PUT TOGETHER AN ORCHARD BY YOURSELF!
(Page 5 of 6)
Chip Budding
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Also called plate budding, this is another ancient
technique which has only recently become the preferred
method of grafting. Despite the fact that it is extremely
simple in procedure, it is probably the most effective
method of grafting available to us today.
The first step is to take the stock you have chosen and
wipe it clean. Then, firmly hold the rootstock and make a
downward cut in the side of the stock. You should hold your
knife so that the bottom of the cut is horizontal at its
base. Then make a second cut (one or two inches long)
downward which will include the tiny bud shield. When your
two different cuts meet, the little piece of stock will
fall off. (You can just throw this away.) That new space is
where the new prepared stock will fit in.
When you are making ties with this method, make sure they
are firm. Also, if the bud is very prominent, you can make
your tie right over the bud. If it's not, you can cover the
area with thin plastic strips. Coat your ties with wax when
using twine or thread. Then seal the whole area again with
plastic or waxed tape. And that's all there is to it.
Scion Grafting
Scion (pronounced SY-un ) grafting is another
technique, in which the grafting stock, or scion, is a
shoot with several buds. It may be grafted to either a
branch of a big tree or the trunk of a small rootstock.
Scion wood is also a pencil-size terminal shoot developed
during the current growing season. It may be collected in
the fall, after the leaves are off, and stored in a cool
(35°F) cellar in a box of moist leaves, sand, or moss.
Or scion wood can be cut in early spring, just before
grafting. However, there is the risk of using wood that has
been winter-killed. Scion grafting is done before the buds
begin to swell, so you can't tell whether the scion is
alive unless you make a tiny nick in the bark with your
fingernail to be sure that the underlying tissue is green.
In whip and tongue grafting, the scion and
rootstock (or branch) are exactly the same size and
specially cut to lock together. Or scions can be inserted
into branches up to two inches in diameter. A three-bud
scion is used for these methods. In cleft and bark
grafting, use a very fine-toothed saw and cut carefully to
avoid damaging the bark of the stub. When placing a scion,
make sure that the cambiums of the scion and branch are in
contact.
All scion grafts must be sealed very well with rubber
splicing tape and emulsified asphalt or grafting wax, since
the wounds are quite large and deep. The joint must not dry
out. If you use grafting wax, you should check it every so
often during the growing season and be sure to fill in any
cracks. Two scions are usually inserted into the branch
stub in cleft and bark grafting. If they both take, one
will have to be removed. The best time to do this is at the
end of the first growing season when the grafts have
healed.
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