UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT . STATION

M. F. MILLER, .Director

CIRCULAR 241 Columbia, Mo. SEPTEMBER, 1942

Propagation by Grafting· and Budding

H. G. SWARTWOUT

Grafting and budding are used to increase the number of plants of

a variety which does not come true from seed and which cannot ·
be economically reproduced by cuttage, layerage, or similar vegeta-
tive methods or where special root stocks are desirable. Varieties
of the more commonly grown tree fruits such as apple, pear, peach,
plum, and cherry, and a number of ornamental plants are propagated
in this way.
Besides the actual manipulations of grafting and budding, careful
planting, thorough cultivation, and other cultural operations are
necessary to produce properly shaped tops and well dev~loped root
systems. Nurserymen with years of experience, skilled help and
suitable equipment and conditions for quantity production usually
can grow better plants more economically than the average fruit
grower or farmer. Moreover, one or two years' time may be saved
by buying plants already started. There are some growers, however,
who find it desirable or who wish to produce their own trees. For .
them the more generally useful methods of grafting and budding
are discussed here.
Terms
Grafting consists in the placing together of the parts of plants in
such a way that they will unite and grow. In propagating plants,
two general methods of · grafting are employed, scion grafting and
bud grafting or budding. A scion graft is composed of stock and
scion. The stock is the plant or part of the plant upon which the
grafting is done. The scion is a short section of a stem placed upon
the stock. It is taken from the plant to be propagated. In budding,
a bud with a small amount of adjacent bark rather than a scion is
pI'aced upon the stock. The apple is commonly propagated by scion
grafting while peaches, plums, cherries, roses, and a number of other
plants respond better to budding. Pears, . are now commonly budded.
Essentials of Grafting and Budding
Success in grafting and budding depends upon the observance of
a number of points.
1. The stock and scion or bud must be congenial or capable of
uniting, growing and developing a good union. Only occasionally
will plants not closely related intef graft successfully. Usually
2 MISSOURJ AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

varieties of the same kind of plant will graft readily one upon the
other. Distanlly related plants as a ru le cannot be made to grow
one upon the other 01' the p lants ar~ short jived.
2. Between the bark and wood is a layer of special cells call ed
the camb ium . During the growing season these ce ll s divide to form
new cells from which new wood and bark are formed. In grafting
and budding th e parts mu s t be so joined that their cambiums a re
in contact, or at least in clo se proximity, in order for them to knit
together and grow . This is the und erlying principle of a ll graftin g
operations.
3. The parts of the graft mu s t be protected against drying.
4. Th e operation should be done at the proper season of the year
w hen bud and scion wood i s of the right maturity, when man ipu la-
tion s 'an be performed mo s t ski ll fully and when best co ndition s for
propel' heali ng can be provid ed more eas ily.
5. Attention and good care s ub seq u ent to th e actual grafting
operat ions are n ecessary for the best resu lt s .
Selection and Care of Scion Wood
We ll m at ul' I, mod erately vigorou s wood of th e past season's
growth s ho uld be chosen for sc ion wood. Older wood is less sati s-
fa -tory and its use is not adv is abl e unless one-year wood cannot be

Fig. l.-(A) A bundl e of apple scion

wood.
(B) Bundle of apple setd lin gs such
as used ill rnot and s ion g rafting.
 CIRCULAR 241 3

obtained. Watersprouts, if not too large and if well matured with

well developed buds, make good scions, but avoid using those which
are large and long-jointed or which have been heavily shaded inside
a densely growing tree. Good wood of apples and pears generally
ranges from about 1 to 3 feet in length.
Scion wood usually is cut sometime in the late fall or early winter,
tied into convenient sized bundles, carefully labeled as to variety and
stored in a cool moist place. It is i~portant that the scions be kept
moist and dormant. Drying or starting of the buds greatly reduces
the chances of success. Suitable conditions can be provided by
packing the bundles in moist sand, sawdust or moss and placing in a
cool cellar. A temperature of about 40°F is best. Green hardwood
sawdust contains about the correct amount of moisture without
adding water. Sand, dry sawdust and moss will need to be dampened
but should not be soaked. After wetting and mixing, it should be
spongy and crumbly. When too wet, the scions may rot or be severely
damaged.
Where a suitable cellar or cold storage is not available, the bundles
may be buried horizontally in the ground in a well drained place,
covering deep enough to prevent drying out. Do not dig the pits
very deep as they may collect and hold water. During the winter ad-
ditional covering may be provided to protect against severe freezing.
A satisfactory and convenient method, when the scion material is
close at hand, is to gather the wood as it is needed. When cut after
severely cold weather, examine for any discoloration and discard all
but sound wood. If it is necessary to collect frozen wood, handle
carefully and thaw in a cool place.
Seedling Stock
A desirable size for seedling stock of apples, pears, cherries and
plums is 3/16 to % inch. This is the diameter at the collar or where
the top joins the root. Apple and pear seedlings are of two types-
straight roots, preferred for piece root grafting-and branched roots,
preferred for whole root grafting and budding. With a good grade
of straight roots, from two to three grafts can be made from each
seedling.
Standard apple trees are now grafted largely on domestic seedlings.
Certain strains of Paradise stock are used in growing dwarf trees
such as Malling IX for a 'very dwarfing effect and MaIling II and
MaIling IV for semi dwarfing. The common stock for pears is Bartlett
which is widely congenial with other varieties. Serotina seedlings
are satisfactory with Kieffer and probably other hybrid Oriental
varieties of pears. The best dwarfing stock is Anjers quince grown
from layers or cuttings. Sour cherries are propagated on Mahaleb
and MazzaI'd stocks. Trials indicate the Maz'z ard to be superior to
the Mahaleb for this section, although more difficult to produce good
trees for planting. For general use the Myrobalan is the best plum
stock.
 4 M ISSOUR I AGRICULTURAL EXPERIM ENT STAT ION

The stock when received s h ou ld be packed in a moist m aterial and

stored in a coo l cell ar. Early in t he spr ing cherries a ncl plum s are
p lanted in rows 3 or 4 feet apart and 6 to 8 inches apart in the row .
The roots are trimm rd to make pla ntin g eas ier and th e top s c ut back

to 8 or )0 inches. T hey w ill be r ea dy fo ," budd i ng in lale s umm e r

or ea rl y fa ll. App le and pear seed lin gs for budding ar e h and led
in a s imilar way. For r oot graftin g of app les a nd p ea r s, the stock
is u::ied in January and February, at wh ich time thi s work is best
done.
Growing Seedlings
Fruil trees are g rafted a nd budd ed for the mo st part on see dling
stock. Seed lin gs of app le, pear, plum a nd ch erry are g rown mostly
in certain r egions w he r e soil a nd clim ate are best s ui ted to their
d eve lopme nt. Genera ll y it is better to purchase th is sto ck as grown
by t he spec ia li st a lt h ough it is often poss ibl e to produce a very
goo d g rad e at h ome. Seed li ng p eac h trees a r e grown in th e fi eld
where the budding is to be don e.
Some seeds wi ll not germinate when ga th ered but mu st go th r ough
an "after ripen ing" proc ess. Man y kind s, in cludin g fruit a nd nut
seeds, require cool, moi st co ndition s for th e prop er internal changes
to take place. Th ese may be prov id ed by p lant in g in the fa ll or by
stratification. Large seed ed k ind s li ke the peach can be satisfactori ly
faJI sown, r idg in g sJi g h tly t o prov id e better drainage and to g ive som e
protection again st sever e cold . Stratifi ca ti on consists in packing the
seed in a box or oth er contain er w ith good drain age in a lt ernate
layers of moi st san d a ncl placing in a coo l ce ll ar or coverin g with a
mound of s oil out of doors . Th e more nearly the seed can be h eld
at abo ut 40 o F, t h e better, for both high a nd l ow t emperatures retard
 CmCULAR 241 5

the after r ipenin g processes. F r eezin g of t h e see d whi ch former ly

was thought to be imp ortant is not nec essary and may a t t imes prove
harmful.
Th e seed sho ul d be planted ea rl y in th e s pring a lth ough extr emely
ear ly p lanting may r e::l ulL in man y of th em fa ilin g to g r ow. It is we ll
as s prin g app r oac heR w ith warm w eath er to examin e freq uently for
germ ination and ::lOW at t he fir Rt s ig nR of startin g. fnstead of placing
in laye r s , th a t is s trat if y in g, a good practic e is to mi x th e see d
with seve ral t im es th ei r vo l ume of sa nd to keep th em sepa r ated
and preven t heatin g . Th e mi xture of seed a nd sand ca n th e n be
s own in th e r ows in th e Rp rin g and covered wit h a li g ht friab le so il.
Coverin g with sa nd is und rs irab le as it dri es so rap id ly th at the
s ta nd may be r edu ce d. Any cr ust that may form wit h soil ca n be
broken by raking li g ht ly over the row s .
[t is im po r ta nt t h at s ed be cl ea ned a s Roo n as ava il a ble of fl esh
or pulp to preve nt ferm entation a nd hea tin g w hich des troys th e
vita li ty of t he seed. App le see d ge ne ra ll y ar e obta in ed from th e
pumi ce of cid e r m ill s a nd if le fL long in Lh e pil e ge rm in a ti on w ill be
low. A ,co nve ni e nt way to separate t he seed is to mi x th e p umi ce
w ith enough waLe r to s Lir w e ll. Wit h a littl e st ilTi ng and churnin g
of th e 'm ixture, th e good i-\ ed wi ll se tLI e to th e bottom, w ith t he
pulp and li g ht non -v iab l ' s eed float ing to the top.

Fi g. J.- M aki ng th e w hip ",rnf l , (A) Slopi ng Cllt wit h slit

made on I wer cl1 d of s ion. ( 13 ) Si mibr e lll 0 11 upper t' li rt Ilf
slOck. (e) S toc k :l nd sc io n jo in ed w ith tong ue o f c;lc h inse rted
in to the clefl of t he oth e r. ( I» Si de v iew ~ h ow in g sc iOli pln ced on
nne s id e for ca mhi1l1ll co nt;\ct . w he re s toc k iA largrr ,h an sc io n.

See d of some vari et ies grow w e ll whil e oth e r s a r e un sati sfacto ry.
Ben Dav is . Gano, Rom e, W in esap, Wealth y, Deli ciou s and Jon athan
a r e common app le varieti es of thi s section w hi ch produ ce good stock.
Th e two co mm on pear vari ti s , K ie ffer and Garber, wi ll give s uitabl e
standard stock. Most peach stock is grown from "nat ura ls" from th
6 MI~SOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

sDuth but if IDcal seed is planted in excess Df what is wanted, enough

'gDDd trees fDr budding usually can be grDwn fDr Dne's Dwn use
especially if pits frDm seedling trees are used. Seed frDm white
fleshed peaches are repDrted to. be more reliable fDr grDwing seedling
peach stDck than seed frDm peaches with a yellDw flesh. Cherry
and plum pits should be purchased from seed dealers.
The period fDr the after ripening prDcess varies with different
plants. With apples and pears it is cDmpleted in one Dr two. months.
AbDut three mDnths are required for the peach and three to. fDur
months fDr plum and cherry. With the latter fruits, early fall plant-
ing Dr stratificatiDn is necessary to. prepare the seed fDr germinatiDn
the fDllDwing spring. If the seed are dry at stratificatiDn time,
they should be sDaked in water fDr several days, changing the water
every day. Seed that dry after stratificatiDn do. .not germinate well.
The apple and pear require a rather fertile sDil to attain sufficient
size fDr use after Dne seasDn's grDwth. The cherry and plum are
best planted on only moderately fertile soil to. prevent to.o late growth
in the fall. Seedlings tend to. grDw and hDld their leaves late, and
early digging is to. be aVDided. To. remove the leaves, if still present
when it is necessary to. dig, place the seedlings in small piles and
co.ver with mDist sDil, remDving the plants after a few days when the
leaves will CDme Dff.
Whip Grafting
Apple varieties are prDpagated commDnly by grafting the sciDns to.
the. rODts of YDung seedling trees by what is caUed the whip Dr tongue
methDd. By this methDd a rather tight rigid jDint is Dbtained with
a cDnsiderable cDntact surface. The whDle rDDt may be used to. make
Dne graft or it may be cut into. sectiDns Df 3 to. 4 inches to. make
several so-called piece-roDt grafts. FDr whDle rDot grafting,
branched rDDts are emplDyed; fDr piece-rDDt grafts, IDng straight
tap rDDts are preferred. The No.. 1 grade Df the 3/16 and % inch
size with a gDDd diameter fDr a cDnsiderable length Df the rDDt will
make the mDst grafts.
Making the Grafts
The sciDns usually are cut 4 to. 6 inches in length. On the IDwer
end a slDping cut is made abDut % inch IDng but varying sDmewhat
with the size Df the WDDd. The cut ShDUld be made with Dne strDke
Df the knife to. give a flat, smoDth, evenly SIDping surface. Better
results are Dbtained by drawing the blade acrDSS the WDDd rather
than straight dDwn. If a cut is faulty, make a new Dne. Trimming
and whittling will nDt give tight fitting surfaces. Beginning % to.
~ Df the distance frDm the tip Df the slDpe, a thin tDngue abDut
half the length Df the slDpe is cut. The upper end Df the stDck
is prepared in a similar way and the two. parts pushed tDgether
 C IRCULAR 241 7

with the tongue of eac h s lippin g into the cleft or sli t of the other.
It is important that the two partfl be so join ed that the cambium
of sto ck and sc ion al'e in contact on a t leas t one s id e. It is not
nece ssary that the cambium match on both s id es but when stock
and sc ion are not the same size, th e differ ence should not be great
and th e stock should be the larger . Tip end s of either stock or
scion, when they extend beyond the s lope of th e other, should be cut
back to that point.

Fi g. 4. - C olllpi el ed pi ece rool ap pl e gra ft s showi nR !)r( lpr rl y Irl1l1rtJcd slock l1 nd Cur r<'c t
wrappi tl g wi th twin e.

The comp leted graft sho uld be wrapped to make it more rigid and
hold the parts in contact. A No. 18 or 20 knitting twine will serve
the purpose and if untreated wi ll decay rapidly w ith out injury to
the graft after growt h begins. Very littl e twine is needed. The
wrapping is begun at the upper end of the union, catc hing the end
of the twine und er the first lap, seve ral turn s are made, then with
a few wide turns it is carried to the lower end where a few fairly
tight turns are made, and finally the twine is brought und er the
fiap of the scion and broken. No knotting is required. Special ad-
hesive tape for grafting purposes a lso is used for wrapping grafts.
Keeping the scion wood, seed lin gs and completed grafts covered
with wet cloth s or burlap will protect them again st drying while the
grafting work is being done. This is especiall y important in a
warm, dry room.
Storing and Handling Grafts
The comp leted grafts shou ld be gathered into convenient sized
bundles and packed in damp sand, sawd ust, or moss. Store in a coo l
place, preferably where a temperatore of 40 to 45 ° F can be main-
tained. Thi s wi ll permit the soft spongy healin g tissue ca ll ed callu s
to develop from the region of the cambi um and at the same time is
 8 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

not high enough to encourage bud development. It is important

that the storage medium not be too wet. It is well to examine the
grafts occasionally, and if mold appears, unpack, dry a few hours in
the storage room and repack in a drier material. With the right mois-
ture content the grafts will have a bright moist appearance, but they
. should not feel or appear wet.
Planting and Growing Grafts
Grafts should be planted early in the spring before the buds start.
Should any activity be noticed, they should be planted at once or
moved to a cooler place until planting can be done~
Fall plowing is necessary to have the ground in proper condition
for early planting. It should be thoroughly disked and harrowed as
in the preparation of a fine seed bed. The grafts are placed about
6 or 8 inches apart to give room for development and to use a hoe
between, and in rows far enough apart for horse cultivation. They
are set with only the toP bud of the scion above the ground. This
will place the union deep enough in the soil to keep it moist until
healing is completed. The soil should be pressed firmly about the
grafts taking care not to disturb the union. Many failures are due
to leaving the soil loose. It is not necessary, however, to tramp or
pack heavily.
A fertile soil is necessary to produce a 3 or 4 foot whip for planting
after the first season's growth, or a well branched tree the secoIfd
year. The first summer, all side branches should be pinched out as
they start to encourage length growth of the main stem. Such whips
may be dug in the fall or early the following spring to plant as one-
year trees. If left in the nursery, cut them back to about 36 inches
to grow side branches in positions to start the formation of a good
modified leader tree. Trees too short to plant or handle ' properly
may be c'ut back to a bud near the ground. The second summer a vigor-
ous whip is produced. This is called a "cut back" tree. It has a two-
year root and a one-year top.
T or Shield Budding
Peaches, cherries, and plums are propagated almost entirely by the
so-called T or shield budding method. Apples and pears, roses, and
a number of other ornamentals also are propagated in this way. In
Missouri, budding usually is done in late summer or early fall when
the bark slips easily. When the bark is tight the tissues are mutilated
by prying and a very poor "take" is obtained.
Selection of Buds.-In budding, a single leaf bud with a little of
the adjoining tissue is used instead of a section of a stem as in
scion grafting. Buds from the present season's growth are used.
Shoots of moderate growth of the current season with well developed
buds are selected as a source of buds. These are called "bud sticks."
It is best to -cut only a day's supply at a time although they can
 CIRCUL AR 241 9

be h eld several da ys if ·kept moi s t and moderate ly coo l. Th e bes t

bud s are from t h e midd le portion of th e RhooL Thoile near the
base are sma ll a n d weak w hil tho ile Il pa r t he tip are too imm atur e.
As t h e b ud s ticks are gathe red lh e und esi rah le ba ses and tips a t'e
r emoved an d the leaves cut ofr RO as to lrave a bout % in ch of th e leaf
petiole or stalk attach ed to th e s li ck.

FI I.!'. =t . (1) .'\ I'pl (" hud <i t l('k w llh h; ht" _11 11 1 " I' 1t'1ll1'\' t' d ,t I lt! til" 11 " , \'(· ... n il lIfT k:t villj.! :.],, )111
I, IlI c ll I f t lw 1{';'If st alks. Col) Hilt! s l i (' k ... h ()W III~ 111 ,· II wi llilll II( S IH' itl ~ fill til t.' h\ld ~: it t Ih t'
rr~ III t he foi l ices h:, \I t' ht:en Ii £1('.1. ;1\ I li l' 1"f t tI ff' , h ll\\' 11 Ill(' ", Ii Vt ' I '" of Wllod id ter t h(" Imd ... ha V('
been sl1:lpped ofT. (3) I' li d" [(, 1110\,('(1 flf)!11 lil t' blld ~tI('k lind . I t·:-tdy 10 JI 1:"1 ('I' fin t he stoc k.

Budding Stocks.- Sloc ks for buddin g ilh ou ld have a diameter of

a bout % to V::! in ch . Small strm il ar e clifTi c ull to ha ndl e whil e with
la rge ones lh e ba rk iH too th ick for good wo rk . Onr-year RLocks of
cherry, plum, app le, peR I' an d man y oth rs gene ra ll y are too sma ll
fo r budding and req uir a il co ncl season's g ro wth . T he one-y ar
see dlin gs h ave t he ro ois trimmed enou gh t o fac ilita te p la ntin g a nd
t h e tOP il c ul ba ck to 8 to 10 in cheil. Th e planls a re set 6 to 8 in ches
apart in the r OWil. T hey s ho uld be ready for budding the following
fa ll. Peac h seedlings us ua ll y a l'e large eno ug h for budding th e first
year.
The Budding Operation.-With fruit trees, th e bud s are p lace d
on a smooth portion of t h e stem a few inches above th e gl'o und and
prefer a bl y on the nort hern or east ern sid e for better protection from
the s un. On the tr un k a ver ti ca l sli t i s made a bout 1 to 1% in ches
lon g . A sli g ht curved cross cut is made near th e top . If the flap s do
not open enou gh to s tart th e bud into p lace, th e corners can be lifted
with the point of th e knife. Th e bucl is cut from the bud stick by
startin g about % in ch below t h e bud a nd s li in g off the bark fair ly
deep into the woo d. Thi s c ut s hou ld exte nd to abo ut 1/2 inch above
the bud. A cr oss c ut is then ma de through the bark on ly at the
upper end. By pressin g firml y on th e ba rk to either sid e of th e bud
with t h e thumb and forefinger t h e bark and bud can be snapped
off the s li ver of wood provided th e wood is in proper condition for
10 MISSOURI AGR ICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATJON

buddin g. Thi s gi ves a shi eld Rh aped piece of bark with the bud in
th e middl e, round ed at th e boLLom and sq uare across the top.

F ig . 6 . S ti\j;{t's in Ih l' bu d ding o f p<'ac hrs . (1 ) T -s h rtpcd c ut o n l ·yea r s<"NlIin g tr c(' , (2)
Ra l k s h g ht l v 1.11sed a t top to rect'ivt' th (> hud, (3) nlld s In serl ("d with ICd r s te m o r pet IOle Sidl
<l ll ached. ( I) /llId prnpCl ly w l ,apped in w ith raffia . (5) Bud af te r it h <l.S "t ake n " and th e
bindllllo{ Ill ilter ia l removed. In Iht' ~p rill ~ as g ro w th start s th e top of seed ling lree is cut
o fT ju st a bove th e in~erle d uud. (Blidd ill ~ is do n e on t rees in lh t' fi elds th ese were dug in
o rd e r to plHJtograph th e m. )

Wh en the bark does not s lip readily on the bud stick the bud is
s li ced off ju st deep enou gh to obtain a small s li ver of wood. Th e bud,
bark a nd wood are all cut 00' wi Lh a cross cut about l/z inch above
the bud s and the ent ire bud s li ce in serted on th e stock without
r emoving the thin sliver of wood. Whether th e section of wood
und er the bark is or is not removed the bark must slip readily on
th e s tock if sa ti sfactory work is to be done.
The round ed end of the bud piece is started into the T-shaped cut
on the stock and pu shed down until the top of the shi eld is below the
cross of the T. The flap s of bark are next tied down to hold the cam-
bium of the bud piece sec urely against the cambium of the stock and
preven t too rapid drying. Small twine may be used, although it
tend s to cut into the bark. Raffia soaked in water to make it soft and
p liabl e is much used. Narrow strips of cloth will serve the purpose.
Special strip s of rubb er are now much us ed by nurserymen .
Wra pping is begun below the bud, catching the end of the material
under the first lap and continuing a spi ral wrap until the top of the
cut i s reached. The end may be drawn under the last lap and pulled
tight or a small diagonal s lit cut back of the stock in which the
binding material may be caught.
 CIRCULAR 241 11

Fi g. 7.- M e thorl o f wrappin g in shi e ld bud s w ith rllhher strip s . Al left is show n th e
beginning of th e wrap in deta il nnd :\ 1 ri ghl lh e fin i ~h , (Twig is e nl argeci.)

Handling Budded Trees

With peaches a nd other rapidly growing stocks t he bandages
shou ld be cut in a bout 10 days to 2 w eks or as soo n as the buds
have "taken" to prevent girdlin g. When the buds unite with the
stock or have "taken" t h e s tub of the leaf petiole or stem turns
yell owis h and will drop off clean when gently rubbed across. When
the bud s h ave not taken thi s short stub dries and remains firml y
attached to the shi eld of bark carrying the bud. Many stocks are
slow growin g and the wrapping material is left on for several
weeks. Buds inserted in August and September should rema in
dormant until t he foll owing spring. Before growth begins the
tops are cut off just above th e in serted bud s. Thi s forces t he buds
into growth. Suckers or spro uts com in g from below the buds should
be removed . With a favorabl e season, a tree suitabl e for permanent
planting will be produced in one year.