V.H. Apelian's Blog: I grafted a pine tree

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

I grafted a pine tree

Vahe H Apelian

The spring cold spell a few days ago wreaked havoc, not only tree branches but trees were splinted including a grown-up pine tree in our backyard. It was broken literally in half, leaving behind the protruding pine tree trunk.

There are several Massachusetts native pine trees. I do not know which kind is ours. And as far as tree grafting is concerned, it entails the following: “Grafting or graftage[1] is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion (/ˈsaɪən/) while the lower part is called the rootstock.” (Wikipedia).

My paternal uncle was an expert tree pruner and grafter. I had seen him graft apple trees in his orchard. I did not think much of tree grafting. But my impression was totally changed when during my college years at the American University of Beirut, I happened to come across a dissertation about tree grafting. I do not remember what level dissertation it was. But my curiosity was raised about tree pruning and grafting and I said to myself that my uncle deserves a PhD in the art and science of pruning and grafting trees.

With my paternal uncle in his apple orchard

My maternal uncle in Los Angeles, grafted a tree he had in their backyard. I do not remember what kind of tree it was. But his grafting took hold and the tree ended up bearing two kinds or two varieties of the fruit it bore.

In order to salvage what was left behind the broken pine tree, I resorted to grafting its crown, the very top section of a pine tree, onto the trunk. In order to that I sawed the trunk to working height. Subsequently I split the trunk and then inserted the crown into the split after removing the skin and shaping the foot of the crown. Subsequently I wrapped the tree at the grafted end.

The attached pictures may shed more light on my grafting the pine tree.