Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: paul.fr on 25/01/2008 15:06:21
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You can graft different fruits on to a fruit tree, for example, apples on the same tree as pears. But how does this work, more importantly, why?
Do trees not have some kind om mechanism to fight this grafted (foreign) branch?
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Apple and pears are both rose family trees. There wouldn't be much trouble in the cross an Oak with a fir tree would not work as they are completely different orders of trees.
How does it work? Beats me, I am not a horticulturist.
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The seed from a Haralson apple will produce an apple tree, but it will not produce a Haralson apple tree. Likewise, the seed from a Honeygold apple will not produce a Honeygold apple tree.
In other words, fruit trees cannot be reproduced "true" to the original cultivar from seed. They can only be reproduced by grafting. Grafting describes any of a number of techniques in which a section of a stem with leaf buds is inserted into the stock of a tree.
Grafting is useful however, for more than reproduction of an original cultivar. It is also used to repair injured fruit trees or for topworking an established tree to one or more different cultivars.
By topworking you can do the following:
-An undesirable cultivar can be changed by grafting a preferred cultivar to the branches.
-Cultivars that lack hardiness or have poor-crotches (narrow angled) can be made more durable by grafting them on hardy, strong-crotched cultivars such as Hibernal, Virginia, or Columbia Crab.
-Pollinator cultivars can be grown much sooner by topworking than by planting young trees.
-New cultivars for trial can be brought into bearing in 2 or 3 years if topworked on stock of bearing age.
-Interesting novelties can be developed by grafting several cultivars on one tree.
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I think this whole grafting business is fascinating [;D]
- A practice sometimes carried out by gardeners is to graft related potatoes and tomatoes so that both are produced on the same plant, one above ground and one underground (also: tomato/cucumber; tomato/tobacco)
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gardenerschoice.com%2FProductImages%2Ffullsize%2FV13832.jpg&hash=5a92c550c4f838110a1d5233f67ff5d9)
- Cacti of widely different forms are sometimes grafted on to each other
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cactuscollection.com%2Fimages%2Fgrafted.jpg&hash=af4ae5ca6fc6660c71b74fd2e2c93e13)
Often available at florists but did you know they were grafted?
- Ornamental and functional, arborsculpture uses grafting techniques to join separate trees or parts of the same tree to itself. Furniture, hearts, entry archways are examples. Axel Erlandson was a prolific arborsculptor growing over 75 mature shaped and grafted trees.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fz.about.com%2Fd%2Fforestry%2F1%2F7%2FB%2Fj%2FErlandson_Baskettree.jpg&hash=6480b718b1f740b019864084ccd2801f)
Superb ! [;D]
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i don't know much about the topic but if that tree in the pictures is a result of grafting then i'm all for it. (but is it good for the plant?
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The seed from a Haralson apple will produce an apple tree, but it will not produce a Haralson apple tree. Likewise, the seed from a Honeygold apple will not produce a Honeygold apple tree.
In other words, fruit trees cannot be reproduced "true" to the original cultivar from seed. They can only be reproduced by grafting. Grafting describes any of a number of techniques in which a section of a stem with leaf buds is inserted into the stock of a tree.
Grafting is useful however, for more than reproduction of an original cultivar. It is also used to repair injured fruit trees or for topworking an established tree to one or more different cultivars.
By topworking you can do the following:
-An undesirable cultivar can be changed by grafting a preferred cultivar to the branches.
-Cultivars that lack hardiness or have poor-crotches (narrow angled) can be made more durable by grafting them on hardy, strong-crotched cultivars such as Hibernal, Virginia, or Columbia Crab.
-Pollinator cultivars can be grown much sooner by topworking than by planting young trees.
-New cultivars for trial can be brought into bearing in 2 or 3 years if topworked on stock of bearing age.
-Interesting novelties can be developed by grafting several cultivars on one tree.
This just about sums it up.
The fruits we eat today are all hybrids of naturally occurring fruits. Growing a hybridised fruit from seed is very much a hit and miss affair. Out of 100 trees grown from seed, the chances are that less than 10% would retain the exact attributes of the original hybrid fruit. This is particularly true of apples. Grafting guarantees the result will be identical to the original.
There is also the fact that a tree grown from seed can take 10 years or more to flower and fruit. Grafting to an established root stock can considerably reduce this time.