If growth of new graft is satisfactory, do not fertilize the plant during the first year. There is danger that top growth will be very brittle and it could fail to harden off before the first frost. Cambium layers do not need to be aligned. Bud grafting is done from early July through early August. Budwood is collected from healthy branches that grew since spring.
Young trees offer good budwood because they produce a large amounts of new growth.
Use buds from the middle section of the branch. The bud is cut from the branch and inserted into a T-shaped slice made in the bark of the understock. Budding should only be done when the bark slips easily away from the tree. The bud is held in place with special tape or wrap. Each plant cell has the potential to grow into a new plant exactly like the parent.