When to Graft Fruit Tree Limbs

Apple trees are among the most commonly grafted fruit trees.

Fruit trees are grafted to encourage new fruit growth. A tree may receive a graft from another tree of the same species or from a different type of fruit tree that will allow for a new, hybrid fruit to grow. Whip, cleft and side grafts and budding are four of the most commonly used graftage techniques. Most grafting uses dormant wood, while budding uses live growth.

Purpose

Grafting promotes new growth in fruit trees. In fact, most fruit trees will never begin to bear fruit if they do not receive a graft. A small limb, called a scion, is cut from a tree that has previously shown strong growth and then attached to the limb of a new tree. Grafting is also used on older trees that have stopped producing a harvest.

Grafting

Tree grafts are best conducted during the spring time while the trees are still dormant. After the last risk of frost but before the new buds emerge for the season is the best window of opportunity for grafting. In regions with more temperate winters, such as parts of Southern states, grafting may begin as early as January or February, while climates like Minnesota require a start as late as early May. Scions are collected during the trees' dormant season, either in late winter or the early spring. Once a graft is put in place the two pieces of wood will generally begin to grow together within a matter of weeks.

Budding

Unlike grafting, budding takes place in the summer months, regardless of the region in which the tree grows. Budding uses a single bud instead of an entire limb, so the process is done while a tree's buds are currently showing strong growth. Another benefit of doing budding in July and August is that the bark on a tree slips more easily, making it possible to slide a freshly cut bud into a cut on another tree's bark.

Other Considerations

If scions are collected more than a day or so before the grafting process, they need to be stored in a cool place and wrapped in damp cloth. Clean tools must always be used during the process, or the cuts made to a tree will lead to an infection which will sicken the tree and hinder the success of the new graft.

References

• University of Minnesota: Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees
• University of Missouri Extension: Grafting
• Alabama Cooperative Extension Service: Budding and Grafting Fruits and Nuts