING
:
Now let us study th
e delicate method of grafting called budding or bud grafting. This is the
only commercial method of multiplication in rose. Budding is in practice even in rubber, lime,
bur
fruit and in many other plants. Depending on the shape
of the bark opening it is te
rmed
as
‘I’ budding, ‘T’ budding and patch budding.
35. Now let us bud graft the r
ose plant. Stem cuttings of
commercial variety of rose will not
root properly. Hence th
e rootstock is a wild
non flowering variety called Dog rose. Plant the
dog r
ose
cuttings in the field or in

11. poly bags. Select the scion stick from the required variety of
rose. We find healthy, fresh and bulged vegetative buds
on the stick below the dried flowers.
Cut off the leaves of the scion stick. But
do not pluck the leaves. Sco
op
the selected bud with
the stalk of the leaf and a small portion of the stem inside. Then carefully take out the stem
part inside. This bud scion is ready for grafting. Ensure that the bud do not dries up.
Cut off the
other shoots of the dog rose leaving
only one soft
--‐
fresh shoot. Remove the
thorns
to facilitate
easy budding. Put a mark of 1.5 inch length on the bark of the shoot with the help of knife tip.
Loosen the bark without damaging it. Insert the bud inside along with the portion of the bark
with
it. Tie a plastic strip to make the graft joint air tight keeping the bud open. It will take 3 to
4 weeks for sprouting of the grafted bud. Cut off the dog rose shoot above the budding joint
after the joint heals perfectly and the bud starts growing in to
a green shoot. Keep on
removing the sprouts below the budding point.

12. This article is about plant grafting. For other uses, see Graft (disambiguation).
Cherry tree, consolidated "V" graft
Tape has been used to bind the rootstock and scion at the graft and tar of the scion from desiccation.
A grafted tree showing two different color blossoms
Graftingor graftage[1] isahorticultural techniquewherebytissuesfromone plantare inserted intothose
of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called
inosculation.The technique ismostcommonlyusedinasexualpropagationof commerciallygrownplants
for the horticultural and agricultural trades.
In most cases,one plantis selectedforitsroots and this iscalledthe stock or rootstock.The other plant
isselectedforitsstems,leaves,flowers,orfruitsandiscalledthe scionor cion.[1] The scioncontainsthe
desired genes to be duplicated in future production by the stock/scion plant.
In stemgrafting,a commongrafting method,a shootof a selected,desiredplantcultivarisgraftedonto
the stock of another type. In another common form called bud grafting, a dormant side bud is grafted
onto the stem of anotherstock plant,and whenit has inosculatedsuccessfully,itisencouragedto grow
by pruning off the stem of the stock plant just above the newly grafted bud.
For successful graftingtotake place,the vascular cambiumtissues of the stock and scion plantsmustbe
placed in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive until the graft has "taken", usually a
period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection take place between
the grafted tissues. Joints formed by grafting are not as strong as naturally formed joints, so a physical
weakpointoftenstilloccursatthe graftbecauseonlythenewlyformedtissuesinosculate witheachother.
The existing structural tissue (or wood) of the stock plant does not fuse.
Contents
1 Advantages
2 Techniques
2.1 Approach
2.2 Budding
2.3 Cleft
2.4 Whip
2.5 Stub
2.6 Four flap (or banana)
2.7 Awl
2.8 Veneer
3 Natural grafting
4 Graft hybrids
5 Scientific uses
6 White Spruce
7 Herbaceous grafting
8 History
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Advantages
Graft particular to plum Cherry. The scion is the largest in the plant, due to the imperfect union of the
two.It can be seen on the enlarged trunk: this accumulation of starch is an indication of imperfection.

13. Precocity: The ability to induce fruitfulness without the need for completing the juvenile phase.
Juvenilityisthe natural statethroughwhichaseedlingplantmustpassbefore itcanbecomereproductive.
In most fruiting trees, juvenility may last between 5 and 9 years, but in some tropical fruits e.g.
Mangosteen, juvenilitymay be prolongedfor up to 15 years. Grafting of mature scions onto rootstocks
can result in fruiting in as little as two years.
Dwarfing: To induce dwarfing or cold tolerance or other characteristics to the scion.Most apple trees
in modern orchards are grafted on to dwarf or semi-dwarf trees planted at high density. They provide
more fruit per unit of land, higher quality fruit, and reduce the danger of accidents by harvest crews
workingonladders.Care mustbe takenwhenplantingdwarf orsemi-dwarftrees.If suchatree isplanted
withthe graft belowthe soil,thenthe scionportioncan alsogrow roots and the tree will still growtoits
standard size.
Ease of propagation:Because the scionisdifficulttopropagate vegetativelybyothermeans,suchasby
cuttings.Inthiscase,cuttingsof an easilyrootedplantare usedtoprovidearootstock.Insome cases,the
scion may be easily propagated, but grafting may still be used because it is commercially the most cost-
effective way of raising a particular type of plant.
Hybrid breeding: To speed maturity of hybrids in fruit tree breeding programs. Hybrid seedlings may
take tenor more years to flowerand fruiton theirown roots. Graftingcan reduce the time to flowering
and shorten the breeding program.
Hardiness: Because the scion has weak roots or the roots of the stock plants have roots tolerant of
difficult conditions. e.g. many showy Western Australian plants are sensitive to dieback on heavy soils,
common in urban gardens, and are grafted onto hardier eastern Australian relatives. Grevilleas and
eucalypts are examples.
Sturdiness: To provide a strong, tall trunk for certain ornamental shrubs and trees. In these cases, a
graft ismade at a desiredheightonastockplantwitha strongstem.Thisisusedtoraise 'standard'roses,
which are rose bushes on a high stem, and it is also used for some ornamental trees, such as certain
weeping cherries.
Disease/Pest Resistance: In areas where soil-borne pests or pathogens would prevent the successful
plantingof the desiredcultivar,the use of pest/disease tolerantrootstocksallowthe productionfromthe
cultivar that would be otherwise unsuccessful. A major example is the use of rootstocks in combating
Phylloxera.
Pollen source: To provide pollenizers. For example, in tightlyplanted or badly planned apple orchards
of a single variety,limbsof crabapple maybe graftedatregularlyspacedintervalsontotreesdownrows,
say everyfourthtree.Thistakescare of pollenneedsatblossomtime,yetdoesnotconfuse pickerswho
mightotherwisemix varietieswhileharvesting,asthe mature crabapplesare sodistinctfromotherapple
varieties.
Repair: To repair damage to the trunk of a tree that would prohibit nutrientflow, such as stripping of
the bark by rodentsthat completely girdlesthe trunk.In thiscase a bridge graft may be usedto connect
tissuesreceivingflow fromthe rootstotissuesabove the damage thathave beenseveredfromthe flow.
Where a watershoot, basal shoot or sapling of the same species is growing nearby, any of these can be
grafted to the area above the damage by a method called inarch grafting. These alternatives to scions
must be of the correct length to span the gap of the wound.
Changing cultivars: To change the cultivar in a fruit orchard to a more profitable cultivar, called
topworking.Itmaybe fastertograftanew cultivarontoexistinglimbsof establishedtreesthantoreplant
an entire orchard.
Maintain consistency: Apples are notorious for their genetic variability, even differing in multiple
characteristics, such as, size, color, and flavor, of fruits located on the same tree. In the commercial
farmingindustry,consistencyismaintainedbygraftingascionwithdesiredfruittraitsontoahardystock.
An example of approach grafting by Axel Erlandson.
Curiosities
A practice sometimescarriedoutbygardenersistograftrelatedpotatoesandtomatoessothatboth
are produced on the same plant, one above ground and one underground.
Cacti of widely different forms are sometimes grafted on to each other.
Multiple cultivarsoffruitssuchasapplesare sometimesgraftedonasingletree.Thisso-called"family
tree"providesmore fruitvarietyforsmall spacessuchasa suburbanbackyard,andalsotakescare of the

14. need for pollenizers. The drawback is that the gardener must be sufficiently trained to prune them
correctly, or one strong variety will usually "take over".
Ornamental and functional, tree shaping usesgrafting techniques to join separate trees or parts of
the same tree to itself.Furniture,hearts,entryarchwaysare examples.AxelErlandsonwasaprolifictree
shaper who grew over 75 mature specimens.
Techniques
Approach
T budding
Approachgraftingorinarchingisusedtojointogether plantsthatare otherwisedifficulttojoin.The plants
are grownclose together,andthenjoinedsothateachplanthasrootsbelow andgrowthabove the point
of union.[2] Both scion and stock retain their respective parentsthat may or may not be removed after
joining. Also used in pleaching. The graft can be successfully accomplished any time of year.[3]
Budding
Bud graftingusesa bud insteadof a twig.Graftingrosesis the most commonexample of budgrafting.In
thismethodabudisremovedfromthe parentplant,andthe base of the budisinsertedbeneaththe bark
of the stem of the stalk plant from which the rest of the shoot has been cut. Any extra bud that starts
growing out from the stem of the stalk plant is removed because that would bear the flower of the
unwanted original kind. Examples: roses and peaches.
Cleft
Successful cleft graft after 2 years' growth
Same graft after 4 years' growth. Graft is now final, rootstock completely overtaken
In cleft grafting a small cut is made in the stalk and then the pointed end of the scion is inserted in the
stalk.The most commonform of graftingiscleftgrafting.This isbest done inthe springand is useful for
joiningathinscionabout1 cm (0.39 in) diametertoa thickerbranch or stock.It isbest if the latteris 2–7
cm (0.79–2.76 in) in diameter and has 3–5 buds. The branch or stock should be split carefully downthe
middle toformacleftabout3 cm (1.2 in) deep.If itisabranch thatis notvertical thenthe cleftshouldbe
cut horizontally. The end of the scion should be cut cleanly to a long shallow wedge, preferably with a
single cutforeachwedge surface,andnotwhittled.A thirdcutmaybe made acrossthe endof the wedge
to make it straight across.
Slide the wedge intothe cleftso that it is at the edge of the stock and the centre of the wedge facesare
againstthe cambiumlayerbetweenthe barkandthe wood.Itispreferable if asecondscionisinsertedin
a similar way into the other side of the cleft.This helps to seal off the cleft. Tape around the top of the
stock to hold the scion/s in place and cover with grafting wax or sealing compound. This stops the
cambium layers from drying out and also prevents the ingress of water into the cleft.
Whip
Successful whip graft
Successful whip graft needing additional pruning the following season
In whipgraftingthe scion and the stalkare cut slantingandthenjoined.The graftedpointis thenbound
with tape and covered with soft wax to prevent dehydration and germs. Also known as the whip and
tongue graft,thisisconsideredthe mostdifficulttomasterbuthasthe highestrate of successas itoffers
the most cambium contact between the two species. It is the most common graft used in top-dressing
commercial fruit trees. It is generally used with stock less than 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) diameter, with the ideal
diameter closer to 3⁄8 in (0.95 cm) and the scion should be of roughly the same diameter as the stock.
The stock is cut through on one side only at a shallow angle with a sharp knife. (If the stock is a branch
and not the maintrunk of the rootstockthenthe cut surface shouldface outwardfromthe centre of the
tree.) The scionissimilarlyslicedthroughatanequal angle startingjustbelowabud,sothat the budisat
the top of the cut and on the other side than the cut face.

15. A notch is cut downwardsintothe slicedface of the stock and a similarcutupwards intothe face of the
scion cut. These act as the tongues and it requires some skill to make the cuts so that the scion and the
stockmarry up neatly.The jointisthentapedaroundandtreatedwithtree-sealingcompoundorgrafting
wax.
The elongated "Z" shape adds strength, removing the needfor a companion rod in the first season (see
illustration).
Stub
Successful stub graft, healed
Stub grafting is a technique that requires less stock than cleft grafting, and retains the shape of a tree.
Also scions are generally of 6-8 buds in this process.
An incision is made into the branch 1 cm (0.39 in) long, then the scion is wedged and forced into the
branch.The scionshouldbe atanangle ofatmost35°tothe parenttree sothatthe crotchremainsstrong.
The graft is covered with grafting compound.
Afterthe grafthastaken,the branchisremovedandtreatedafew centimetersabove thegraft,tobe fully
removed when the graft is strong.
Four flap (or banana)
The four-flapgraft(alsocalledbananagraft) iscommonlyusedforpecans,andfirstbecame popularwith
thisspeciesinOklahomain1975. It isheraldedformaximumcambium overlap,butisa complex graft.It
requiressimilarlysizeddiametersforthe rootstockandgraftwood.The barkof the rootstockisslicedand
peeled back in four flaps, and the hardwood is removed, looking somewhat like a peeled banana. It is a
difficult graft to learn.
Awl
Awl graftingtakesthe leastresourcesandthe leasttime.Itisbestdone byanexperiencedgrafter,asitis
possible to accidentally drive the tool too far into the stock, reducing the scion's chance of survival. Awl
graftingcan be done by usinga screwdrivertomake aslitinthe bark,not penetratingthe cambiumlayer
completely. Then inset the wedged scion into the incision.
Veneer
Veneergrafting,orinlaygrafting,isa methodusedfor stocks largerthan three centimetersin diameter.
The scionis recommendedtobe aboutas thickas a pencil.Cleftsare made of the same size as the scion
on the side of the branch, not on top. The scion end is shaped as a wedge, inserted, and wrapped with
tape to the scaffolding branches to give it more strength.
Natural grafting
Possible deliberate grafts on a Sessile Oak in Ayrshire, Scotland
A Husband and Wife tree - Natural grafting in blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Tree branches and more often roots of the same species will sometimes naturally graft; this is called
inosculation. When roots make physical contact with each other they often grow together. A group of
treescan share waterand mineral nutrientsviarootgrafts,whichmaybe advantageoustoweakertrees,
and may also form a larger rootmass as an adaptation to promote fire resistance and regeneration as
exemplified by the California black oak (Quercus kelloggii).[4]
A problemwithrootgraftsisthattheyallow transmissionof certainpathogens,suchasDutchelmdisease.
Inosculation alsosometimesoccurswhere twostemsonthe same tree,shrub or vine make contact with
each other. This is common in plants such as strawberries and potato.
Graft hybrids
Occasionally,aso-called"grafthybrid"can occur where the tissuesof the stock continue to grow within
the scion. Such a plant can produce flowers and foliage typical of both plants as well as shoots
intermediate betweenthe two.The best-knownexamplethisisprobably+Laburnocytisus'Adamii',agraft

16. hybridbetweenlaburnumandbroom,whichoriginatedinanurserynearParis,France in1825. Thissmall
tree bears yellow flowers typical of Laburnum anagyroides, purple flowers typical of Chamaecytisus
purpureus and curious coppery-pink flowers that show characteristics of both "parents".
Scientific uses
Graftinghasbeenimportantinfloweringresearch.Leavesorshootsfromplantsinducedtoflowercanbe
grafted onto uninduced plants and transmit a floral stimulus that induces them to flower.[5]
The transmission of plant viruses has been studied using grafting. Virus indexing involves grafting a
symptomlessplantthatissuspectedof carryinga virusonto an indicatorplantthat is verysusceptibleto
the virus.
White Spruce
White spruce can be graftedwithconsistentsuccessbyusing 8 cm to 10 cm scionsof currentgrowth on
thrifty4- to 5-year-oldrootstock(NienstaedtandTeich1972).[6] Before greenhouse grafting,rootstocks
should be potted in late spring, allowedto make seasonal growth, then subjected to a period of chilling
outdoors, or for about 8 weeks in a cool room at 2 °C (Nienstaedt 1966).[7]
A method of grafting white spruce of seed-bearing age during the time of seed harvest in the fall was
developed by Nienstaedt et al. (1958).[8] Scions of white spruce of 2 ages of wood from 30- to 60 year-
oldtreeswere collectedinthefallandgraftedby3methodsonpottedstocktowhichdifferentday-length
treatments had been applied prior to grafting. The grafted stock were given long-day and natural-day
treatments. Survival was 70% to 100% and showed effects of rootstock and post-grafting treatments in
only a few cases. Photoperiodand temperature treatments after grafting, however, had considerable
effect on scion activity and total growth. The best post-grafting treatment was 4 weeks of long-day
treatment followedby 2 weeks of short-day treatment, then 8 weeks of chilling, and finally long-day
treatment.
Since grafts of white spruce put on relatively little growth in the 2 years after grafting, techniquesfor
acceleratingthe earlygrowthwerestudiedbyGreenwoodetal.(1988)[9] andothers.The culturalregimes
usedto promote one additional growthcycle inone yearinvolve manipulationof daylengthandthe use
of cold storage to satisfy chilling requirements. Greenwood et al. took dormant potted grafts into the
greenhouse inearlyJanuarythengraduallyraisedthe temperatureduringthe course of a weekuntil the
minimumtemperature rose to15 °C. Photoperiodwasincreasedto18 hoursusingincandescentlighting.
In thistechnique,graftsare grownuntil elongationhasbeencompleted,normallybymid-March.Soluble
10-52-10 fertilizerisappliedatbothendsof the growthcycle and20-20-20duringthe cycle,withirrigation
asneeded.Whengrowthelongationiscomplete,daylengthisreducedto8hoursusingablackoutcurtain.
Budset follows, and the grafts are held in the greenhouse until mid-May. Grafts are then moved into a
cooler at 4 °C for 1000 hours, after which they are moved to a shade frame where they grow normally,
with applicationsof fertilizer and irrigation as in the first cycle. Grafts are moved into cold frames or
unheatedgreenhouse inSeptemberuntil January.Flowerinductiontreatmentsare begunon grafts that
have reachedaminimumlengthof 1.0m.Repottingfromaninitialpotsize of 4.5litreto16litre containers
with a 2:1:1 soil mix of peat moss, loam, and aggregate.
Inone of the firstacceleratedgrowthexperiments,white sprucegraftsmade inJanuaryandFebruarythat
would normally elongate shortly after grafting, setbud, and remain in that conditionuntil the following
spring, were refrigerated for 500, 1000, or 1500 hours beginning in mid-July, and a non-refrigerated
control was heldinthe nursery(Greenwoodetal. 1988).[9] Aftercompletionof the cold treatment,the
graftswere movedintothe greenhousewithan18-hourphotoperioduntil lateOctober.Heightincrement
was significantly (P 0.01) influenced by cold treatment. Best results were given by the 1000-hour
treatment (Table 3.31; Greenwood et al. 1988).[9]
The refrigeration(coldtreatment) phase wassubsequentlyshowntobe effectivewhenapplied2months
earlier with proper handling and use of blackout curtains, which allows the second growth cycle to be
completed in time to satisfy dormancy requirements before January (Greenwood et al. 1988).[9]
Herbaceous grafting

17. Grafting is often done for non -woody and vegetable plants (tomato, cucumber, eggplant and
watermelon).[10] Tomato grafting is very popular in Asia and Europe, and is gaining popularity in the
United States. The main advantage of grafting is for disease-resistant rootstocks. Researchers in Japan
developed automated processes using grafting robots as early as 1987.[11][12][13]
History
Grafting with detached scions has been practiced for thousands of years. It was in use by the Chinese
before 2000 BC,[14] then spread to the rest of Eurasia and was well established in ancient Greece.[15]