Learning to Graft -- Lesson 1

Lesson 1 in learning to graft a tree is all about studying. So, I'm off to the internet to see what I can find out from "real" arborists. Maybe I'll begin at the National Arbor Day Foundation website.

Well, nothing at the NADF, which only has "new" trees and how to plant and care for them.

But I found lots of great grafting stuff on the University of Missouri Extension and University of Minnesota Extension pages. Pictures, charts, everything one needs to know about grafting. Most instructions, I found, are for grafting fruit trees (for purposes of bearing fruit). My reason for grafting is to repair a topped tree--my flowering plum. No reason why I can't do that, I figure, if I follow all the directions for grafting fruit trees. Then, if this works (and why shouldn't it?), I'll graft my Raywood Ash that lost its main leader in a windstorm. But that's for another time.

As of now, I figure these are my tasks --- In November, cut some scions from the flowering plum, wax the bottoms so they don't dry out, put them in plastic bags, and place them in the back of the refrigerator until spring. Then, next March, I'll do my first graft. I'll take photos along the way to show my progress.