Good afternoon, my reader. Copulation is one of the most widespread and simplest grafting methods using a graft. How to do it correctly so as not to harm the plant and get a good harvest from it in the future?
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Copulation - this is a variant of grafting young trees or shrubs by combining rootstock and scion equal thickness, which can range from 25 to 50 mm.
On both branches that are involved in the grafting, oblique incisions are made at an angle of 30 degrees. Their connection occurs in such a way that the cambial layers coincide. Then the vaccination area is wrapped with a special or improvised material (twine, polyethylene). All operations must be performed carefully, trying not to displace the stock and scion, otherwise the branches may not grow together.
Benefits of this method:
- even a gardener without experience copes easily;
- cuttings grow together quickly;
- suitable for use on various fruit trees and shrubs (apple, pear, plum, cherry plum, cherry, grape, etc.).
Copulation has one disadvantage - the branches must be of the same thickness. Sometimes this condition is difficult to fulfill.
Best time to copulate
It is recommended to carry out copulation in March - April, before the awakening of the kidneys. You can graft plants in this way until June, but provided that the grafting cuttings were stored in a cool place at a temperature of minus 1 to minus 3 degrees. And in this case, the survival rate of cuttings is much lower than when copulating in the spring.
Types of copulation
Copulation is divided into simple and improved.
In the first case, cuttings are connected in equal-sized slices and the grafting zone is wrapped with tape, polyethylene or other suitable material. But sometimes the branches grow together poorly.
Experienced gardeners use improved copulation: a small split is made on the cuttings cuts, which allows the scion and stock to dock more tightly. This type of copulation is also used when the diameter of the cuttings is different.
Simple copulation step by step:
- The stock is being prepared. Choose a branch with a smooth and healthy surface and wipe it down with a damp cloth. On it with a sharp tool, a cut is made towards yourself at an angle of 30 degrees.
- A branch of a plant with 2-4 buds is taken as a scion. After 1 cm down from the lowest kidney, a cut similar to the stock is made. And 2 cm higher from the 2nd or 3rd bud, the stalk is cut exactly.
- Both cuttings are combined into one branch.
- A strip 7-10 cm wide is cut from polyethylene or other material. She needs to tighten the inoculation area very tightly. This is done very carefully so that the cuttings do not shift.
- The upper cut on the handle is processed with garden varnish.
With correct and successful copulation, the buds should germinate in about two weeks.
Improved copulation step by step:
- The stock and the scion are prepared in the same way as in the previous copulation version. But on both branches it is necessary to make longitudinal cuts with a depth of at least 10 mm.
- The prepared cuttings are connected by interlocking with each other with the resulting "tongues".
- The inoculation zone is tightly wrapped with a strip of material and coated with a special varnish, as in simple copulation.
- For buds to bloom, it is important that the moisture around them is increased. To obtain such conditions, 7-10 days after the vaccination, a polyethylene bag should be put on the stalk and tightly tied below the vaccination zone.
On a note! The harness should not be removed after the leaves appear. It needs to be held for another couple of months.
Young growth that appears below the vaccination zone must be removed.
Do you use copulation when planting trees?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read about raspberry cuttings in the following article:How to get new raspberry seedlings without costs using cuttings