Wort des Tages
5 May 2026
tongue grafting
nounLandtechnik
A technique that joins a scion to a rootstock by making matching long diagonal cuts and interlocking "tongue" cuts, maximizing cambium contact for a strong union.
Warum dieses Wort
Known in nurseries as the whip and tongue: the interlocking cuts hold the pieces in register while you wrap them, so the wood is not relying on the tie alone. Carpenters use the same trick in a scarf joint.
In use
Stock's about pencil thick, so tongue grafting is the way to go; I'll cut and tie the whole row this morning.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.