Bud Grafting

• Bud grafting is used to propagate fruit trees, rose bushes and ornamental plants. A cross-shaped incision is made in the bark of the rootstock. A single bud cut from a twig is inserted into the opening and pushed down between the bark and the inner tree. The wound is then bound up with string dipped in grafting wax. The water-conducting tissue known as the vascular cambium layers are lined up and will fuse together in a few weeks. The top of the stock is removed when the bud starts to grow.
  
  

Cleft Grafting

• Cleft grafting is used to revitalize older trees or to change the fruit variety of an established rootstock. It's usually done during the winter and very early spring when the scion and rootstock are dormant. The rootstock is sawed off level. It's then split 2 or 3 inches down with a wedge. Two budding scions are inserted at each end. The graft is bound with string and sealed with wax until the scions start to grow.
  
  

Bark Grafting

• Bark grafting is performed on larger rootstocks of 4 to 12 inches in diameter. Bark grafting is done in early spring before the major sap flow. The rootstock is severed levelly. Vertical incisions are made in the bark of the stock to form little flaps. Scions cut with a wedge-shaped bottom are stuck into the flaps. The bark is tacked back into place. Scions are placed every 3 to 4 inches around the perimeter of the rootstock.
  
  

Whip and Tongue Graft

• The whip and tongue graft is a variation of the simple splice graft. A rootstock and scion of equal diameter are sliced off at diagonal angles. Interlocking z-shaped grooves are cut into both parts. The cuts are cleanly made with a single draw of the knife for a smoothly cut surface. The pieces are fitted together with the cambia layers aligned, wrapped with grafting strip, tied with twine and sealed with wax.