A good orchard is the pride of any owner of a personal plot or cottage. Some even own rare and very good varieties.
However, like all living things, trees also age and die. Therefore, if you want to give the variety a second life, you can graft it onto a young tree.
If you follow a certain technology, grafting fruit trees is not as difficult as it seems. Of course, there is no guarantee that everything will work out the first time; this requires practice and some skill.
We will talk about the main points of this process and try to explain the technology in an accessible way.
Why is vaccination needed?
Grafting is a form of vegetative propagation in which the plant variety that is grafted is identical to the maternal one.
The rootstock - the shoot onto which it is grafted - is needed so that the grafted plant receives nutrition from the soil through the root system.
First results of work
Vaccination is carried out to achieve various goals:
- for growing healthy and strong specimens;
- to adapt the species to the characteristics of the soil;
- to give a certain shape to the crown and branches;
- for growing several varietal varieties on one tree;
- to replace a variety with low quality with a variety;
- to update the variety;
- to set certain characteristics of the variety;
- when it is impossible to reproduce the species by other means.
When the rootstock and scion grow together, the metabolic processes in the shoots of both change. In this case, the rootstock influences the scion to a greater extent due to the fact that it ensures the supply of water and nutrients to the tissues of the entire plant.
The appearance of the crown and the plant as a whole depends more on the characteristics of the scion.
The scion and rootstock are selected in such a way as to maximize the positive characteristics of both plants and minimize their negative qualities.
To be sure of a positive grafting result, you need to know about the family relationships between the rootstock and the grafted variety.
Compatibility of fruit trees for grafting
Before grafting, you need to choose trees that can be combined with each other, because this is one of the main rules for successful establishment. Stone fruits can only survive on stone rootstocks, and pome trees can only survive on pome trees. Don't expect a pear to grow on a cherry. And a pear is easily grafted onto a quince.
Also, only young trees no older than 15 years old are used for grafting. The younger the tree, the better it will accept the graft. In addition, you cannot graft early-ripening varieties with late-ripening ones.
A scion is a shoot or bud from a varietal tree that is grafted onto the rootstock for the purpose of propagating the variety.
A rootstock is a seedling or old tree that serves as a root shoot. Wild tree species or special trees with certain capabilities are often used for it (short stature, disease resistance, powerful root system, resistance to stressful growing conditions, etc.).
Compatibility table for fruit trees for grafting
| Scion | Rootstock |
| Apple tree | Apple, mountain ash, Chinese, clonal rootstocks - A2, MM 106, 5-25-3, 54-118, M9, 62-396 |
| Pear | Apple, pear, rowan, wild and Ussuri pear, quince, chokeberry, hawthorn, serviceberry |
| Cherry | Cherry, wild cherry, antipka, cerapadus |
| Cherries | Wild cherry, antipka |
| Peach | Cherry plum, plum, felt cherry, apricot, sloe, almond |
| Apricot | Apricot, cherry plum, wild plum, zherdela, sloe, sand cherry and felt cherry |
| Plum | Cherry plum, wild plum, damson, sloe, felt cherry, apricot, rootstocks - SVG-11-19, VVA-1 |
| Cherry plum | Plum, sloe |
| Grape | Actinidia |
What is tree grading?
Coloring woody plants is one of the most common methods of grafting among both professional gardeners and amateurs. The procedure involves selecting a single bud (in common parlance, an eye) as a rootstock and grafting it onto a varietal or wild plant.
Coloring is carried out in the spring, when the buds begin to develop and grow, or in the summer, when the growth process is at its maximum activity. In the spring, last year's buds are grafted, which are separated from the cuttings harvested last fall and winter. This bud germinates in the same season when the graft was given.
Stages of vaccination
Coloring can also be done in the summer. In this case, the bud that has grown in the current season is cut from the tree on which it will subsequently be grafted. It will only begin to develop next year.
Kidney vaccination has many positive aspects:
- minimal trauma to the rootstock;
- the need for a minimum amount of grafting materials;
- short duration of the vaccination procedure;
- the possibility of re-coloring after the first unsuccessful attempt on the same rootstock.
To color a tree with confidence in a positive result, several conditions must be met:
- The rootstock must have young, elastic bark so that it can be easily cut with a sharp knife.
- The buds that are supposed to be grafted must be fully mature and sufficiently developed.
- The rootstock shoot should not exceed 15 mm in diameter.
- The rootstock should have even, smooth internodes.
These points will help make the coloring process easier to understand.
Expert opinion
Yulia Yurievna
I have a large garden and vegetable garden, several greenhouses. I love modern methods of cultivating plants and mulching the soil, and I share my experience.
Ask a Question
Tree coloring can be done throughout the season. But plants tolerate the described procedure best in the spring. We would like to note that more precise timing depends on the specific culture. When using cuttings, it is better to plant apple trees in March or April. If budding or eye grafting is carried out, the dates are postponed to the end of April or the first days of May. For heat-loving apricots, the best time is early May. It is better to graft the pear before the buds open if the bark method is chosen. Using other methods, it is better to shift the time of the procedure to mid-spring. It is better to carry out all work with cherries when the tree has entered the phase of active movement of juices. This crop tolerates summer vaccinations well. The same applies to cherries. It is better to plant plums at the very beginning of spring. There is an opinion that it is possible to work with these trees in warm regions even at the end of winter. Peaches can be grafted from mid-March, but it is recommended to insulate the joint. You can use film or several layers of agrofibre. When it gets warmer, you can change the material to paper. Cuttings for grafting can be prepared in the fall or cut immediately before the procedure. The main thing is that they are at rest, the kidneys must “sleep”. The process of fusion between the scion and rootstock takes time. During this period, the grafted cutting feeds only from internal reserves, because it cannot directly use the root system. If it is in the active development phase, there is a high probability that the scion will become exhausted and die before the rootstock can provide it with moisture and nutrients. If all procedures are carried out correctly, within two or three years the first fruits should appear on the grafted cuttings.
Preparation of cuttings for spring and summer grafting
For spring grafting, cuttings of cherries, cherries, plums, pears and cherry plums are harvested in late autumn or early winter. This is done because the annual growth of these trees may be damaged by winter frosts. Apple tree cuttings can be harvested throughout the winter, but less winter-hardy varieties should be cut before the onset of severe frosts, during the period of mass pruning of fruit trees.
Cuttings for grafting must be healthy, without signs of damage by pests or diseases, have at least 6 buds, a length of at least 40 cm and a lower cut thickness of 7 mm. The grafting material is prepared with a reserve - 2-3 cuttings per rootstock.
The scions are tied into bundles, signed if necessary and stored in storage at a temperature of 0...+1°C and air humidity of 94-96%. Also, cuttings can be stored under a thick layer of snow, strewn with a 20-centimeter layer of sawdust.
For summer budding, annual branches with slight woodiness and a crunching sound when bent are cut off. The length of the shoot should be at least 30 cm, and the diameter of the lower part should be 5-6 mm. The scions are cut with pruning shears in the morning on the day of vaccination. When cutting, you need to leave 3-4 buds on the tree.
The branches are transferred to the shade and there the leaves are removed from them, leaving petioles up to 1 cm long. The cuttings are delivered to the budding site in a damp burlap. For grafting, healthy buds are used, which are located in the middle of the cutting. During grafting, cuttings that have not yet been used are stored in a bucket of water with a layer of 3-5 cm, covered with a damp cloth.
Types of coloring
Grafting using cuttings
Kidney vaccination has its own variations.
When grafting, the top layer of bark is cut off at the internode and the grafted bud is replaced with the same piece of bark - the heel.
Before grafting, the rootstock must be cleaned of dust and dirt with a damp soft cloth. After applying the scion, the shoot of the rootstock with the attached bud must be tightly wrapped with tape.
If several varieties are grafted at the same time, it is recommended to prepare signs with their names and attach them next to the grafted buds. This will make it easier to remember the names of the grafted varieties.
After the bud has completely fused with the shoot of the rootstock, the stem that grew from it is cut off.
Coloring with a shield into a T-shaped cutout is carried out by grinding the shield of the scion to the cambium layer of the rootstock.
If the vaccination procedure was carried out in the spring, after two weeks you will be able to see the fruits of your labor if the result is successful. The grown shoot should easily separate from the rootstock trunk.
Expert opinion
Yulia Yurievna
I have a large garden and vegetable garden, several greenhouses. I love modern methods of cultivating plants and mulching the soil, and I share my experience.
Ask a Question
How to choose a scion
Spraying fruit trees in spring before and after flowering
The scion should be selected so that it corresponds to such varietal qualities as yield, frost resistance, and disease resistance.
The best cuttings
Experienced gardeners advise using varieties that correspond to the growing regions as a scion. You can make the scion yourself.
Comments (8)
Sonya
06.11.2017 at 04:48 |
It's not difficult at all. My husband and I did budding in the first half of August. We started with plum trees, and only then pear and apple trees. Everything was always successful, we did everything according to the gardening book.Answer
Igor
11/18/2017 at 00:53 |
By grafting onto one tree, you can graft several varieties. Of course, it would be better if apple trees were grafted onto apple trees, and plums onto plums. In order not to waste a year, it is better to graft a bud in the spring.
Answer
Mokina Sveta
12/20/2017 at 02:23 pm |
My grandfather made several grafts on one tree and the result was unusual. There is one apple tree, and on it there are several varieties of apples. Although this is, of course, exotic) There is no point in this. Besides learning the unknown, of course...
Answer
Yulia Expert Plodogorod
05/24/2019 at 15:29 |
Hello, Mokina Sveta! Grafting several varieties onto one base plant is often used. But, in this case, it is recommended that the ripening periods of all grafted varieties coincide. And active and correct care of the plant is required to compensate for the increased load due to wounds.
Often, a similar technique of grafting several varieties is used if there is little space in the garden. In such circumstances, you can also plant dwarf trees. They can be planted much denser than tall or even medium-sized trees. And besides, most modern dwarf varieties are very productive and have a decorative appearance.
Answer
Nika
11/20/2018 at 00:21 |
It’s good when there is someone nearby who can help and tell you how it’s done, but for those who don’t have such a person nearby, now you can find out everything thanks to such sites, however, despite the fact that everything is clear, it’s scary to vaccinate yourself tree.
Answer
Yulia Expert Plodogorod
05/24/2019 at 15:47 |
Hello Nika! Of course, any experiment is a little scary when there is no experience. But there is no shortage of information, so if something is not clear, you can watch a training video. In addition, it is important to properly care for the plant after the procedure.
It is very important to monitor the condition of the tree and see if any pests, such as aphids, have appeared in the place where the cut was made. Since the plant is vulnerable during this period, it is necessary to begin the fight against harmful insects immediately.
If branches begin to appear below the place where the graft was made, it is better to remove them. A tree that has undergone the described procedure must be watered and fertilized. After all, it must have the strength to cope with the additional load.
If the wound opens and looks wet, then it makes sense to use garden varnish or another product to treat the affected area again.
How well everything turns out depends largely on experience. Therefore, for the first time it may be worth using not too valuable specimens. Everything needs to be done quickly and accurately. In addition, instruments must be clean and disinfected before starting the procedure.
Answer
Karina
05/21/2019 at 04:15 |
I once did everything according to the rules, as I read on the Internet, in the end the tree grew normal, what did I do wrong and what exactly was I wrong about? I don’t just want to make a mistake next time.
Answer
Yulia Expert Plodogorod
05/24/2019 at 16:04 |
Hello Karina! What exactly do you mean when you say that the tree has grown normal? A fruit tree of a certain variety was grafted wildly, but the harvest remained the same? Or did the branch not take root at all?
If no wounds or other problems arose, just the fruit remained unchanged, then the likely reason is that the grafted variety has exactly these characteristics. You need to know exactly how the tree from which the scion is taken bears fruit. Perhaps what is described is quite natural.
The absence of fruiting or a very small number of fruits may be caused by the fact that trees with different ripening periods were combined. The fact is that such plants, in principle, have different development rhythms, and this can affect the yield.
It is important that the trees bloom and begin to bloom at the same time. Also, the rootstock must be healthy and well developed. Describe in more detail what varieties were grafted and how the procedure was carried out. And also, in what condition the plant is now. Then it will be possible to give more specific advice.
Answer
How long does it take for a vaccine to take root?
In order for a grafted cutting to take root on a new plant, an exchange of juices must occur between it and the main plant. Scions take root most successfully during the movement of sap. This period occurs in spring and early summer.
If coloring occurs in the spring-summer months, after a couple of weeks you can observe swelling of the buds on the scion, this indicates that the vital activity of the plant has intensified. For example, when tinting with eyes, you can make sure after 12-15 days that the eye has taken root, but the petiole falls off, and you need to loosen the binding.
Coloring plants is not difficult. The main thing is to follow the advice and take into account the experience of gardeners.
