Grafting
/ˈɡræftɪŋ/
Definition
Grafting is a horticultural technique in which tissues from two plants are joined so they grow as one. The upper piece, called the scion, forms the shoots, flowers, or fruit, while the lower part, the rootstock, provides the roots. For grafting to succeed, the cambium layers, the thin growing tissue under the bark, must align so they heal and connect.
Practical Relevance
- Rootstock influence: In grafting, the rootstock can shape plant size, vigor, soil tolerance, and resistance to some pests or diseases, while the upper part largely determines flowers, fruit, or foliage traits.
- Clonal propagation: This method preserves named cultivars that do not grow true from seed, so fruit trees, roses, and many ornamentals can be reproduced with consistent characteristics.
- Repair and renewal: Grafting can help bridge damaged bark on some trees or top-work established plants to change a variety without replacing the whole root system.
- Compatibility limits: Success depends on close biological compatibility and good cambium contact, because the cambium is the thin growing layer that produces new vascular tissue for water and sugar movement.
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