Orange Tree Propagation

Rootstocks and Buds

• Grafted trees are created by using the root structure and trunk, or rootstock, of one plant and the bud of another. The rootstock variety is unimportant as long as it belongs to an orange tree. Rootstocks can be propagated from seed or bought online or at your local garden center. The bud you use will determine the type of orange that you eventually grow and can be taken off of an orange tree you already own.

Picking a Bud

• Buds are the parts of an orange tree from which new limbs and leaves form. They are recognizable as small colored bumps along the tree's trunk or along a branch. Sometime between April and November, cut out a single bud from your chosen orange tree, leaving about half an inch of bark on either side of the bud. Do not hack into the tree to remove the bud; simply scrape off a thin layer of bark around the bud with the bud in the center. If you do not graft the bud to your rootstock immediately, you may store it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate it for up to three weeks.

Preparing Your Rootstock

• The rootstock you use should be a young orange plant that you don't mind parting with. Cut a vertical line into the tree's bark about 6 inches from the trunk base of the tree. The line should be the same length as your bud strip, about an inch. At the bottom of the line cut into the rootstock, cut another line perpendicular to the first, forming an upside down T shape. This should form flaps in the bark into which your bud will be placed.

Grafting the Bud to the Rootstock

• Place your bud piece inside the newly formed cut on the rootstock tree. The bud itself should be sticking out of the bark of the rootstock. Using grafting tape, wrap the bud piece to the rootstock securely. Make sure the bud itself is not wrapped up and is given exposure.

Final Steps

• Discourage the rootstock from overtaking the new graft by removing any new buds that form on the tree. Your bud should start to grow into a green limb within a few days. Once your newly grafted bud has grown to 4 inches, remove the grafting tape and cut down the original tree about an inch above where you made your graft.