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Q: What is an air-layered plant?

A: Air-layering is a method of vegetative (or asexual) propagation woody ornamentals and fruit trees, when branches, while still attached to the parent plant, start producing roots where they come in contact with a rooting medium. Minimized water stress and stable nutrient levels make this method successful. Air-layering is used when grafting is not possible for a number of reasons.

Benefits of the air-layering:

• - making a clone of the parent plant ensures the same cultivar, since most fruit trees will not come true to seed
• - taking a branch from a mature plant reduces time to flowering and fruiting (from 10-12 years for a seedling to 2-3 years or less for the air-layered plant)
• - creates larger plant much faster unlike when growing from cuttings

Q: What is a grafted plant?

A: Grafting is a method of vegetative (or asexual) propagation where a piece of one plant (scion) selected for its flowers or fruit and containing the desired genes to be duplicated is inserted into a piece of another plant (rootstock), with a strong vigorous root system, usually a seedling.

Benefits of the graft:

• - making a clone of the parent plant ensures the same cultivar, since most fruit trees will not come true to seed
• - taking a scion from a mature plant reduces time to flowering and fruiting (from 10-12 years for a seedling to 2-3 years or less for a grafted plant)
• - introducing dwarfing, hardiness, disease and pest resistance.
• - easier propagation method when other means like cutting or seed is not successful