Budding an Orange Tree
- 1). Select a one-year-old tree branch from the scion tree that is less than 14 inches in diameter. Select a healthy branch with buds that have not sprouted yet, but are just green bumps. Sterilize the knife with alcohol to prevent spreading disease.
- 2). Cut the selected branch off at a 6- to 8-inch length. Preserve the branch by wrapping it in moistened sphagnum moss enclosed in a plastic bag. Store the branch in the refrigerator for up to four weeks, if necessary.
- 3). Prepare the bud location on the root stock. Chose a healthy stem that is 1/2 inch in diameter and make a horizontal cut into the wood. Then cut vertically to make a lower case "T." Peel the bark away from the center of the cuts to expose the cambium and make a pocket for the scion bud wood to go into. Don't peel the bark all the way off the tree, just pull it away until it curls back.
- 4). Take out the scion branch that is in the refrigerator. Find a good bud and cut across the branch perpendicularly just above the bud. Continue the cut as a slicing motion under the bud. The entire effect is a shallow, C-shaped curve that lifts the bud up and away from the main wood. Remove the bud completely from the branch and try not to touch it. Skin oils can minimize the graft contact.
- 5). Slip the bud scion in between the flaps of bark on the root stock. Position the bud in the same position it was in on the scion branch. Cut strips of thick rubber band and wrap the entire grafted area with the rubber. Completely cover the scion bud and all exposed wood.
- 6). Remove the rubber bands two to three weeks later. If the bud is still green, it is still alive and the budding process was successful. It will eventually sprout and produce a shoot.
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