xt7bnz80mm7p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7bnz80mm7p/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_604 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 604 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 604  2014 true xt7bnz80mm7p section xt7bnz80mm7p   V kl i _   l
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` By James K. Stacey and Carl E. Chaplin
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
4 AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS
CIRCULAR 604

 C O N T E N T S K
PAGE _
Introduction ...................................................................... 3
Crafting .............................................................................. 4
The Cion \¢Vood ......................................................   4 g
The Stock ...................................................................... 4
Tho Whip Craft .......................................................... 5
Bark Craft .................................................................... 8 .
Clcft-Craft .................................................................... 9
Budding .............................................................................. 11 — in A
Important Points in Crafting .......................................... 14 I
Crafting Wax .............................................................. 14

 . Reproducmg Fruit Trees
By Gruftmg and Buddmg
By ]AMES K. STACEY and CARL E. CHAPLIN
The art of grafting and budding (a form of grafting) is a necessity
for the nurseryman and the commercial fruit grower. It is also a source
of pleasure and usefulness for the hobbyist.
The four grafts—whip, bark, cleft, and bud—described here are the
ones most used among fruit growers to increase plant population,
’ change the variety of a tree, and / or preserve a variety or mutation not
found in nurseries.
Since most fruit trees will not reproduce the characteristics of the
variety through their seed, vegetative or asexual propagation must be
· used. Also, cuttings from the majority of fruit trees are usually diflicult
to root. This leaves grafting as the most employable means of
_ reproducing a variety.
,. The principal reason for grafting or budding is to multiply the
plants of a desired variety. But while this is being done the use of
rootstocks that are hardy, disease resistant, insect resistant, nematode
» resistant, vigorous, and / or dwarling should be considered.
The kind of graft to use is determined by the kind of plant,
environmental conditions and the plant materials at hand. Under
· Kentucky conditions budding is the usual means of propagating
peaches, plums, and cherries. Apples and pears, with the exception of
dwarfs, are more often grafted although they may also be budded.
The tree resulting from a graft or a bud is essentially the same,
only the procedure differs. The graft is made by joining a cion (bud
or shoot) of the variety to a stock that will develop the root system.
The most important factor in this union is to join the cambium layers
and hold them in place until the two pieces have grown together
(Fig. 1). Crafting is done in winter or early spring with dormant cion
wood.
Budding is accomplished by inserting a single bud of the desired
variety underneath the bark of the stock in contact with the cambium.
This procedure is usually done during the late growing season—]uly,
August, or early September.
3

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Fig. '|.—- Cross-section of cion or stock showing-(A) Wood cells. (B) Cambium
(thin layer of growing cells). (Cl Bark.
GRAFTING i ·
The Cion Wood V
Cion wood is collected during the dormant season from shoots that
grew the previous year. Vigorous growth that grew a foot or more
makes the best cions. Water sprouts from up in the tree usually make
good straight cions. Do not collect cion wood while it is frozen or i
wood that has been damaged by cold. After the cion wood has been
cut from the tree it should be tied in bundles, labeled, and stored .
under moist conditions in a temperature range of 40-45 degrees. The `
bundles may be stored in moist sand or moistened sphagnum moss ‘
and placed in a cool cellar. Bundles wrapped in moistened brown
paper, covered with black plastic and placed in the bottom of the _
refrigerator will store well. Outside storage in a sand pile or a well- _ ..
drained pit works well if the cion wood is placed deep enough to i
prevent extreme cold or the heat of the sun from affecting the condi-
tion of the wood. »
\Vhen ready to make into a cion, cut off the tip and discard, ‘
leaving the lower sections 5 to 8 inches long.
The Stock
Apple
Some desirable characteristics of apple stocks are: adaptable to
local growing conditions, resistance to diseases and insects, vigorous
and compatible with the cion variety. Seedlings or trees that make
good stocks. in order of their vigor are: Delicious. Blclntosh, ]onathan,
Duchess, \Vinesap, \\’ealthy, and Rome. The seeds of these varieties
germinate well and have a high degree of compatibility with most
of the apple varieties.
4

 Dwarfing rootstocks are produced by layering the Paradise, Doucin
or various crosses of their descent. However, if you are considering
dwarf propagation it is better to obtain the stock from a nursery
specializing in dwarf stock production.
Peur
· In areas where pear blight is a problem every effort should be
. made to use both stock and cion that have resistance. Cold hardiness
is also desirable in Kentucky. Though the French pear (Pyrus
communis) has hardiness it is not resistant to blight. The more
recent Chinese pear (Pyrus calleryana) has great resistance to blight
but is more likely to be injured by sub-zero weather. One of the most
_ satisfactory methods of propagation to get resistance to both blight
and cold is to stem bud the Old Home variety onto a French seedling
(Bartlett, Anjou, or Hardy). In 8 or 4 years after this combination
has developed a framework, it is top-worked with the desired variety.
Old Home can also be used as a seedling rootstock.
Most of the important varieties of pears will graft satisfactorily on
i each other and on seedlings of their own variety.
Perhaps of more interest to the small grower or hobbyist is the
dwarf pear. Dwarfing stocks are produced from the quince. Angers
· quince (East Malling ‘A’) appears to be the most satisfactory. Old
. Home can also be used on quince as an intermediate stock to provide
blight resistance.
· The Whip Gruft
in _ The whip graft (also known as the tongue or bench graft) is
particularly desirable on species that unite easily, such as the apple
_ and pear. It may be used in making a root, stem, or top graft so long
· as the stock and cion are near the same size. Cions and stocks the
size of a pencil to %, inch in diameter are the best to use.
` ROOT CRAFTING
The root graft is done when the apple root and cion are dormant.
The pear is not normally root—grafted. Either whole roots or pieces of
roots 3 or 4 inches long and as large or slightly larger in diameter
V than the cion may be used (Fig. 2).
Prepare the cion by making a diagonal cut on the lower end about
1% inches long. Use a sharp knife that has a stiff straight blade.
Hold at an acute angle (Fig. B), and pull the cion through the blade
with a swift smooth stroke. Make the tongue as shown in Fig. 4A
by starting the cut 1,.3 of the way down from the tip of the cut surface
and ending lg of the way from the bottom of the cut surface.
5

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Fig. 2.- (A) Short or branched roots make better whole-root grafts. (B) Long ‘
straight roots may be cut in sections for piece-root grafts. (C) Cion with tip
removed lh inch above top bud.
To keep down infection, disinfect the root by dipping it in mercuric
chloride solution. Prepare the top part of the root section the same
as the bottom of the cion. Do not touch the cut surfaces with the
hands. Oil from the skin may inhibit union of the parts.
]oin the two pieces as shown in Fig. 4 making sure that the
cambium layers are in contact at least on one side. Crafting tape is
the >referred material to bind the union. \Vhen it is suiraled on
I .
ti rhtlv and in such a wav that the ed es overla verv sli htl the
s . . .
6

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Fig. 3.— Making the diagonal cut with the knife held at an acute angle rather
` than at a 90 degree angle.
union will be held in place, protected from infection. The tape will
disintegrate shortly after the two pieces have grown together. Rubber
budding strips or waxed, light twine also work satisfactorily.
· Bundle, label, and store the grafts before they have time to dry.
Storage conditions may be the same as described for storing the cion
wood.
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Fig. 4.— The whip graft showing-—(A) Stock and cion prepared. (B) Joined.
(C) Tied in lace with waxed twine, rubber budding strip or wra ped with grafting
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tape.
7

 Examine the grafts from time to time. Note the callus growth .
along the edge of the union. If mold is present the grafts should be ‘
aired for a time and then stored under drier conditions. If growth has
started, store in a cooler place or else plant. ‘ ‘
Prepare fertile, well-drained soil and plant the dormant grafts in
this bed 1 foot apart (March is a good time in Kentucky) and to a
depth so that only the top bud is above the soil line. Grow for 1 - _
year in the bed then transplant to the field.
STEM OR TOP GRAFTINC
Timing is important when the whip graft is placed on the stem or . A
the branches. The danger of cold injury should be past, but the V
graft must be made before the bark of the stock begins to slip. This
would be about the time the buds on the stock begin to swell. The
cion is dormant. Keep all buds below the graft removed. Spurs may
be left on to provide the needed leaf surface until the shoots from the
cion have a sufficient number of leaves to do the job. . _
Burk Graft
The bark graft is often employed when the stock is too large for
the whip graft. This graft is used mainly on pears and apples.
Dormant cion wood is used but the stock is not ready until the bark V
begins to slip. Prepare the stock by cutting square across with a
fine-toothed saw at a point where the diameter is from 1 to 2 inches.
Prepare two cions 5 to 6 inches long by making a sloping cut M1
inch above the top bud and a 2-inch-long-diagonal cut on the lower 4
end. Use a sharp blade so the cut will be straight. Wavy cuts are
usually the result of a dull knife.
Place the cut surface of the cion against the side of the stock. When -
viewed from the opposite side, % inch of the cut surface should be - ·‘
showing above the top of the stock. Hold firmly in place and with ‘
the point of the knife outline the cion on the bark. Finish cutting
through the bark. Remove this sliver of bark and insert the cion. ' I
Use QQ- to M-inch wire nails to hold the cion in place. Place the
other cion on the opposite side. Study Fig. 5.
Tree wound dressing of asphalt water emulsion is a good material S
to cover all exposed surfaces. This material is applied cold. Melted
grafting wax is often used. Care should be taken to avoid wax so hot
that it will injure the tissue. One of the latest methods is to wrap _
aluminum foil over the exposed areas. A plastic freezer bag with both
corners cut off is then slipped over the cions and the aluminum foil
and tied in place with rubber budding strips or heavy twine. The
8

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Fig. 5.- The bark graft.
. idea in all of these methods is to keep the moisture in. A small bottle
of orange shellae can be useful in covering the exposed area of the
sloping cut at the top of the cion.
` Bark grafts are easily loosened by birds, animals and winds. Give
" them all the support and protection needed for at least the first year.
Aftercare of the graft is important. Keep shoots and sprouts below
_ the graft removed. If both of the cions live the weaker one should
. have the bud nipped a couple of times during the summer. Both cions
should continue to grow the second summer, thus gradually reducing
b the development of the weaker one. At pruning time of the next year,
the weaker cion should be completely removed. During the first
and/or second summer the strong cion may need to be topped to
encourage branching.
Cleft-Graft
The cleft-graft is one of the older methods of grafting. It is also
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Fig. 6.- The CLEFT-GRAFT showing: (A) Split stock, (B) Cion with tapered lower _
end, (C) Cions fitted into stock, and (D) Most vital points ot contact are the cam-
bium layers of stock and cion (note arrows).

 fitting a cion into a split stock. The best time t0 perform the cleft-graft
" A is just before the bark begins t0 slip in the spring.
When preparing the stock for the cleft-graft look for: (1) scaffold
limbs or trunks from 1 to 2 inches in diameter,  ) areas on limbs that
, have straight grains for at least 6 inches below the amputation point,
this area should also be free from spurs, knots, and cankers, and (3)
limbs that grow more toward the vertical than horizontal position.
Crafts on horizontal limbs will likely "take” just as well but the
' resulting sharp-angled upright growth is very undesirable.
After locating the point of amputation, make the cut with a fine-
toothed saw. Care should be taken to prevent the limb from splitting
or the bark from peeling. Using a chisel and mallet, split the stock
‘ across the center and to a depth of about 6 inches. A small hatchet
may be substituted. The split may be held open by inserting a
· . screwdriver.
Prepare two dormant cions for each split on the stock by making
a sloping cut on each side of the cion. The slope on the cion should
coincide closely with the slope of the split (Fig. 6). The cut on the
cion should start slightly below the bottom bud. There is no need to
bring the cuts to a point; a length of 2 inches is sufficient. The inside
A of the wedge should be slightly thinner than the outside (Fig. GD).
In joining the stock and the cion, keep in mind that the bark of the
stock will be thicker than the bark of the cion. This is important to
remember in placing the cambiums in contact with each other. The
' top of the cut surface of the cion should be flush with the top of the
stock, and it is most important that the cambium layers touch at this
_ point.
.· If the cion is loose in the stock, wrap the split with waxed cloth
· for 3 months. To prevent constricting the limb cut the cloth after 3
months but do not remove it.
° Seal all cut surfaces with grafting wax including the split in the
A stock. Be sure there are no pinholcs in the wax that will permit
moisture to escape.
B U D DI N G
. Buclding is a method of grafting employing a single bud as the
cion. It is a fast and economical way of propagating many species of
woody plants which includes peaches, plums, cherries, apples, and
` pears. Most budding is done in the nursery on stock being grown
‘ for this purpose. However, it is also used for top—working peaches,
plums, and cherries in the field.
11

 Preparing stocks of apple, pear, cherry, and plum for budding
includes planting 1-year-old whips in the spring which have had their ‘
roots trimmed to 6 or 8 inches and the tops cut back to 12 inches ’ A
above the soil line. `
Peach stocks come from pits planted in the fall or early spring.
Pits from peaches that ripen after August 1st germinate better than ‘
those from early maturing varieties.
At budding time all growth up to 10 inches above the ground is
removed. A bud is placed from 2 to 8 inches above the ground on the
shady side of the stem. \N/hen top-working a tree select 1-year-old side A
shoots to receive the bud. Since budding is done during hot weather, ·
it is a good practice to pick a cool day or perform the operation late
in the afternoon.
Collect `ibud sticks” from vigorous current season growth. Cen- ’
erally the middle buds are the best to use since the tip buds are too
immature and those near the base may have a cluster of buds or weak ` — .
buds. These buds should be used immediately. Store on ice if they
are to be kept up to 2 days. In removing the leaves leave % to % inch .
of leaf stem (petiole) with the bud.
Before starting a budding operation, check the bark on the stock
to see if it peels easily. (Irrigate if dry; bark will then slip in a few
days.) lf it does not and the cambium layer appears dry, the result i
will be disappointing. Often the French pear and mazzard cherry
will stop growth in 1nid-summer, making their budding season short.
Always keep the “bud sticks” moist and out of the sun and wind
as much as possible while working. '
The “T" cut on the stock is made first by selecting a clear area on
the bark and making a vertical slit 1% inches long. Across the top of _
this slit make a ent through the bark   to   inch long forming a .
  Open up the bark with a wooden wedge or butt of the budding -
knife.
The bud is cut from the stick by starting the cut 1% inch below ‘
the bud coming up underneath and exiting about   inch above. The I
depth of the cut is such that only a yery small amount of wood
appears direetly under the bud. \Vood underneath the bud need not `
be removed. llold the top part of the shield between the blade and
tlnunb and insert the bud into the “T" cut on the stock. lf part of the
bud sticks out above the “T" it should be removed so the flaps can be
closed tightly. Start at the bottom of the slit and with a rubber i
budding strip wrap firmly. Take care not to injure or cover the bud.
Study Fig. T. ·
ln about 3 weeks the rubber strip will likely loosen and SOIHC- _
12

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