How to Graft a Fruit Tree: Cleft and Whip Methods

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Grafting joins a piece of one plant, called the scion, to the rootstock or established tree, called the stock. When the two grow together, the scion produces the fruit variety you want. Learning how to graft a fruit tree lets you change the variety of an existing tree, repair damage, or make a new tree from a branch you already like. The two methods most often taught to home gardeners are the cleft graft and the whip-and-tongue graft. This guide covers how each works, when to do the work, and what the extension sources say about matching scion and stock.

Quick answer

• Use the cleft graft on established trees with branches roughly one to two inches thick, which is common for changing the variety of an older tree.
• Use the whip-and-tongue graft on young trees with thin, pencil-sized branches, where scion and stock are close in diameter.
• Take scion wood while it is fully dormant, keep it cool and moist, and graft in early spring.
• Seal every cut surface and the top of the scion with grafting wax or tape, so the wood does not dry out.

Why graft a fruit tree

Many fruit trees do not come true from seed. A pear grown from a seed, for example, will not reliably produce the same fruit as its parent. Gardeners therefore propagate named varieties by grafting or budding, which copies the wood of the desired plant onto a rootstock. Grafting is also the usual way to change an existing tree to a new variety, a process called top working. Our guide on how to grow apple trees covers the basics of choosing a variety and rootstock before you start.

The University of Arizona extension slides on grafting list the main types. They note that the cleft graft is “most common, most often” used, and they also describe the whip and tongue graft as “very strong, secure result.” The same slides include a saddle graft, which is an upside down cleft. Each method suits a different situation, so the first decision is the size of the branches you are working with.

Choosing scion and stock

The scion is the piece you cut from the tree you want to copy. The stock is the tree or branch that receives it. The two need to be compatible. Extension sources focus on apple and pear when they describe these methods, so a gardener working with other fruits should check the guidance for that species.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension blog on grafting methods gives a useful rule for choosing scion size in the whip graft. It says: “When using a whip and tongue graft on apple or pear, I suggest collecting pencil size diameter or a little larger wood about 6 to 8 inches in length.” The same source adds that “With whip and tongue grafting, the scion wood needs to be the same size as the root stock.” Matching diameters give the two cuts the best contact.

Collect scion wood from healthy shoots of the previous season’s growth. The Alabama blog advises collecting it after the tree goes dormant, and it says scion wood can be collected “anytime during the dormant season,” before the buds start swelling in early spring. Once you have it, keep it moist and cool. The same source suggests placing scion wood in “an air tight container such as a freezer bag along with some damp wood shavings” so it stays dormant until grafting time.

When to graft

Timing is set by the plant’s dormancy. The scion must be dormant, while the stock is ready to start growing. The University of Minnesota bulletin on grafting describes dormant scions as one of the key materials for the job, and it lists them alongside a fine-tooth saw, a grafting chisel, tape, and grafting compound.

The Arizona slides make the timing point more directly. They say that the method works best with fully dormant scion wood, and they note that the cut tissues at the graft union need to be active. In practice, that means grafting in early spring, when buds on the stock are beginning to swell but the scion is still dormant.

The Alabama blog reports its own schedule for central Alabama. It says the author usually does “cleft grafting in March and the inlay, four-flap, and whip grafting in April” when working outdoors in an unprotected area. The same source notes that it is common for nurseries to graft much earlier in the year in protected areas such as a greenhouse or high tunnel. Your local frost dates and the bloom date of your tree will set the window for your region.

The cleft graft, step by step

The cleft graft is the method most often used to top work an established tree. It works best on branches roughly one to two inches thick, and it lets you change the variety of a large tree without removing it. The steps below follow the general method that extension sources describe.

Step one: cut the stock

Choose a branch on the tree you are top working. Cut it straight across, at a right angle to its length, with a clean saw cut. A ragged cut will not seat well. The University of Minnesota bulletin and the Arizona slides both point to a clean, flat surface as the starting point for a good union.

Step two: split the stub

Split the stub down its center with a grafting knife or heavy chisel, to a depth of about two to three inches. Hold the split open with a wedge. A wedge keeps the cleft wide enough to receive the scions. Keep the wedge in place while you insert the scions, then remove it once the scions are set.

Step three: prepare the scions

Cut each scion so it has three or more buds. Shape the base of each scion into a wedge, with the outer side slightly thicker than the inner side, so it fits into the cleft. The thicker outer edge helps it seat against the bark of the stock.

Step four: insert the scions

Set one scion on each side of the cleft. Align the cambium layers, which are the thin green growth layers just under the bark, of the scion and the stock. The cambium is the tissue that forms new wood and joins the two plants, so getting it to line up on at least one side is the key step. Remove the wedge once the scions are in place, so the cleft closes on them.

Step five: seal the union

Seal the cut surfaces, the sides of the stub, and the tops of the scions with grafting wax or tape. The Arizona slides and the Minnesota bulletin both emphasize sealing. Sealing keeps the wood from drying and reduces the chance of infection. Check the union over the following weeks, and remove any tape that girdles the new growth as it expands.

Step six: work the tree over several years

Do not convert a large tree in a single season. Heavy pruning to make room for the grafts can stress the tree. Extension practice is to work part of the tree in one year and the rest in the following years, so the tree keeps enough leaves to feed its roots while the grafts establish.

The whip-and-tongue graft, step by step

The whip-and-tongue graft is best suited to young trees and thin branches, where the scion and stock are close in size. The Minnesota bulletin describes the whip graft as one used mostly on small branches. The steps below cover the basic method.

Step one: match the diameters

Choose stock and scion of similar diameter. The Alabama blog says that with whip and tongue grafting, “the scion wood needs to be the same size as the root stock.” If the scion is much thicker, the cambium layers will not line up well on both sides.

Step two: cut the matching tongues

Make a long, sloping cut on the scion and a matching cut on the stock. Each cut should be about one and a half inches long on a branch of pencil-sized wood. Add a small tongue to each cut by making a second, shorter cut inward, so the two pieces interlock when joined.

Step three: join and tie

Fit the tongues together so the cambium on both pieces lines up on at least one side. Wrap the union tightly with grafting tape, then cover it with grafting compound or wax. The Minnesota bulletin describes tying the union tightly with tape and then covering it with a compound to protect the joint.

Aftercare for a new graft

Once the graft is made, keep the tree healthy. Water consistently, and avoid heavy pruning on the stock until you can see that the scion has started to grow. Watch for shoots from the stock below the union. Those shoots compete with the scion and should be removed, because they can take over the tree if left alone.

Check the tape and wax over the weeks after grafting. If the tape cuts into the bark or the new growth, loosen it carefully. Protect the graft from strong wind, which can break a new union that has not yet fused. Our guide on how to prune fruit trees covers the general pruning practices that support a healthy, productive tree after grafting.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is using scion wood that is not fully dormant. Scion wood that has started to grow or has winter injury will not join well. The Alabama blog advises keeping scion wood dormant and moist until grafting, which is the reason for the cold storage step.

Another mistake is letting the cut surfaces dry out. Seal every cut quickly, and work through the graft in one sitting if you can. A union that dries before it is wrapped will fail even if the cambium was aligned.

A third mistake is mismatching the size of scion and stock in a whip graft. The diameters must be close for the cambium to meet on both sides. If the sizes do not match, use a cleft graft instead, which can join a thicker scion to a larger branch.

How we chose

We limited this guide to university and state extension material, including the University of Arizona slides, the Alabama Cooperative Extension blog and a University of Minnesota bulletin. We opened each source on 2026-10-27 and recorded the sentences we quote. We left out an archived Michigan State folder dated 1953, because its own notice says it should not be used for current recommendations.

We did not use retail pages or product listings as a basis for any instruction. Where a source gives its own schedule or practice, we report it as that source’s practice rather than as a universal rule.

What we could not verify

We could not confirm a single set of dates that works in every region, because the sources give regional examples rather than a national calendar. We also could not confirm exact take rates for each method, since the sources we opened do not report success percentages for home grafts.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not give a full grafting method for every fruit tree. The material we reviewed focuses on apple and pear. For stone fruits, citrus or other species, check the guidance for that crop, because compatibility and timing differ. The sources also do not say how many years a grafted tree takes to fruit after the graft takes hold.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to graft a fruit tree?

Early spring, while the scion is still dormant and the stock is starting to grow, is the usual time. The Alabama extension blog reports cleft grafting in March and whip grafting in April in its own outdoor location, and it notes that nurseries often graft earlier in protected spaces. Your region sets the exact window.

What is the difference between a cleft graft and a whip graft?

A cleft graft joins one or two scions into a split in a larger branch, which suits established trees with branches about one to two inches thick. A whip graft joins a scion and stock of similar, pencil-sized diameter by interlocking matching tongues cut into each piece.

How thick should scion wood be for a whip graft?

The Alabama extension blog suggests “pencil size diameter or a little larger wood about 6 to 8 inches in length” for apple or pear. The scion should be roughly the same diameter as the stock.

Do I need to seal a graft?

Yes. The Arizona slides and the Minnesota bulletin both emphasize sealing the cut surfaces with grafting wax or tape. Sealing keeps the wood from drying out and helps the graft stay protected while it joins.

Can I graft all of a large tree at once?

Extension practice suggests not. Heavy pruning for a cleft graft can stress a large tree, so the work is usually spread over the first year and the following years.

Sources

• University of Arizona Extension, “Grafting” slides, https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/attachment/Graftingppt7-01-21.pdf (opened 2026-10-27)
• Alabama Cooperative Extension System, “Grafting methods,” https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/grafting-methods/ (opened 2026-10-27)
• University of Minnesota Extension, Bulletin on grafting fruit trees, https://conservancy.umn.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b40fa58c-0a33-42b1-a4c4-a28b78326610/content (opened 2026-10-27)