How To Graft Chestnut Trees

Grafting is the cultivation practice of surgically combining the root system of one plant with the branch of another to create a better overall plant known as a hybrid. Chestnuts are a unique variety of nut tree, in that their trunks are grafted onto a nut after it begins germinating. When grafting plants, razor-sharp sanitized tools are vital for success, as these tools prevent diseases and damage in the grafted plants.

Step 1

Obtain freshly fallen chestnuts from the ground and place them in a plastic zipper bag with moist peat moss. Store them in the refigorator for 3 months to encourage germination.

Step 2

Once roots form, gather budwood from the desired variety of chestnut tree. Budwood is simply a piece of a small branch, less than 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches long. The budwood should be from a tree that is less than 5 years old, healthy and a good producer. Check that the budwood has at least one leaf bud; ideally, it should contain two or three.

Step 3

Clean and sanitize the grafting knife with an alcohol pad and cut the bottom end of the budwood so that its end forms a pie-shaped point roughly 1/2 inch in length.

Step 4

Resanitize the knife and cut an incision into the top of a chestnut that is roughly the length of the cut end of the budwood.

Step 5

Slowly and gently push the budwood into the chestnut until the entire point is inside the nut.

Step 6

Wrap the grafted area with grafting tape to hold it in place and lock in moisture. Then wrap the entire tree in a plastic sandwich bag with holes poked in it for aeration.

Step 7

Place the grafted nuts in a heated glass frame with 5 parts moist peat moss to 2 parts vermiculite to encourage rooting. Keep the graft at a consistent 75 degrees F for 5 to 6 weeks.

Step 8

Once firm roots are growing from the nuts, remove them from the frame, unwrap the plastic and transplant them into small planting pots with potting soil.

Step 9

Care for the plants in a warm, well-lit area until leaves form on the graft, then transplant the trees outdoors. Water the new trees twice a week for the first 2 months, at which time the new tree should be established. After that, water the plant whenever the ground is dry at 2 inches from the surface.