Grafting

Grafting, in horticulture, uniting of 2 closely related varieties of plants so that they grow as one. The stem or bud of the plant to be grafted (the scion) is attached to the stem or roots of the other (the stock or rootstock). The result is known as a hybrid. Grafting is used to increase productivity, to create seedless fruits, to breed disease- and pest-resistant stock, and to grow plants in unfamiliar environments by using stock compatible to that environment.