Grafting the Apple Tree

A leggy apple tree is growing across the street from us on state land and plant disease specialist David R. offered to graft some delicious varieties of apples into it. I was hoping for honey crisp, but they ran out of wood (they grafted 50 of their own at the Cornell research orchard). Perhaps we will graft in honey crisp next year. This year we did Fuji, Crimson Crisp, Zestar!, and Pinata. The grafting is done during flowering, or within a week of the end of flowering (i.e., today). The scion wood is cut in February (winter) and put in the fridge so it will not start growing). Wrap it in newspaper and plastic to prevent moisture loss.

Steps of grafting:
1. Trim the tree so that the grafting branches are exposed to light, but still have growth below them to keep the branches alive.

2. Trim the scions to five buds. Cut the lower end to a V point with a sharp knife. Put the cut ends in mouth (the saliva helps).

3. Cut the stock branch and twist the knife so the bark lifts slightly. Insert the scions into the gap (cambium layer).

4. Tape the stock branch tight with electrical tape.

5. Cover the black tape and the whole wound with white grafting tape (the black tape could get so hot as to cook the bark).

6. Plug the gaps with grafting putty so that moisture cannot escape from the wound.

7. Use special gooey yellow grafting paint to cover the white tape entirely, the exposed wood of the branch stock, and the exposed tips of the scions. This will prevent moisture loss.

8. In August (late summer) trim any growth that is blocking light to the graft.

9. Next year, remove unwanted grafts, or twist them together for strength (this is the better option, but more time consuming if you have too many grafts to maintain).

10. You could have fruit on the new grafts in 2 or 3 years.

Theory of grafting: connect the cambium layer (inner bark) of stock and scion so that the old tree feeds the new twig.