Grafting and budding are horticultural techniques used to propagate cultivars which are
more vigorous when grown on another plant. They involve using either the t-budding or wedge grafting method to join parts from 2 plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. In grafting, the upper part (scion) of one plant grows on the root system (rootstock) of another plant. In the budding process, a bud is taken from one plant and grown on another.
There seems to be a lot of confusion with these terms as Guyanese use them loosely and interchangeably, as well as misuse them.
Recently, there have been many advertisements for sale of plants that are referred
to as “grafted coconut trees,” “grafted pawpaw,” “grafted golden apple,” and “grafted
sapodilla” among others.
We are only one month into the year and I have had more than 100 enquiries for some of the abovementioned ‘grafted’ fruit trees, although I did not advertise any of them – this is no joke!
I have also watched speechlessly as sellers pass off standard fruit trees as ‘grafted,’ for a large sum.
Here is what you need to know:
As regards coconut trees, there are basically three types grown in Guyana. None are grafted.
The five-year trees are large trees bearing in five years. The three-year trees are medium trees bearing in three years. The 18-month trees are small to medium trees bearing in 18 months. This last tree was introduced to Guyana approximately 20 years ago and I first saw it grown at Land of Canaan at a private residence.
The pawpaw tree also has three types – the West Indian variety, the standard and a hybrid.
In the case of the golden apple, there is a dwarf variety which bears within six months and the standard which bears within five years.
With regard to the sapodilla there is only a standard tree.
(Continued next week.)
Until next week, happy gardening.
