Grafting: stock and scion
Joining a bud or a shoot of one plant to another plant — of the same species or of a related species, in such a way that a tissue connection is made — is called grafting.
The two plant parts joined in grafting must belong to the same species or to two related species. They are named as follows.
1. Stock
The plant part connected to the soil is called the stock. A stock should have these characteristics:
- bearing a strong root system;
- having uniform growth;
- withstanding diseases and environmental changes.
2. Scion
The bud or shoot taken from another plant and grafted onto the stock is called the scion. A scion should have these characteristics:
- being a variety with good characteristics;
- being free of pests and diseases.
What happens when plants are grafted is that the cambium tissue of the stock and that of the scion connect to one another.
Why only some plants can be grafted
Grafting works through the cambium, so it can be done only to plants that have cambium tissue — that is, only to dicotyledonous plants. No amount of skill will graft a coconut or a banana.
Best of both plants
Read the two lists above together and the point of grafting appears. The stock is chosen for what happens below ground — roots, hardiness, disease resistance. The scion is chosen for what happens above it — the fruit you actually want. One plant then does both.
Grafting is done by two main methods: bud grafting and scion grafting.