Whitney’s Grafting
Professional Grafting Services
Contact Us
We’re located in the traditional apple-growing area of Cowiche, Washington, but we graft trees anywhere.
Contact us about grafting your apples, pears, pecans or cherries!
Call Dan at (509) 930-1420 or send an e-mail to WhitneysGrafting@gmail.com
Bench Grafting
Bench Grafts Done Right
Bench Grafts, also called “whip grafts”, are a favorite at Whitney’s Grafting. There is nothing magical about making great bench grafts if you start with top quality rootstock, combine them with properly stored scion wood (the stick that is grafted on), then have them grafted together by a skilled tradesman and sealed with our own special hot wax — always kept at the perfect temperature to prevent harm to any buds or cambium.
Top Quality Supplies for the Job
Most of the rootstock comes from suppliers such as Treco or Copenhaven Farms, who specialize in growing top quality roots that are perfect for grafting. The customer can purchase them and have them delivered to our facility or, for an additional fee, we will try to find and negotiate the purchase for our customer. Whenever possible, rootstock should be shipped to our facility well ahead of schedule, so when the time is right we can graft them without delay. We are able to graft inside our work room in any kind of weather, and typically operate from January through March.
The Process in Pictures
When all of the materials have been gathered together (scion, rootstock, wax and people), our team begins work, assembling up to 25,000 grafts each day.
 | Preparing scion wood for grafting |
First, we make matching cuts on both the scion and the rootstock, and then notch them so they will fit together with the most cambium contact possible, as this improves the strength and success potential of the graft.
 | Scion being notched |
After they are assembled, they should look like one single stick. The sign of a great graft is when you cannot tell where the rootstock ends and the scion begins.
 | Scion and rootstock assembled and ready for taping |
We use grafting tape to hold them together so they can heal.
 | Wrapped grafts |
Next, we dip the grafts into hot wax, to seal them, and protect the scion from loss of moisture and viability.
 | Grafts after being dipped in wax |
Now, all that’s left is to bundle the grafts so they are ready to go to the customer.
 | Bundled grafts, ready to grow |
Field Grafting
Experience Matters
Whitney’s Grafting is the best source for grafts of all kinds. We’ve been doing it since 1948 and do millions of grafts a year. Our experience and our knowledge of grafting make us the best choice in the field.
We specialize in apples and pears but also do cherries and pecans.
New Field Grafts |
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Our wax eliminates all air holes |
Having fun in the field! |
Limb grafting |
Rooted in Family Tradition
Dad took a class after World War II while he was working for an orchardist in Naches, Washington. Soon after that, he was presented the challenge of grafting his employer’s orchard. And it worked. That was in 1948. We’ve been grafting apples and other fruits ever since.
I grew up grafting. I can’t recall a time in my life when I wasn’t. I took over the business from Dad in 1983 and our crew has grown from 3 people to over 40.
Field Grafts Doing Their Thing |
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Cherry bark grafts |
Will be producing apples in two years |
Like it’s supposed to be |
The result in 3 years |
So what’s an old grafter from Washington doing grafting pecans in Georgia?
The phone call asked if we grafted “P-Cans” and I said no. But the voice on the other end persisted and said that he really needed grafters to graft his pecans. To make a long story short, we now go to Georgia every year and graft pecans, and look forward to doing it.
Pecans require different temperatures for callusing than most other plants. Callusing is what happens when the scion (or graft) knits together with the stock. The window of time for grafting pecans is pretty short. It works out perfectly for grafters from Washington state, because their season begins before ours, and we’re back to begin our season right after.
Pecan Nursery Grafting |
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Pecan whip grafting |
One year old pecan whip graft |
Family Grafting Since 1948
Keeping it in the Family
Whitney’s Grafting, a family business located near Yakima in Washington State, has been in the business of orchard grafting since 1948. Able to handle both large and small orders, we literally do hundreds of thousands of bench grafts in our facility each year as well as hundreds of thousands of field grafts in clients’ orchards. Experience is a major factor to consider when choosing who to do your grafting, and Whitney’s Grafting has proven experience and success for over half a century.
Generations of Experience |
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The new Whitney farm in 1956 |
Dan on their “new” tractor in 1966 |
Loading boxes of apples in 1963 |
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Dan Whitney on their 1936 tractor in 1963 |
Dan on that same tractor today |
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