“Patience
my be called a 'virtue' for most of mankind, but for a grafter it is
essential.” The quote originally said “gardeners” but it is
more than applicable to grafters. It's my quote, I can do with it
what I please.
Before
I let my students actually graft a tree in class, we find some wood
from an apple tree and we work on it, making straight cuts – which
are useful, if not essential – for eventual grafting. You will
want to be able to control the knife in making a clean, straight and
even cut. It must be straight up and down, no bows or bumps, and
straight across, no twists or turns, and it must be the correct
length in total.
Once
you have found a piece of apple wood – or other deciduous fruit - and
your knife is sharp, its time to begin your practice. We are going
to work with a simple Cleft graft. The down end of the scion is cut
to a “V” shape and the rootstock is simply slit down the middle.
I actually prefer to switch these roles where the rootstock holds the
“V” shape and the scion is split down the middle. The feeling I
have is that the “V” on the bottom might collect moisture and rot
at some point down the road, but there are many enthusiasts that will
say “that's never happened to me!” So which is up and which is down can be a
matter of preference. If “simple” is your only criteria, then
the “V” should be on the scion.
Cutting
the “V” is important and presently you will see how many ways it
can be screwed up. You would like to make it with as few strokes of
the knife as possible – two strokes is perfect – but three is not
uncommon. You want to avoid the “whittling” of the wood if at
all possible. Once you have sliced off one portion, a lot of what has
been written above will make more tangible sense that it did before.
You
want a piece of wood that has a very fine point on it with both
sides cut straight – no dips and/or turns in the blade as it goes
through. This is harder than it sounds. Resist the urge – you will
feel it – to turn the scion around, using the thumb on your right
hand to brace the knife cutting the wood! I know the knife appears
stuck, but when it comes unstuck, it will slice right through the
wood and on into your thumb. Keep the knife blade pointed away from
yourself and gently rock it back and forth. Presently it will become
unstuck and you can finish the cut bloodlessly. Patience.
Practice
this cut as many times as needed to build confidence with your
ability to handle the knife. It is normal to have to sharpen your
knife mid-project as needed. You will want the “V” to be a very
sharp angle. Making the slice in the opposite piece to this
equation, is very straight forward: as near to the center, simply
rock your knife to make a straight cut about as long as your “V”
on the other piece of wood.
![]() |
A good, clean and straight cut. Note the green cambium. |
![]() |
A poor cut, it is not straight and there is no way to make the cambium of this with the rootstock. |
Before
you begin to put them together, begin to wrap the rootstock with the
Parafilm. Pull the Parafilm tight as you wrap, stretching it out and
binding it to itself until you reach the beginning of the nascent
graft. Place the the two wood pieces together. Inspect for cambium
to cambium connection – this is the essential part of the graft.
Wherever the cambium of these two pieces meet is the beginning of
your new tree. If they don't meet, you have wasted your time and the
tree's resources. Once you are certain you have the most cambium
meeting you can, hold that graft very tightly while you finish
wrapping the Parafilm over the graft. You can simply pull hard on
the Parafilm and it will break where you end.
If
the tip of your scion was cut, you should also wrap that in Parafilm.
Remember, loss of water and cambium not matching are the two major
causes of graft failure. Parafilm is relatively cheap, so use more
than less!
![]() |
The receiving end for the cut's above. Fitting the straight edge into this piece of rootstock will be a piece of cake while the curved cut will fail. |
Your
graft, if done properly, will show signs of taking in 3 to 4 weeks,
sometimes more, occasionally less. The weather has a lot to do with
it. If you failed, don't worry. You've just joined the very large
majority of grafters that have failed once or twice. Or more. Whether or not your graft takes, make sure you
examine the whole process and evaluate how well you were prepared and
what parts of your technique needs refinement and work with yourself
to improve your chances.
And
know that every year, you must revisit these skills anew. I usually
set aside a couple of one hour slots for a few weeks before grafting
to get my skills into top shape.
Remember
to remind yourself that grafting, while a science, is also an art.
Some are gifted grafters, while the rest of us must work at it. But
practice does make perfect.
This
is your first graft to learn – there are more. I'll be doing an
informal series on grafting over the next few months. Stay tuned
and if you don't understand something – ask questions! I'll answer
them for everyone's benefit.
The motto for all grafters should be:
The motto for all grafters should be:
Patience
Persistence
Perseverance
david
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