Grafting

• Grafting encompasses a number of techniques that essentially involve attaching a portion of stem from the desired parent tree to a stock seedling or older tree. Some popular grafting methods include the whip, cleft, side and bridge grafts. The scion, or selected portion of the parent tree, is generally collected when the tree is dormant and stored in a cool, moist environment before being joined to the rootstock when buds are present. The union should be kept moist and bound securely with a protective material. Once the union demonstrates success and the scion begins to grow, competing branches from the rootstock are pruned off.
  
  

Budding

• Budding is a specific form of grafting popular with fruit trees that involves using solely a bud as the scion rather than a larger section of stem. A bud and a small amount of adjacent bark are removed from the desired parent plant and attached to a rootstock plant. Two common types of budding include T-budding and chip budding. T-budding incorporates making a T-shaped cut in the rootstock bark, inserting the bud into the cut, and using the bark flaps as a protective pocket. For this type of budding, the bark must be slipping. Chip budding does not require slipping bark. This method involves removing a portion of the bark and wood of the rootstock so that the bud can fit snugly into the stock. The bud must be wrapped well, as it is more prone to drying out with chip budding.
  
  

Layering

• Layering is a form of asexual propagation that involves encouraging the development of roots on a portion of stem while it remains attached to the parent plant. There are several types of layering, but the most common methods are simple layering and air layering. To perform an air layer, cut an upward slit in a suitable branch and put some rooting hormone on the wound. Cover the wound with wet moss and wrap the area with tape or bands. After roots begin to appear, sever the rooted portion from the parent plant and re-pot it. A simple layering involves bending a branch to the ground and forcing roots where it touches.
  
  

Rooting Cuttings

• Rooting cutting is a popular and relatively easy vegetative propagation method. This method can involve any of a variety of more specific techniques but is essentially the removal of a stem at least a year-old from a dormant mother plant and replacing it in soil or another rooting medium. Simple cuttings usually incorporate removing a portion of stem that contains four to six buds; the lower leaves are removed. The cutting may be dipped in a rooting hormone and the cutting is placed in soil so that the lower nodes can be covered and produce roots. Some fruit trees, including apples and guava, can be multiplied by taking root cuttings from a few feet away from the trunk.
  
  

Tissue Culture

• Tissue culture, also known as micropropagation or in vitro propagation, is a fairly sophisticated vegetative propagation technique that involves growing an entire plant from a small amount of parent tissue. Tissue culture is useful for large scale productions and stock is generally disease free. This method is commonly utilized in the preservation of rare or threatened seedless fruits.