Turn one favorite apple or pear tree into many, right at home.
Winter is planning season, and one of the most exciting skills to add to your homestead toolbelt is grafting: the age-old practice of making a new fruit tree by joining a rootstock with a cutting from a tree you already love.
Grafting is simpler than it looks. With a sharp knife, a young rootstock (like the ones in our spring preorder collection), and a good cutting from a favorite apple or pear tree, you can grow your own orchard for a fraction of the cost, and keep beloved varieties going for generations.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know: choosing the right wood, making the cuts, connecting the pieces, using everyday materials like plastic wrap to seal the graft, and caring for the tree while it heals.
Why Graft Your Own Trees?
Grafting is one of the most empowering propagation skills on the homestead:
- Multiply your existing fruit trees for almost no cost
- Preserve varieties that thrive in your microclimate
- Expand your food forest with trees suited to your soil
- Become more self-reliant and deepen your connection to your local food systems
With bare root rootstock, you’re starting with the strongest possible foundation, disease-resistant, vigorous roots, ready to take on spring growth.
Step 1: Choose the Right Scion Wood (Your Cutting)
Good grafting starts with good scion wood, the piece of your favorite tree that will become the top of your new tree.
Choose wood that is:
- From last year’s growth
- About pencil-thick
- Straight, firm, and healthy
- Dormant (taken in late winter before buds swell)
Cutting size:
6–12 inches long, with at least 3–4 buds.
Store scions wrapped in slightly damp paper towels, inside a plastic bag in the fridge until you're ready to graft.
Step 2: Prepare Your Rootstock
Your rootstock is the “bottom half” of your new tree. Ours come dormant, bare-root, and ready to graft.
Keep roots cool and slightly moist until you’re ready to use them, never let them dry out.
Step 3: Make Your Cuts (Simple, Beginner-Friendly Method)
You don’t need to memorize graft names to do this well, just make clean cuts that match. Choose a point on the stem that is roughly the same diameter as your scion wood.
How to Make the Main Cut
You want a long, slanted cut on both the scion and the rootstock so their inner layers (the cambium) can touch.
- Make a smooth slice at a shallow angle, roughly 1–1.5 inches long.
- The cut should look like a “bevel,” not a small chop.
- Try to make the cut in one motion, jagged cuts heal slowly.
Optional Tongue Cut (Helpful but Not Required)
If you feel comfortable:
- Make a small vertical slit (¼ inch) in the middle of each slanted cut.
- This helps the two pieces “lock” together.
But if this feels intimidating, skip it, you can still succeed with just matching bevel cuts.
Step 4: Join the Pieces
Match the slanted faces together so the cambium layers line up on at least one side.
Perfect alignment is nice, but alignment on ONE side is enough for the graft to take.
Press the pieces together firmly.
Step 5: Wrap the Graft (DIY-Friendly Instructions)
You don’t need specialty grafting tape for success. Many homesteaders use regular plastic kitchen wrap or electrical tape and get great results.
Unlike specialty grafting tapes (like Parafilm, which is a wax film that buds can push through and is photodegradable), regular plastic wrap is waterproof, doesn't breathe, and needs to be removed once the graft has successfully taken (usually in a few weeks to a few months).
If using plastic wrap, beware of heat. Clear plastic wrap can trap heat, potentially "cooking" the graft, especially in direct sun. Consider covering the graft with a paper bag or placing the grafted plant in the shade during the initial healing period.
Here’s how to use it effectively:
Secure the Union
- Wrap the graft tightly with tape or plastic wrap, stretching it slightly as you go.
- The goal is firm pressure so the two pieces can fuse.
You can add a small rubber band, zip tie, or twine if you need extra tension.
Seal in Moisture
Overlap the plastic wrap so the grafted area is fully covered, this prevents the cut surfaces from drying out.
Protect from Heat
Plastic wrap traps heat, so:
- Keep the grafted tree out of direct sun at first.
- If necessary, cover the graft with a paper bag or place the tree in light shade during healing.
Remove at the Right Time
Plastic wrap doesn’t break down on its own.
- Remove it once you see strong new growth, usually a few weeks to a couple months after grafting.
- Don’t leave it on all season, it can girdle the tree.
Step 6: Aftercare — Helping the Graft Succeed
- Plant the rootstock right away (bare roots don’t like waiting).
- Water deeply but avoid waterlogging.
- Keep weeds and grass away, young grafts need airflow and sunlight.
- Rub off any sprouts that grow from below the graft; they will steal energy.
- Stake the tree if the graft union is delicate.
With warmth, time, and a little care, the graft heals and becomes a single, unified tree.
Where to Take Scion Wood From on Your Tree
Choose:
- Straight, healthy one-year-old branches
- About pencil-thick
- With well-spaced buds
- Growing in good light
Avoid:
- Very old wood
- Twisted or overly thin shoots
- Tips of branches (too soft)
Think of it like choosing a good “building block” for the future tree.
Scion Wood Cutting Size & Tips (Quick Guide)
- Length: 6–12 inches
- Diameter: Pencil-sized
- Buds: 3–4 minimum
- Cut: Flat cut at the bottom, angled cut at the top to show which end is “up”
Store cool and slightly moist until grafting.
Caring for Your Newly Grafted Tree Through Spring
- Keep soil moist but not soaked
- Protect from wind (stake if needed)
- Shade the graft for the first couple of weeks
- Remove wrap once growth is strong
- Keep the union clean and visible
Your new tree will begin pushing buds and growing as soon as the weather warms.
Grafting Is a Homestead Skill Anyone Can Learn
Once you learn this simple process, the possibilities are endless:
- Multiply your favorite heritage apple
- Preserve an old family pear tree
- Trade scion wood with friends
- Build your orchard without emptying your wallet
- Strengthen local food sovereignty by growing trees adapted to your land
Bare root rootstock gives you the perfect foundation, and grafting lets you grow exactly what you love.
Preorder your apple and pear rootstock now and get ready to graft your first trees this spring. Your future orchard starts with one cut, one connection, and a little patience.