Reproducing your favourite plant may be as simple as sowing seeds it creates. However other plants may not produce seedling offspring that are identical to their parent plants. Some plants, like olive, avocado and strawberries, may bear inedible fruit, or even none in any way, if you don’t propagate them by grafting or budding. These techniques create true-to-type consecutive centuries, but they also need investments of money, time and experience.
Grafting
Grafting is an asexual plant propagation technique that joins two or more plants to produce a single plant that has benefits of each leading plant. Different grafting techniques are suited for various plant types. Typically, a shoot of a single plant, known as the scion, which contains several vegetative buds, is grafted onto the stem of another plant, known as the inventory, which contains its roots. The consequent grafted plant is more powerful, more prolific and much better able to withstand pests and diseases.
Grafting Disadvantages
Grafting techniques vary, based on the plant that you want to propagate. Knowledge of graft types and ability to perform them needs experience beyond basic gardening. You must use grafting clips or tape, which is an extra expense, to hold cut surfaces together. If you do not remove tape at the proper time, then it can girdle the stem and thwart your grafting attempts. Cut surfaces should align perfectly or the graft union will likely be unsuccessful. Tools need to be sterilized by flaming or dipping in bleach or alcohol to prevent transmitting disease. If the graft wound does not seal properly, it might cause undesirable shoots that grow beneath the union. Some plants, like citrus types, must be protected from frost their very first year when grafted from the fall. Until grafts “knit together” and nourishment flow freely from inventory through scion, you have to water plants sparingly so that you don’t drown them.
Budding
Bud grafting, generally referred to as budding, is similar to grafting. Rather than utilizing a stem from 1 plant that has several vegetative buds, just a single grass is grafted onto another plant’s rootstock. The result is referred to as a budded plant. This process commonly produces roses, fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and trees. According to the University of California, budding is the most common method of spreading citrus trees. Budding enables several plants to be propagated from one sample of scion wood.
Budding Disadvantages
The disadvantages of budding are the same as with grafting, with a few notable additions. Since single buds aren’t as powerful as stem segments, they’re more susceptible to environmental strains. Even birds may interfere with powerful budding by breaking off buds since they land on stems. Even insects may interfere with powerful budding by feeding tender buds. Wrapping one grass union with budding green or rubber horticultural tape requires precision. Nurse branches, which extend above the bud union, needs to be removed when new budwood grows leaves.