A shoot or bud from a desired plant variety inserted into the rootstock of a compatible species. The vascular tissues of the two parts heal and fuse, allowing the root system to support the new top growth. Growers use this technique to combine the vigorous or disease-resistant roots of one plant with the superior fruit or flowers of another.
Make sure the graft union stays well above the soil line when you plant those apple trees.
Always align the cambium layers of both pieces perfectly; if they do not touch, the union will fail.
Also heard as
- scion
Related terms
Rootstock
The lower underground portion of a grafted plant that provides the root system.
Budding
A grafting technique that splices a single vegetative bud into the bark of a rootstock.
Cleft grafting
A propagation technique where a small scion is inserted into a split cut in a larger rootstock.
Splice grafting
A grafting technique where both the scion and rootstock are cut at matching diagonal angles.