Level 2 Grafting and Budding – Please see videos below and step by step photos after on how to graft after the YouTube links below:
A Video introducing grafting generally:
How to make a saddle graft cut:
How to make a whip and tongue apple graft cut:
Step By Step Guide to Grafting an Apple Tree Scion on to an M11 Dwarf Containerised Root Stock
To be carried out late February/March
- First select a branch by pruning and trimming it into a scion. It is pruned healthy living material and should be straight whip like growth (with no branches or side shoots) from the last growing season of the apple tree. Make sure it is living by scratching below the bark or by rubbing buds to see if its green. To really make sure it is suitable place in a polythene bag for a week in a warmish place keep it moist and check the buds swell.
2. Check the root stock is living and disease free in the same way as the scion.
3. Carry out a whip and tongue or saddle union cut on the bottom of the scion close to a node/bud
4. Carry out a whip and tongue or saddle cut on the top of the rootstock close to a node/bud
5. Push the node and scion together
6. Trim the scion down to a minimum of 2 buds/nodes the top cut being a sloping cut away from the bud.
7. Treat the cuts with an anti fungal compound
8. Wrap the join in tape
9. Heat up grafting wax to melt it
10. Paint the melted wax over the tape and onto the cut at the top of the scion
Keep outside watered and fed the graft should fuse by July you will know if both the the scion and root stock buds open and produce leaves.