Can I Graft Pears & Apples?

The vast majority of nursery-grown fruit trees are grafts, not seed-grown trees.

Grafted trees produce fruit earlier, mature faster and, because the nursery provides a proven rootstock, the grafted trees are often healthier than seed-grown trees. Grafting -- taking a section of one tree, called a scion, and splicing it into another -- has the most success when you graft two of the same species, such as pears to pears and apples to apples. A cross-species graft, however, is possible.

Family

Apples and fruiting pears come from the same family, Rosaceae. Although they are separate species, their genetics are similar enough to allow the two species to form a successful graft on occasion. Even if conditions are perfect, the graft won't always be successful. If you do successfully graft the two species, monitor the tree carefully, as many such combinations result in a short-lived tree.

Young Trees

Choose young apples or pears if you choose to top-work the entire tree. Top-working involves removing the existing branches and replacing them with cuttings of the preferred cultivar. Young trees, up to 8 years old, are not only growing vigorously but don't suffer the shock an older tree experiences from severe pruning. Select six to 10 well-spaced limbs with wide, strong crotch angles and with a 1- to 3-inch diameter. While the tree is dormant in late winter or early spring, prune the limbs 12 to 24 inches from the trunk and graft in your scion wood, sealing it if necessary. Keep as much of the original crown as possible for the first year or two to feed the tree.

Mature Trees

Graft older trees in sections, starting with roughly one-third of the branches the first year and the next third in the following year. As with younger trees, choose well-formed branches with wide angles spaced around the tree, rather than all on one side. Keep the scion and the host branch similarly sized if you use whip-grafting techniques. The top-worked section is much smaller than the original tree, but a solid graft grows quickly.

Problems

Grafts fail for many reasons. If the tree's cambium -- the nutrient-transporting layer just under the bark -- doesn't meet up with the cambium layer of the scion, the scion dies. Certain species simply don't graft well, such as cherry trees, while other species won't graft well to each other, such as Bartlett pear and quince. Also consider the growth rate of the pear or apple tree; a vigorous apple may eventually overwhelm a pear's grafted-in branches.

References

• Cornell Cooperative Extension; Top-Working and Bridge-Grafting Fruit Trees; G. H. Oberly; 1974
• University of Minnesota Extension: Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees
• University of Missouri Extension; Grafting; Ray R. Rothenberger, et al.; Dec. 2008

Resources

• Palomar College; Fruits of the Rose, Olive, Avocado & Mahagany Families; W. P. Armstrong; 2009
• Pennsylvania State University; Grafting and Propagating Fruit Trees; R. M. Crasweller; 2005
• University of Vermont; Top-Working; M. Elena Garcia