Tree Grafting

Named tree varieties, like ‘Honeycrisp’ apple or ‘Mesa Glow’ maple, are clones of some original individual tree. Small twigs or dormant buds from that tree are united with a root system grown separately in a process called grafting. Grafts are often visible as a line where bark color and texture change (see photo below).

Many landscape and fruit trees are grafted trees. This means that the part above the ground has been stuck onto a different but related root system. If done well, this union takes, and a strong tree is created. This keeps features we like in the tree – leaf color and size, overall form, fruit flavor and more. Sometimes the root system sends up its own stems. Root sprouts will look different from the grafted stems and will have different details in the leaves and fruit.

There are many ways to graft. Typically, it is done by taking young, one year old twigs, cutting them just so, and matching them to the stem of a young root system, also cut just so. If they are closely related and the just-so cuts match, and everything else goes right…there is another copy of that one unique tree, but with a different root system. 

The chosen root system matters, too. Many fruit trees are grafted to relatively weak root systems which grow smaller trees. Thus, we turn a 30-feet tall apple tree on its own roots into a ten feet tall dwarf apple tree – much easier to manage for fruit growers! 

Contact us to find out why we are considered the best tree service in Albuquerque.