How to Grow Peach Trees From Buds

Overview

The peach tree is a deciduous plant that produces a delicious fruit when matured. The fruit has a yellowish or white inner flesh that is sweet. Producing new peach trees in an orchard is a problem. Many peach varieties do not produce seed that grows a new peach tree. An asexual method of propagation called budding is required to produce a new tree. Rootstock is required for the procedure, which is available at many nurseries and specialist gardening centers.

Step 1

Cut an 8-inch to 12-inch length of current growth from the cultivar being propagated during vigorous growth. Remove the leaves, but leave a 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch petiole on the stem, suggests the University of Kentucky Extension.

Step 2

Wrap the bud stick in a damp paper towel and place into a plastic bag for storage up to three to five days. Place the bag in a refrigerator cooled to 40 to 45 degrees to keep the bud stick fresh.

Step 3

Remove any shoots from the lowest 6 inches of the rootstock trunk during the early summer to create a smooth surface to graft on, recommends the University of Missouri Extension.

Step 4

Make a cut 1/2 to 3/4 inches below the bud and slice upward, cutting thinly below the bud to release it from the branch. It should be straight, with a shield-like appearance.

Step 5

Slice vertically on the rootstock about 1 1/2 inches long, and make a second cut along the top to make a T-cut shape. Cut through the bark and not the wood.

Step 6

Gently lift the bark at the T-cut junction. Insert the bud into the vertical slit in the bark, trying not to break it.

Step 7

Wrap the bark with budding rubber to keep the bud in place. Check the bud in a week to 10 days to see if it has taken to the graft. If it is dry, it has failed. Remove the budding rubber once the graft is taken.