Plant cuttings and grafting

Hello!

I do not claim this as an original idea, but I was asked to share this by a couple of people.

I tried a new lab (new to me anyways) to demonstrate grafting, budding, and air layering with my horticulture students. It turned out really well and the students had a lot of fun.

Here are the supplies you will need:

Plastic knives and spoons

twizzlers (a few different colors is best) (rootstock and scions)

chocolate frosting (spagnum moss/some kind of rooting medium)

large pretzel rods (rootstock for air layering plant)

fruit by the foot (horticultural wrap)

I handed out the supplies to the students and demonstrated/ drew different cuttings on my whiteboard. We did 4 grafts: whip and tongue, cleft, t-bud, and patch bud. Those were done with the twizzlers, frosting, and fruit by the foot.

For air layering I had the students nibble of the outer layer of a section of the pretzel stick and then cover it with frosting and a layer of fruit by the foot.

I don't have anything formally written up for this, but I have included pictures of students working on this and the finished product.