Some tips for a successful camellia graft

A successful camellia grafting starts with a healthy understock, said Max McKinney, vice president of the Southeast Alabama Camellia Society. The understock is that portion of the plant that furnishes the root and can come from any variety of camellia as long as it’s in the same family as the scion. An understock that measures 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter is a desirable size, according to the American Camellia Society.

The scion should be a mature, current season’s growth cut from the variety you wish to propagate. It should 1 to 3 inches long with one or more buds and three or more leaves. The best time to graft is late winter or early spring. Here is a technique known as cleft grafting as described by the American Camellia Society:

- Cut the potted understock about 5 inches above the soil, using sharp shears or a saw. You’ll notice the green circular cambium layer just beneath the bark. Do not use loppers that squeeze the plant and could damage the cambium layer. Make an angled cut and trim smooth with a sharp knife. Make a 2-inch vertical cut from the top of the understock.

- The scion should be cut into a wedge at its base. It, too, will have a cambium layer. Scions can be soaked in a fungicide and water mixture up to 30 minutes to protect them from fungus.

- Using a screwdriver to hold open the vertical slit in the understock, insert the scion into the understock making sure to line up the cambium layers of both so that the layers are in contact and match.

- You can secure the graft with a rubber band or waterproof string until “callusing” occurs. Cover the graft with a glass jar, milk jug or other container to keep humidity high around the graft. Clear containers may require a paper bag as additional protection. McKinney uses builder’s sand to cover the soil in the pot and seal his grafts. McKinney also sets aside a small amount of fungicide and water to pour over the sand.

- Callusing — or the merging of the scion and understock — should begin in a few weeks and be firm in two months. The container can be removed gradually once the callusing is firm. For example, switch out the cover with a container that has a lid. McKinney cuts the bottom out, places it over the graft and unscrews the lid so it sits loosely over the graft. The cover should be returned if wilting begins. Shade may need to be provided.

- Grafts can grow 15 to 30 inches the first season. The American Camellia Society recommends light fertilizing with a liquid solution or not at all in the first year.