Grafting My Apple Tree

The apple tree

I wanted to get those scions on the trees before they die off, so I worked on the apple tree today. Currently, the apple tree is dormant and has no leaves at all. I am not sure what kind of apple tree it is. It produces small to medium size green sweet apples in the summer. I got 3 different varieties of apple scions at Scion Exchange - Fuji, Royal Gala, and Summer Red. I picked these three just because they are red apples and low-chill varieties. My friend, Bethallyn, gave me the pointers as I arrived at the Scion Exchange. Hopefully I will have both green and red apples in the future.

Making a clean cut at an angle

Before I started cutting the branches, I wiped my clippers with alcohol to avoid contamination since I am going to be attaching scions to the openings. I made a clean cut at an angle on the tree and did the same to the ends of scions. The idea here is to maximize the contact between the tree and the scions.

Making clean cuts and an angle on the scions

Using a sharp blade (also wiped with alcohol), I made a few slits on the apple branch just enough to peel back the tree bark a bit and slide in the scions. Since I was doing this all by myself, I couldn't make a nice video clip for you. If you are interested in seeing how this is done in greater details, check out "How To Graft A Fruit Tree" on Youtube. After the scions were in place, I wrapped the connecting areas with grafting tape. I used the candle again to cover all the openings with wax to prevent the branches and scions from drying out.

Tomorrow I shall work on the cherry tree.

grafting the scions onto the tree