Chip-Budding

This is a method of budding often used on roses, ornamental and fruit trees. It is very similar to T-Budding but you are much more likely to achieve successful results.

Preparation -

In late autumn (October - November) plant your 1 year old rootstocks. These should be the briar rose Rosa Canina for roses, Malling or Malling Merton for apples (standard trees), Malling Quince A for pears, Mazzard or Gean for cherries, Brompton for apricots, nectarines and peaches, Myrobalan for plums. Use a naturally occurring species as the rootstock for ornamental trees. The actual budding will be done the following summer or late autumn (June - September).

Method -

The buds of the variety to be propagated should be plump, well-developed and carried on the current years shoots.

Remove one of these shoots from the plant with a number of buds attached and cut off the leaves leaving the petioles (leaf stalks). This is called a 'budstick'. The buds should only be removed from this budstick immediately prior to inserting them into the rootstock.

Using an extremely sharp knife, remove a bud from the budstick. This is done by making a cut 3/4 inch (20mm) below the bud, at an angle of approx.. 20 degrees into the stem. Do the same from above the bud to meet the first cut and remove the bud.

Prepare the rootstock by making a 'correspondingly shaped cut cut into the bark and wood. The cut should be made carefully to ensure that the bud fits neatly and the two sections make good contact. For roses this cut should be at ground level and for fruit and ornamental trees, it should be 6 - 8 inches (15 - 20cm) above the ground.

Wrap and tie raffia or plastic grafting tape around the wound making sure that the bud is secure but exposed.

The following spring (February - March), cut the rootstock off, just above the bud, using a sloping cut. Shortly after, the bud will start to into growth and by the autumn you will have a new bush or tree.

The 4 Stages in Chip Budding

Chip Budding