EarthWise: Episode Ten - Grafting 101, How to Graft a Pear Tree

In this episode of EarthWise we learn about how to graft a fruit bearing tree scion onto a non-fruit bearing tree and get results. With the expert advise of Jerald Larson we'll learn how.
For more information: Contact Jerald at 706-825-0217
Pear Tree Pruning Guidelines
By: Jerald Larson, Retired CEA
FVSU Extension Program
East Central Georgia
Supplement to pruning video found on KZbin, Augusta Magazine, Earthwise
1. Keep your tools clean and sharp for easier, cleaner cuts to promote stronger healing.
2. When choosing a hand pruner and lopper, the bipass blade design gives a closer and cleaner cut compared to the anvil blade.
3. Avoid leaving stubs, which heal poorly, by pruning close to the branch collar or bud.
4. Make each cut with less effort, by pushing the tool in all the way.
5. When sawing a branch, always undercut first.
6. Choose and flag the permanent branches, commonly called scaffold branches. Follow a spiral staircase pattern, starting about 36” off the ground and then moving up the truck about every 30”, while moving around the trunk 1/3 of the way, for the 2nd to the 6th scaffolds.
7. Cut back or remove each temporary branch during the first 5 years.
8. Prune each scaffold branch by starting at its terminal shoot and moving down to the right and to the left sides. Growth should be directed out, and up or down, by pruning to a specific shoot or bud.
9. To develop a pyramid tree shape for sun exposure, the lowest scaffold is maintained as the largest, and each succeeding one is kept proportionately smaller.
10. Pear and apple trees should be maintained at 12-15 ft., if possible, by using a pole pruner. Also use a pole picker to facilitate fruit harvesting.
11. Beginning in the first year, use branch spreaders made of dry bamboo, metal or wood, to get an ideal angle of 60 degrees from the trunk.
12. Summer pruning of strong suckers should be done at least during the first 5 years. At the same time do careful pruning for fireblight.
3/2017

[@joyfulparadise]

The explanation of each step was fantastic. Thank you.

[@nccherokee1]

Thank you for the very well presented aid.

[@johanconradie2120]

You may do everything in life slowly, BUT GRAFTING YOU MUST! DO SUPER FAST! ALWAYS

[@bubisav123]

Excellent tutorial Tried it, works perfectly Thanks

[@Sky2theRim]

I today just realized that the Pear tree i bought was grafted. Its a funny story really not too long after i bought it maybe 5 years ago i accidentally dropped a bench on it which caused it to split i was gutted but i got some tape and wrapped it round the cut and hoped for the best and luckily it made it through and somehow healed. that trauma caused the pear tree to off branch close to the bottom of the stem and make a new stem which today i realized after staring at the pear tree that the other stem of the tree was flowering completely different to the other stem which was already in bloom while the newer stem is just about to bloom, on closer inspection they are both differently coloured one is brown and the other more grey. I am pretty chuffed that i now have two pear trees in one growing and look forward to when it finally starts producing fruit and seeing what it makes.

[@Meekseek]

How did it go with your two trees, good?

[@GraftingTactick]

Great grafting techniques, thanks for sharing 👌

[@johnsfarm9366]

Thank you for the video!

[@wendyburston3132]

Great video. Shared it to the plant group I'm in. I planted a pear seed last year, but I now know that it's probably not going to be a pear tree, probably an apple tree from the root stock if I'm understanding how this works. There are people around me with pear trees so I'm going to see if any of them will let me have a branch.

[@vn2680]

Thank you so much for your information

[@user-ls9er4vb6y]

Multumim ,frumos ,este de invatat .RESPECT

[@bluemarlin2004]

Great Job!

[@jozeftyraa6257]

bluemarlin2004 .

[@greenfields5507]

very good indeed

[@MeandYouHello]

wonderful video, I "thumbs up" this video... variety of trees to graft that onto would be good in this video too, also how many grafts per tree, also if different fruits can be grafted to same tree, wonderful info

[@Mrbfgray]

Good info. Subbed!

[@shofarmvt]

This is an incredibly informative video. Thank you!! I have a few questions: clearly you are grafting after the host tree has leafed out. Is this the optimal time for grafting? How late in the season can one successfully graft? Do you use the same method for apple grafting? --ie after leaf-out, using wet paper towels, bagging...thanks.

[@hevesat1920]

optimal grafting time for any kind of tree is the time just before blooming and budding of the tree which you take the scion wood from. you know blooming time depends on type and variety right? more important thing is the scion wood not the host tree. host tree can be leafed out but scion wood cant. this is what i know. hope this helps.

[@Meekseek]

I would of preferred you played the music at a lower volume, it detracted the man speaking Thanks to him for his instruction.

[@spitama764]

good method. Thanks.

[@fatimemyftari6840]

.

[@statom985]

No other grafting videos talk about spraying, paper towels, or bagging the grafts. Is it because Georgia is so hot? same question, no answer till today

[@richardsmith1289]

Can balsam/spruce pitch be used to seal the open wound?

[@nonamenoname1176]

will the engagement grow somewhat horizontally also? how do i graft a branch to grow horizontally? I do not know anything about trees and ruined a beautiful ornamental pear by pruning too aggressively - pruned off a main bottom branch. please advise. Thank You! : )

[@johanconradie2120]

Graft with a drill bit HORIZONTALLY

[@tchiang3491]

Excellent job! Where did you get this rubber strips? Thanks.

[@ladychroe]

I believe he said it was an inner tube from a bike tire.

[@KashmirMovieProduction]

Nice

[@scottpi729]

No other grafting videos talk about spraying, paper towels, or bagging the grafts. Is it because Georgia is so hot?

[@paulinaowiredu6932]

wow very cool

[@axelbruce1926]

Is your knife a Freunde 217? Very informative video.

[@nccherokee1]

Can one graft a Keffer pear to a Bradfort Pear with success? Thanks

[@moalikalif]

Absolutely. Grafted 3 different pears into the same stock .. it's amazing

[@albrown1388]

Nice video but the music is very distracting and the information display is not ledgable.

[@msheart2]

I agree with you 100% Al Brown.

[@MarkZeds]

How big of a scion can you use to graft to a non-fruit bearing tree? Or it has to be the most 4 buds.

[@dashtishahab6208]

Hi can i graft a pear or khaki on an apple tree? If none of them is ok, which fruit do you prefer to graft on an apple tree?

[@Jay-tk7ib]

No. Why would you even want to do that? You can only graft an apple onto an apple tree.

[@levoochka]

When you will cut of one of the stems? Thanks

[@GEORGEENE1970]

Yep

[@andrewx7806]

I have two Comice pear trees on a root stalk that is probably a summer pear. The Comice pears are a winter pear, and they come out in August and don't ripen. So I'm trying to get them to ripen by putting them in the refrigerator. Anybody else here growing Comice pears?

[@aoiahiru670]

"And now it's ready to tie off with a rubber." :-D

[@gary24752]

Do you think it would be possible to bark graft a crimson maple tree?

[@johanconradie2120]

Yes

[@Thomasleejr1971]

Does it matter what month you graft in.

[@thesetruths1404]

May I graft an apple branch into a cottonwood tree?

[@prabanchakmaamitabhomankoo2102]

Nice one how about using clay is it possible..

[@RadioRoxx.FM_90.1FM]

5:50 to maximise your time management

[@HealthSupercharger]

what if i can't get my cuttings in january can i get the cuttings from a tree which is growing with new buds in april?

[@amarchandmalpani8602]

HealthSupercharger wvc

[@amarchandmalpani8602]

HealthSupercharger wvc

[@Jay-tk7ib]

Cut the scions (graft wood) when it is dormant, 3-4 weeks before grafting time, and keep them in fridge. Don't wait for them to bud.

[@bradspaugh9827]

Grafting tape could save someone from having to do the wet bag trick.

[@EdnaSabile95]

So best to graft is Spring time?

[@Jay-tk7ib]

Whenever the buds are just starting to swell, or even slightly before. This is usually early spring, but climates are different, so go by bud swell.

[@AlekseyCamodelkin]

🌳👍

[@ronswartz1176]

I want to keep a 100 year old pear tree which is dying to grow a new tree from it. I don't have another pear tree for a root stock. How do I get a root stock. If I have to grow a root stock. can I just plant the pear seeds from that tree to grow a new tree?

[@statom985]

try your local tree school store or buy one over the internet and graft the one you need

[@Jay-tk7ib]

Ron Swartz, yes, you can plant a seed for your root stock. The seed will have to be stratified (go through a cold period) before it will grow. You can do this in a sealed bag with moist potting soil, in the fridge for about 3 months, or you can simply plant the seed in the ground where you want it to grow. Plant it in late fall/early winter. You can save time by ordering root stock.

[@user-ib3cy5rm7n]

which month grafted lemon or orange

[@alat-102]

During all summer untillc early octomber- it depends on geografic location and climatic conditions.

[@user-ls9er4vb6y]

Buna idee ,cred ca este camera de bicicleta .

[@1lupus]

Why the music? Seriously why?

[@stoner2439]

Music is super distracting and if i wanted to read about it I wouldn't be looking on KZbin :(

[@user-qo5mm6jf7p]

very very good tanks like

[@ahmadnahla340]

can take a tree that is watered a lot and be planted in sand and remove it from its place on the condition that you keep long walls and you can turn it into a hole in a suitable place and for a suitable time and go down to the walls except for the bottom and be a tree standing in to move in order to land a lot and put sand and paddle well, so instead of you you will not water much you will only need For a little water, just greetings, but Omar Al-Qurashi

[@ISHTIYAQ-AHMAD]

hi

[@shinypeople6337]

I never see any body using rubber for grafting before I guess as long as it works.

[@rosemcommm]

So what kind of tree did he graft over?

[@AugustaMagazine]

+Mike Rose It was a traditional Bradford Pear tree.

[@joaquimsantosbandeira5899]

Mike Rose

[@aymenbtani1587]

معاك ياغ

[@camilrochefort6713]

Augusta Magazine y

[@camilrochefort6713]

Aymen Btani frençais

[@tohopes]

I like the music.. what is it?

[@JoysofNature]

me too .please tell me its name

[@rayrocha752]

Parrot park

[@samp1394]

What is it for is what I want to know ??

[@Meekseek]

@@rayrocha752 Lol yes I think it is parrot park.

[@vangjelfrroku9895]

THE BEST GRAZIE

[@nancychaney2634]

The music distracts your instructions!

[@edwardpadilla7543]

Nice job. The music is not that distracting. People are funny.

[@msheart2]

People have different hearing capabilities, that’s not funny, it’s fact.

[@user-eo2li3gx1p]

Не, без изоленты толку не будет... ))

[@REALDADD]

cut the music!! no good.

[@joebajio3035]

Very dull blade

[@bonsummers2657]

gadness gracious….

[@grivasedan9665]

f

[@AngelCruz-bs1wd]

I love this video

[@Elocan35]

Komiksin

[@victoriapaloka9752]

Hi ! can I graft fruit trees on a weed 🌲?

[@msheart2]

Really?

[@Meekseek]

@@msheart2 graft on a weed... 🤣

[@joepiet]

Could hardly hear the narration. And then the music made it unlistenable

[@andychapman6397]

you talk far too quick slow down a little for us older ones i tried to read the subtitle but they disapear before i finished reading so very annoying

[@roghoff1959]

What is the reason for the music? You might as well have somebody jumping around in the background to distract people from your teaching.

[@YuriyKhovansky]

Thousands of lifetime projects with woodglut plans.

[@mariobasic477]

Leave this job right now!

[@user-ee4yg2rc2r]

Що се мъчиш.Прави нещо дето ти иде отвътре.

[@hbgb4792]

Nice