Grafted Fruit-Bearing Trees

Apples

• Apple trees bought from commercial growers are all grafted in order to produce consistent results. In the case of dwarf apple trees, a regular-sized tree twig is grafted on a smaller base, or rootstock, to save space in small gardens and patio container planters. The variety of fruit from these trees will be consistent with the type of twig that is grafted onto the rootstock. Eating or cooking grafted varieties include: Stark Earliest and Viking Transparent for summer harvesting, Gala and Mollies Delicious for early fall picking and Jonagold and McIntosh for late fall. Purchase at least two different varieties of apple trees for best results, since cross-pollination benefits both trees. Alternatively, ask your local university extension officer for advice on successfully grafted fruit-bearing tree types for your particular type of soil and area.

Avocados

• Growing avocado trees from seeds is an educational science project for children, but if you want to harvest fruits, purchase a grafted tree, since those grown from seed rarely give avocados. For the best results, buy your grafted avocado from a reputable nursery. Be sure to check that these plants are suitable for your USDA Zone. Those grown outside warmer states such as California, or USDA Zones 10 to 11, still provide elegant landscaping features, even if you cannot pick fruits from them. Plant avocados from March to June in locations with full sun, mulch well and protect from harsh weather. Choose from varieties like: Littlecado dwarfs for container gardens, Stewart, an easy-care, frost-tolerant variety from North Mexico and Fuerte, a disease-resistant Californian variety able to withstand some degree of frost.

Fruit-Bearing Trees with Multiple Grafts

• Trees with multiple grafts of different varieties of the same fruit are not just novelties. As many as five kinds of apples can be grafted onto a single rootstock to provide gardeners possessing small yards with a variety of fruits. When one type of fruit is grafted onto an entirely different kind of rootstock, the new tree created by grafting gains the benefits of a superior disease-resistance or the ability to withstand drought or poor soil. Examples include sweet citrus twigs grafted on bitter orange rootstocks for improved resistance to disease.

Grafting Your Own Fruit-Bearing Trees

• It's possible to learn to graft your own fruit-bearing trees. With a little patience, experimentation and some research, you can produce a customized grafted tree that bears your favorite varieties of fruit. It's a lengthy process but provides gardeners with a satisfying hobby. This scion, or twig, from the kind of fruit desired is inserted into a slit cut in the young rootstock's trunk. Cutting of both the twigs and trunk is carried out with sterile bypass shears, not anvil shears, which crush branches rather than cut them. Grafting is carried out between November and February and trees mature in two to four years with a 50 to 85 percent chance of producing fruits.