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By Tim Smith, Washington State University Extension - smithtj@wsu.edu

At times, when growers wish to quickly change the variety of trees growing on "difficult" soils,
grafting is a reasonable alternative to replanting.

Before you start, be certain that the rootstock and trunk will provide a good understock for your future orchard, the grafting stock and the parent trees are free of injurious viruses, fire blight bacteria*, and that you have addressed the possible propagation rights of the variety.

There are several ways to graft trees, the "bark graft" shown below is perhaps the most popular and successful method used in North Central Washington.

Click the step by step buttons below to follow the illustrated process:
 STEP 1.    STEP 6  
 STEP 2    STEP 7  
 STEP 3    STEP 8  
 STEP 4    STEP 9  
 STEP 5    STEP 10  
*Fireblight bacteria can be present, but symptomless, in bud wood and grafting wood.  You should take great care that the mother tree used for propagation material has not had blight strikes the season the wood is gathered, even if the strike was removed soon after it appeared.  Mark the blighted tree and let one winter pass before you take any wood. 

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