Method for grafting rootstock using improved grafting film

A grafting film comprising:

• a film of a polyalkylene polymer having a thickness of less than about 60 .mu.m, a self-adhesive property and an elastic memory which causes the film when stretched around a scion and rootstock graft union to gradually contract around the graft union and apply an increasing amount of pressure circumferentially around the graft union, the film having at least 12% oxygen permeability and less than 3% CO.sub.2 retention which cause a gas volume isolated by the film adjacent the graft union to have a higher CO.sub.2 concentration and a lower oxygen concentration relative to an ambient environment.

A plant formed by grafting a scion to a rootstock in which the scion and rootstock are joined together to form a graft union by stretching a film of a polyalkylene polymer having a self-adhesive property and an elastic memory around the graft union, the elastic memory causing the film to gradually contract around the graft union and apply an increasing amount of pressure circumferentially around the graft union, the film having oxygen and CO.sub.2 permeability properties which cause a gas volume isolated by the film adjacent the graft union to have a higher CO.sub.2 concentration and a lower oxygen concentration relative to an ambient environment.