Every grafting method needs a sharp knife and a way to wrap and seal the union, but the extras change with the graft: a cleft graft on thick stock can call for a cleaver, chisel, or saw, and a bud graft uses a bud grafting knife and budding tape. A whip and tongue graft needs the smallest kit, just a knife, tape, and grafting wax.

Why does the grafting method change the tools?

Because each method joins different sizes of wood. A whip graft joins a scion, the cutting being added, to a rootstock, the rooted base, of about the same thin diameter, a cleft graft splits a much thicker stock to hold a narrow wedge, and a bud graft slips a single bud under the bark.

What tools does a whip and tongue graft need?

A sharp knife, grafting tape, and tree sealing compound or grafting wax. This graft joins stock under 1/2 inch thick to a scion of matching size through angled cuts locked by a notch, and it is the most common graft in commercial fruit tree production.

What tools does a cleft graft need?

A knife, tape, and grafting wax, plus a cleaver, chisel, or saw when the stock is too large to cut with a knife. The stock, 3/4 to 2 3/4 inches across, is split about 1 1/8 inches deep to hold a scion cut to a long, shallow wedge, then taped and waxed.

What tools does a bud graft need?

A bud grafting knife and budding tape. A single bud is slipped beneath the bark of the stock, a method common for peaches and citrus, and the tape holds it while it joins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can each grafting method be learned step by step?

In a short field guide. The CW: Grafting Fruit Trees booklet, a 32 page Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin by Larry Southwick, covers terminology, tools, types of grafting, and the 10 essentials of successful grafting.

Which grafting method is hardest to learn?

Whip and tongue. It is considered the most difficult to master, though it has the highest rate of success.

When is grafting done?

While the scion is dormant, with cleft grafting best done in early spring. Grafting in warm weather can trigger premature budding.

Does a whip graft need a support stake?

Not with a tongue. The interlocking cut adds enough strength that no support rod is needed in the first season, while a plain whip graft may need added support.