Oleander Grafting

Whip Grafting

• 1

  Select a suitable scion and rootstock. The scion and rootstock should be of the same size and have a diameter between about 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Both should be healthy. The scion should be selected from year-old wood and have a few well-spaced buds and few or no bud clusters.

• 2

  Cut the scion from the desired stock. Use a sharp knife to remove the scion cleanly. Unless the graft will be performed immediately, the shape of the cut does not matter.

• 3

  Store the scion properly if the graft will not be performed immediately. Place it in damp sawdust or peat moss, wrap it in plastic or place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate the scion until it will be grafted.

• 4

  Cut the rootstock and scion. Make a smooth, diagonal cut about 1 to 2 inches long on each to match the other.

• 5

  Fit the scion and rootstock together. They should fit together snugly with the cambium, the layer immediately under the bark, of each aligning. Make any corrective cuts necessary to permit this.

• 6

  Wrap the union securely with grafting tape. Electrician's tape or another watertight tape can also be used for this.

• 7

  Cover the tape and area of union with grafting wax. The wax will help keep the union from not drying out and consequently failing.

Cleft Grafting

• 8

  Select a suitable rootstock and scion material. Cleft grafting is used when the rootstock is significantly larger than the scion. Younger oleanders can be cleft grafted on the trunk, while larger oleanders, particularly if trained to have a single, large trunk, should be grafted on branches with a diameter under 2 1/2 inches. The scions should be taken from year-old wood, and each scion should ideally have three buds.

• 9

  Remove scions from the desired parent tree and store them properly if the graft will not be performed immediately.

• 10

  Prepare the understock for the graft. Saw the trunk or branch at a right angle to the grain, avoiding any knots. Use a knife to trim any rough edges. Drive a grafting tool, wedge or hatchet into the center of the stock, making a split 2 inches deep that extends across the branch or trunk. Drive the tool or wedge deeply enough so that the crack is able to accommodate the scion.

• 11

  Cut the scion so it can be inserted into the created split. Make a long, smooth diagonal cut about 1 1/2 inches long at the bottom of the scion. Turn the scion and make a second diagonal cut opposite the first cut to form a blunt point.

• 12

  Insert two scions into the wedge on the stock. Insert one scion on each side so that the cambial layers of the scions is in contact with the cambium of the stock.

• 13

  Remove the wedge or tool after properly positioning the scions to close the stock on them. The pressure of the stock against the scion must be greatest where the cambiums touch; make adjustments as needed.

• 14

  Cover all cut surfaces thoroughly with grafting wax to prevent drying. Wax may crack as it dries, so check the wax regularly as the graft heals. Re-cover any cracks that appear.