Shield budding

Shield budding, also known as T-budding, is a technique of grafting to change varieties of fruit trees.

[citation needed] Fruit tree budding is done when the bark "slips," i.e. the cambium is moist and actively growing.

Rootstocks are young trees, either seedlings as Mazzard cherries for many cherry varieties, or clonal rootstocks (usually propagated by layering) when one wants highly consistent plants with well defined characteristics.

[citation needed] T-budding is the most common style, whereby a T-shaped slit is made in the stock plant, and the knife is flexed from side to side in the lower slit to loosen up the bark.

Scion wood is selected from the chosen variety, as young, actively growing shoots.