Many gardeners think that grafting is a complex manipulation that requires special skills. But even a novice gardener can plant an apple tree. Today I will talk about the methods and rules of this process.
Why is vaccination needed?
This manipulation allows you to increase productivity, rejuvenate the tree, get a crop of different varieties from one apple tree. Grafting also increases resistance to weather changes. The area of the garden is saved, you do not need to take care of individual apple trees in order to get a harvest. Grafted trees bear fruit longer and longer.
It is better to carry out the procedure in early spring, before the start of sap flow. This is the optimal period, in a short time the scion is able to take root, and in case of failure, you can repeat the manipulation in summer or autumn.
I plant plants in April, but you need to proceed from the climate and weather patterns in the region. In the southern regions, the procedure is optimally carried out in March, and in the Urals and Siberia - when the earth warms up enough, a positive temperature will be established even at night.
Instruments and preparation for the procedure
Standard tools: grafting pruner, sharp knife, garden pitch, oil paint, electrical tape, polyethylene, gloves, auxiliary tools, ladder, rope, etc.
The main thing is to pre-treat the tools, the blades can be ignited or wiped with alcohol. Blades should also be cleaned after every use. The stalk that will be grafted must not be placed on the ground, you must act quickly and carefully to prevent infection and cut yourself.
The tree to which the scion will be attached must first be prepared, watered abundantly and loosened the ground.
What cultures can be grafted among themselves?
The best option is to instill related cultures. One variety of apple tree with another. For example, I graft Antonovka to zoned varieties. From one tree, you can get more yield in about 2-4 years.
You can also graft on an apple tree:
- pear;
- plum;
- cherry;
- mountain ash;
- hawthorn;
- irgu, etc.
It is possible to plant a reverse scion, that is, an apple stalk to a pear or cherry, but the harvest rarely appears.
Vaccination methods
Gardeners and breeders have developed many ways to graft plants. I will talk about the ones that I use myself:
Cleavage grafting
I use this method when the seedlings are 3-5 years old. The rootstock, that is, the branch of the tree to which another cutting will be attached, I choose as follows: it should be a skeletal branch. Distance from the ground - no more than 25 cm. I make an incision with an ax or a saw, no more than 10 cm deep, cut off the bark at the scion at the same angle and quickly insert the cutting into the branch, fix it with electrical tape and coat the attachment point with garden pitch. You can also use plasticine.
In a side cut
This is perhaps the easiest way. Only a knife is needed for the operation. You can choose any branch, step back from its base about 20 cm, make a small incision at an angle and insert the cutting, the grafting site is processed in a similar way.
For the bark
I use this option for mature trees to increase their endurance and rejuvenate a little. Such a graft is quite difficult, I always use at least 4 cuttings so that at least one will definitely take root. The difficulty lies in the fact that the cutting will not fit snugly against the bark and it will be more difficult for it to grow into the mother tree. Technically, the procedure looks like this: at a height of a meter from the ground, I expose the wood a little, remove the bark, cut off the cutting at an angle and attach it to the branch. I cover the place of the cut with a film and twine, grease it with pitch.
Read also: Apricot cultivation - rules, planting details and useful care tips
Another related article: Gymnospermous pumpkin: description. My recommendations for growing and further care of the plant
Friends, do not forget to subscribe to the channel and leave a LIKE if the article is useful!
#Apple tree#apple tree grafting in spring#garden