Whip-and-tongue grafting on a young apple tree
Late winter, just before the buds swell, is the classic moment for this splice graft, and a small grafting knife with a flat 6.5 cm blade gives the precise cuts it needs. Pick a dormant scion and a rootstock of the same thickness, roughly that of a pencil.
- Make a long, sloping cut across the rootstock in one smooth stroke, so the cut face is flat and clean.
- Make a matching sloping cut at the base of the scion.
- On each cut face, about a third of the way down from the tip, slice a short tongue into the wood, roughly parallel to the grain.
- Push the two pieces together so the tongues interlock and the green cambium layers line up on at least one side.
- Bind the union tightly with grafting tape and seal the top of the scion.
