How to Graft Pears

Grafting pear trees helps you reproduce similar fruit varieties on new trees.

When you graft a pear tree branch to another pear tree, it creates a union between the two. That means that the original branch grows as though it was part of the new tree. However, it will produce fruit similar to the grafted variety. Grafting requires a fresh stem -- the scion -- and an understock, the tree onto which the grafted branch fuses. One common method used for pear tree grafting is the whip graft technique. Pear tree grafts generally heal and grow together well -- particularly younger trees. You can complete a whip graft without help from another person.

Things You'll Need

• Pear tree scion
• Pear tree understock
• Sharp knife
• Grafting tape

Instructions

1. Make a diagonal cut on a healthy 1/2-inch thick branch on the understock pear tree using a sharp knife. Leave around a foot between the cut point and the trunk or main branch. You need this length of branch to work the graft.

2. Select a healthy stem on the grafted tree approximately the same diameter as the understock branch. This is the scion. Choose a scion a quarter of the length of the understock branch.

3. Cut a slice across the end of the pear scion. Angle the cut in a similar way to the understock branch's cut. Avoid rough and ragged-edge cuts. Both cuts must be flat for the best possible contact between pear stems.

4. Press the open end of the scion against the cut end of the understock. Line up one side of the scion bark with the bark on the understock. Ideally, the two will fit together snugly.

5. Tie the two sections together using rubber strip for budding, grafting tape or special waxed twine. These won't damage the bark and will allow the union to graft successfully. Remove the tape or wax when you see the first signs of growth on the new pear tree limb.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray water around your newly grafted plant. Moisture helps the graft knit together more successfully.

• Use grafting compound around the tape if possible. This helps protect and seal the join.

• Protect the delicate new graft behind a cage or netting until the union is secure.

• Ensure the two stems match up as close as possible. Don't center a scion in the middle of a larger branch -- always match at least one edge together.

References

• University of Minnesota; Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees--Methods of Grafting; 2009
• University of Kentucky College of Agriculture; Reproducing Fruit Trees by Graftage: Budding and Grafting ; Leonard P. Stoltz and John Strang; Oct, 2005
• "Grafting & Budding: A Practical Guide For Fruit and Nut Plants and Ornamentals"; William J. Lewis, Donald McEwan Alexander; 2008