Growing compactly, effective methods for grafting trees have been developed in the garden.
Grafting is the combination of parts of different plants into one.
The importance of the procedure for fruit, why vaccinate
Tree grafting helps gardeners decide many practical tasks:
- Reducing the time for obtaining the first harvest. When grown from seed or seeds, the first harvest has to wait up to 10 years. Grafted trees are able to bear fruit in the second or third year after grafting.
- Increasing the endurance and unpretentiousness of fruit trees. Weather- and other-sensitive fruit tree varieties grafted onto their less demanding, often wild, relatives become more resilient to adverse environmental factors.
- Rejuvenation is another situation when trees need to be grafted. Adult specimens, the yield of which has decreased, are pruned by grafting young cuttings.
- Combination in one copy of the properties of different varieties. Cuttings of tall varieties are grafted onto the trunks of more compact trees, which simplifies care.
- Preservation of varietal properties of the fruit tree. With many plant varieties, especially hybrid ones, it is impossible to completely transfer the properties of the parents to the second generation. When fruit trees are grafted, they are performed while preserving all the properties of this variety. Most of the varietal seedlings offered by nurseries are obtained by grafting.
- Space saving. Grafting allows you to combine branches of different varieties and even tree species on one trunk.
Purpose of vaccination for fruit
To carry out the grafting of trees, a stock is needed - a base tree that will feed the plant with its root system. The further life of the plant will depend on its endurance.
Scion- a cutting or bud of a plant from which a crown will form and which will bear fruit. The yield and variety of the resulting fruits depend on the properties of the scion. 
Roof should be:
- compatible with scion.
- adapted to the local climate.
- have a developed root system.
Important! For grafting, annual shoots of trees with known varietal properties are used. Cuttings are harvested both after autumn leaf fall, before the onset of severe frosts, and at the end of winter - in early spring, before the buds swell.
Summer grafting of fruit trees is carried out with fresh cuttings on young trees.
The importance of the right timing for the implementation of the procedure
The best time for tree grafting in spring is early March - mid-April. In early spring, cuttings are usually grafted. For successful merging of parts of trees, an active movement of juices in the rootstock is necessary. The scion should be in a calm state; for this, the cuttings are kept in a cool place for as long as possible. Budding is carried out later, at the end of April - May. Stone fruits are grafted earlier, the time of spring grafting of pome fruits is later, since the movement of juices in them is activated later. 
Important!The time for summer grafting comes when the active growth of the branches ends. Vaccination is carried out with fresh grafts, a maximum of 2 - 2.5 hours after cutting.
For some types of fruit trees, autumn grafting is carried out. It can be successful if the warm weather lasts long.
Winter vaccination is a risky business. An exception when trees can be grafted in winter are plants wintering in a nursery or indoors in tubs.
When is the best time to plant apple trees?
Grafting of apple trees is carried out in the order of fruit ripening - first early varieties, then late ones.
In the spring, when the buds open, apple cuttings that have been stored in a cool place, protected from drying out, are still at rest. These are the optimal conditions for the growth of scion apple trees. 
Grafting of trees in summer coincides with the second active period of sap flow. August is suitable for summer grafting of apple trees. Grafted with fresh cuttings. At this time, the bark is well separated on the stock, and the apical bud has time to form on the scion.
Peculiarities of pear grafting
For pear grafting, the ideal time is spring. Pear grafting in spring is carried out at a time when the nights are already warm, and finished before the tree blooms. Pear grafts are sensitive to cold.
The second important condition is good separation of the bark on the rootstock. The weather on the day of vaccination should be sunny and calm. Grafting trees in May will fulfill all these conditions. Pears are also grafted in summer, but practically not grafted in autumn. Grafting cherries and sweet cherries - when is it best to do it
And - stone fruit trees, because they are vaccinated at the very beginning of the season. They can be grafted both in spring and summer.
The beginning of March is the optimal time for vaccination by copulation. Thanks to the active movement of the juices, the scion quickly grows together with the stock.
Another opportunity to tint cherries and cherries appears in the summer. Budding of cherries can be successfully done from the second half of July to mid-August.
How to choose the right time for plum grafting
Experienced gardeners prefer to graft in the spring. Although you can graft trees in the fall - the longer the warm weather persists, the higher the chances of a successful engraftment of the scion.
The growth and development of plants depends on the state of the moon, in what phase and sign of the zodiac it is. The influence of the moon on plants is great. It should be noted that with a waning moon, plant juices go into the roots, and with a growing one, on the contrary, they rise to the aerial part.
Moon phase calendar by months 2018
Moon in August 2019
Moon in September 2019
Moon in October 2019
Moon in November 2019
Moon in December 2019
Lunar rhythms
When using data on the night luminary in horticulture and horticulture, we will take the well-known patterns about its position in the starry sky and influence as a guide to activity.
New moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon, phases of the moon, position of the moon in the signs of the zodiac, rising and falling moon, lunar days - each of these concepts indicates a certain rhythm that occurs in nature, the culprit of which is the night star.
Knowledge about lunar rhythms and their influence on all living things has been used since ancient times. If you want to succeed in gardening, do not refuse the help of the Moon.
Weeding or weed control during the waning moon
There is an effective way to kill mostly annual weeds in the spring before sowing or planting. It consists in the following: for the first time, you need to dig up a bed or weed a plot with the growing Moon in the sign of Leo - this stimulates the germination of weed seeds. Then dig up again, weed with the waning Moon in the sign of Capricorn - this makes it possible to destroy the weeds that have already sprouted from the seeds. And then weed, loosen, dig in again after a while again with the waning moon.
In the summer, during the growing season of plants, weeding is best done when the moon is waning, especially during the days of the passage of the sign of Capricorn. But here it is important not to damage the cultivated plants, as they will also die.
Landing based on lunar phases
Planting plants is best done with the growing moon. The best time for a transplant is when the Moon is in Virgo - during this period, the root system is very well restored and the plant grows quickly. These days, you can even transplant not only young trees, but also older ones. It is also good at this time to start rooting cuttings and chibouks of grapes.
Watering plants, what days
Watering can be carried out at any time, except for days when the Moon is in air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), but it is better when the Moon is waning and in the signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
Pruning trees and shrubs by the moon
Pruning is carried out with a waning moon. This is best done when the waning moon is in Aries and Leo.
Graft
The vaccination is carried out with the growing moon, preferably closer to the full moon, when the moon is in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. At the same time, the rootstock juice quickly rises into the grafted stalk or kidney and nourishes it - the grafting site quickly grows together.
In order to cure a diseased plant or stimulate the growth of a poorly developing one, it is necessary during the waning moon, in the fourth phase (last quarter), or better on the day of the new moon, pinch the top of a tree branch, in front of the bud, which will continue to grow and develop intensively. The same effect can be achieved by pinching plants when the Moon passes the sign of Virgo.
Fertilization
Fertilization is most effective on a full moon or a waning moon. Fertilizers penetrate well into the root layer of the soil, are absorbed by plants and do not enter the groundwater.
Days of Fruit, Root, Flower, Leaf
When the Moon passes the signs of the Zodiac Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - the period is called the "days of the Fruits", because the rhythms of the Moon have a special positive effect on the fruits.
When the Moon passes the signs of the Zodiac Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn - the period is called "days of the Root", because the rhythms of the Moon have a special effect on the roots.
When the Moon passes the signs of the Zodiac Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - the period is called the "days of the Flower", because the rhythms of the Moon have a special effect on flowers.
When the Moon passes the signs of the Zodiac Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - the period is called "Leaf days", because the rhythms of the Moon have a special effect on the foliage.
How do you think this information can be put into practice? That's how! If, for example, we loosen the soil on the beds of lettuce always on the days of the Leaf, then it will grow more magnificent, more productive than we would do it on other days.
Carrots, beets, radishes and other root crops will be more successful if we not only sow them, but also weed them, loosen the ground in the days of the Root.
Tomatoes, cucumbers and beans will thank us with the best fruits when we take care of them - dive, weed, loosen the soil and the days of the Fruit.
Well, the days of the Flower, of course, are best used to care for flowers. By the way, flowers for bouquets should be cut only on Flower days if possible - they will stand in a vase much longer.
New moon
These are good days for harvesting fruits and vegetables for long-term storage, weeding, pest and disease control, pinching and pinching horticultural crops. Slow-germinating seeds can be soaked or sowed.
Full moon
This is a good time to loosen the soil around the plants, weed and collect seeds.
I am sure these tips will help you grow a good crop with less labor.
The most popular signs about the weather for April include the following:
- At the beginning of the month, a big flood - to a good harvest.
- A thunderstorm in early April - to a warm summer and a harvest of nuts.
- If a lot of birch sap flows, then the summer will be rainy.
- If the birch opened before the alder, then the summer will be sunny, if vice versa, it will be cold and rainy.
- If the nightingale sang on bare trees, then we can expect a good fruit harvest.
- What is the weather like on April 1st, it will be like this on October 1st.
These popular signs of April come true with almost a 100% guarantee.
Lunar calendar for April 2017: zodiac signs and phases of the moon
According to the lunar calendar for April 2017, the Moon will pass through the signs of the Zodiac on the following dates:
| Zodiac signs 2017 | April |
| Aries | 24 (3.34), 25, 26 |
| Taurus | 26 (4.57), 27, 28 |
| Twins | 1,2, 28 (4.40), 29, 30 |
| Cancer | 2 (21.28), 3,4, 5,30 (4.49) |
| a lion | 5 (1.14), 6, 7 |
| Virgo | 7 (7.21), 8, 9 |
| Scales | 9 (15.35), 10, 11, 12 |
| Scorpion | 12 (1.43), 13, 14 |
| Sagittarius | 14 (13.28), 15,16, 17 |
| Capricorn | 17 (2.06), 18, 19 |
| Aquarius | 19 (13.53), 20, 21 |
| Fish | 21 (22.44), 22, 23, 24 |
The phase of the moon according to the lunar calendar for April 2017:
| The nature of the moon in the period | growing | Decreases | ||
| Date and time of the beginning of the period | 3 (21.41) | 11 (09.09) | 19 (12.58) | 26 (15.17) |
| Moon phase | II | III | IV | |
| Recommendations | sowing, weeding, spraying in II and IV phases planting, watering, fertilizing in phases I and III |
|||
Garden work in April: pruning and grafting trees
The most important garden work in April is tree pruning, but it needs to be done at the very beginning of the month. Start with blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries and honeysuckle.
Cut off the black ends of the branches, rejuvenate the bushes by cutting out the old branches. At the gooseberry, cut out all the young shoots growing in the middle of the bush. Leave only those that grow along the edges of the bush. In red and white currants, the tops of the branches are not cut off, but only the old branches and those branches that branch into the crown are removed. In honeysuckle, thickening crowns or broken branches are pruned, but fruit-bearing or young shoots are not pruned.
Do not rush to cut cherries and plums, wait until freezing after wintering is clearly visible, and even better, leave their pruning for autumn. The same goes for apple trees. After a harsh winter, the ends of the branches could freeze, but some of the branches will be able to recover from the buds on the bark, so do not rush to cut the branches, leave it for the end of summer. Frozen wood has a light brown color on the cut. Start pruning from the end of the branch, and gradually move from the end to the skeletal branches, you will get to the place where the cut is light. Starting from this place, the wood tissue is alive and there is no need to cut further. The pear wood is generally beige in color, and not white, like the apple tree. The frozen woody tissue of a pear is brown.
At the beginning of the month, remove spruce branches from young plantings of strawberries, roses, irises, clematis, lilies, especially from oriental hybrids, because under a warm shelter they will quickly grow and their flower buds may freeze during return frosts. But do not rush to remove boxes from roses and clematis.
Other than tree pruning, April is a good time for grafting. At the very beginning of the month, cut off the cuttings for grafting, wrap them in a newspaper, put them in a plastic bag and dig them into the snow on the north side of the house, but so that they are not flooded with melt water. At the end of the month, use them for vaccination. The same can be done with plant seeds.
In the gardener's calendar for 2017, April is a responsible month. First of all, you need to drain excess water from the site, for which dig grooves along its slope so that the water flows into the ditch. If there is no slope on the site, then simply lay a shallow groove, gradually deepening it so that the water flows in the direction you need. Stagnant water is especially dangerous for raspberries, strawberries and clematis.
If the compost heap is in the sun, then early greens (chervil, watercress, cilantro, parsley, lettuce, spinach, dill) and early carrots, as well as radishes, can be sown on it. To do this, pour last year's pile of compost with hot water, pour a layer of soil about 7-8 cm thick on top of it and sow the seeds. I usually do it like this: 1 tsp. I mix seeds with 0.5 cups of sand and sow them in the furrows, just as they salt food. You can use special seeders, in which the hole is adjustable according to the size of the seeds. In this case, the seedlings will not thicken. From above, cover the crops with a film until shoots appear. Warmth and moisture are stored under it, and shoots appear faster. Then the film must be removed, otherwise the shoots may burn under it. If you cover the crops with lutrasil or spunbond, then the covering material can not be removed until the plants grow up. But before germination, water the crops directly over the material if the weather is dry or windy so that the hatched seeds do not dry out in the upper drying soil layer.
In early April, when doing work in the garden, pre-grow weeds on vegetable beds, covering them with an old film and fixing it so that the wind does not blow it away. Under the film, weeds will quickly sprout. As soon as they appear, remove the film and loosen the beds, leaving them open for a day. Then cover again with foil and repeat the operation. Now there are no weeds in the top layer of soil in your garden. It is important not to dig up the soil, but only before sowing, loosen it with a Fokin flat cutter no deeper than 5-6 cm, then make furrows for sowing with the sharp end of the flat cutter.
In the northwest, at the very beginning of the month, while the buds have not yet awakened, to destroy lichens on tree trunks, try to have time to spray with ferrous sulfate (1 tsp without top per 100 ml of water). In addition, it can also be sprayed against wintering pests with a solution of urea (700 g of substance per 10 liters of water). Spraying should be done at the ends of the branches, along the branches, their forks and skeletal branches, along the trunk and near-trunk circle, along the soil.
Toward the end of April, before fertilizing, those plants in which the scales of the buds have moved apart and a green cone of leaves have appeared should be sprayed, since the first pests lay their eggs at this time in the green cone.
Feed with nitrogen fertilizer (3 tablespoons of urea per 10 liters of water) lovage, rhubarb, sorrel. Instead of urea, you can use an infusion of manure or bird droppings, diluted with water 1:10 or 1:20, respectively.
At home, seedlings of tomatoes and peppers should be watered moderately so as not to overmoisten the soil. Remember that seedlings need good lighting. As a top dressing for plants in April, a weak solution of Uniflora-bud (1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water) is recommended, which should be watered with seedlings instead of water.
When caring for seedlings in April, do not forget to spray the leaves of tomatoes and eggplants with a very weak solution of a copper preparation (the easiest way is to use copper oxychloride - HOM, dissolving 0.2 tsp of powder in 5 liters of water). The solution can stand, you will use it 2 more times approximately every two weeks. This is a good preventive measure against late blight. But the often recommended spraying with a solution of manganese can be omitted, since it does not save from late blight, and other diseases rarely appear on tomato seedlings. A solution of potassium permanganate is suitable for spraying peppers, especially if they are annoyed by aphids. Peppers are difficult to protect from aphids if there are indoor plants in the same room where the seedlings grow. However, if you have a "Healthy Garden", then use it (6-8 grains of the drug per 1 liter of water). Such spraying can be done in the room. It is great for dealing with aphids on any plants in the garden.
Another important event planned in the gardener's calendar for April 2017 is the removal of potatoes from storage. Dip it in hot (45 ° C) water until the water cools down. When the water has cooled, add potassium permanganate to a bright pink color and hold the tubers in this solution for 15-20 minutes. Then wash the tubers, dry them and lay them out for vernalization in a bright and cool place. At the end of April, put the potatoes in cardboard boxes, layering each layer with newspapers, put the boxes in a warm place so that they give good strong sprouts. You will plant germinated tubers, thereby accelerating the ripening of the crop by 2 weeks.
Sowing seeds in open ground in April
In early April, leaf parsley seeds are sown on greens and bush dill. If you cover these landings with lutrasil or put arcs over them and stretch the film, then by the first of May there will be the first greenery.
Sowing in open ground in April of seeds of all cold-resistant crops (carrots, lettuce, black onions, dill, parsnips, radishes, cabbage, chervil) can be carried out at the time of flowering coltsfoot, i.e. at the end of the month (on northwest). To get early strawberries, cover the garden bed with a film tunnel on arcs or double thin lutrasil directly over the bushes.
In mid-April, sow marigolds, marigolds, zinnia, and euphorbia for seedlings.
At the end of April, seeds of annuals that are not afraid of frost (poppy, escholcia, cosmea, cornflowers, iberis, catchment, forget-me-nots, marigolds) are sown in the ground in a permanent place. Other flowers can also be sown directly into the ground, even such as tobacco or petunia, but their crops should be covered with a film stretched over small arcs. Arcs are easy to make yourself from willow twigs, from which you immediately need to remove the bark. Or put the film on 300-gram plastic bottles filled with water and stuck with the neck into the soil. It is important that the film does not lie on the crops.
At the end of the month, you can remove the shelter from all ornamental plants, except for clematis. It is better to cover their growing shoots, for example, with lutrasil.
As soon as the soil thaws, moles immediately appear (they pour mounds of earth) or their relatives mole rats (make moves without hills of earth). It is difficult to fight them, but recently a new drug Alfos-mole has appeared - try using it.
The apple tree is one of the most beloved crops of modern gardeners. More than 10,000 varieties of apple trees are known fruit and ornamental species. The choice is so large that record areas are needed to plant the desired varieties.
A technique that allows you to place several dozen different varieties even in small areas is grafting.
- Allows not only to diversify,
- Rejuvenate old trees
- Get a bigger harvest,
- Become the owner of a culture that is unconventional for the area.
The filigree grafting technique will not help if this procedure is performed at the wrong time. The graft will not take root, the tree may start to hurt, sometimes even die.
Consider the important aspects so that you can decide for yourself when it is better to plant an apple tree: in spring or autumn.
Subtleties of spring vaccination
Works related to tree bark damage, professional growers recommend producing in early spring. While the buds have not yet woken up on the apple trees, and the sap flow has barely begun.
When the apple tree is in a dormant state, processes occur that are aimed only at maintaining life.
A new cutting will not be able to take root if the growing season has not begun. and the plant did not direct its forces to growth and development.
Determine the favorable period so that, according to the following features:
- The kidneys are slightly swollen, but have not yet begun to grow;
- The branches of the apple tree turned red;
- With mechanical damage, the bark is separated and the cambium (green tissue under the bark) remains on it.
Depending on weather conditions vegetation begins in late March - early April.
If you postpone vaccination work at a later date, then an excess of nutrients and regenerative substances will not allow the tree to accept the graft as part of the body. There is a high probability that the cutting will be rejected.
ADVICE: Graft apple trees in the early morning, sap flow at this time of day is optimal for fast cambium splicing. After sunrise, the intensity of the movement of juice increases every hour.
Grafting work in summer
Most gardeners do not graft trees in the summer. It is believed that the survival rate of the scion is very low, and the summer vaccination of the apple tree will do more harm than good.
It is not always possible to carry out spring grafting work. In early spring, for various reasons, there may simply not be access to the site: the roads were washed out, the orchard was flooded with groundwater, there was no time.
Guided by the above postulate, you will have to lose a whole year.
The statement about the impossibility is false, especially when it concerns
In summer, there is a period that is extremely favorable for grafting. This is the time when the second stage of the movement of juices takes place in the body.
- Fruits begin to pour on the apple tree;
- The apical bud of the shoots is fully formed;
- In annual branches, the internodes of the upper part were reduced;
- The bark comes off the wood easily (same as in spring).
The active stage of summer sap flow occurs at the end of July - the first weeks of August, therefore it is recommended to do it.
ATTENTION: It is impossible to carry out grafting work in the heat and under the scorching sun. Sections dry out quickly, grafting attempts will be unsuccessful. It will be possible to check the results of vaccination work in the fall.
Secrets of grafting apple trees in the fall
Autumn is not the best time for grafting fruit trees. in the middle lane. Early frosts can come and destroy all work.
If in spring and summer there was not enough time to plant apple trees, it is allowed to do this at the very beginning of autumn, namely, in the first decade of September.
Until mid-October, vaccinations can be done in areas where winters are warm and frosts come late.
IMPORTANT: With a vaccination in the fall, you can not be late. Before the onset of frost, autumn grafts must take root so as not to die from the cold.
Since the vegetation of plants slows down, the accuracy of the work is of great importance.
The chances that the vaccines will take root are average, but there are. The durability of such grafting is low, fruiting can not wait at all.
IMPORTANT: The best stock for an apple tree is a local apple tree.
The duration of vaccination depends on the rootstock. 4 seasons: the pros and cons of grafting an apple tree
When carrying out vaccination work, each season has its advantages and disadvantages. Their analysis will allow us to conclude what period to choose for grafting apple trees.
SPRING
Advantages
- The regenerative ability of trees during these periods is increased, therefore, the percentage of survival rate of cuttings in spring is the highest.
- In early spring, the tree does not yet spend a lot of energy on the life support of the growth of foliage and fruits - the apple tree is less injured.
- Minor inaccuracies in the grafting technique are compensated by the ability to quickly coalesce the cambium during this period.
- You can regraft and rejuvenate old apple trees.
- You can evaluate the result in 2-3 months.
- If the scion has not taken root, there is time to repeat the vaccination in the summer and not lose a year.
Flaws
- It is difficult to assess the state of the rootstock after winter;
- Due to natural factors, there may not be access to the site;
- Working conditions are not very convenient - at this time it is still quite cool outside.
Ways
Large variability in the methods of vaccination is allowed. The choice is limited only by the desire and skill of the grafter.
For spring work, the following grafting techniques are suitable:
IMPORTANT: Grafting with cuttings is carried out shortly before the start of the growing season, approximately in late March - early April!
Watch the video on how to plant an apple tree in spring:
SUMMER
Advantages
- It is not necessary to specially prepare scion cuttings.
- Large selection of cuttings, both in varieties and in quantity. If it is not possible to cut the variety you like from the neighbors, cuttings can be easily bought at this time of the year.
- You can clearly see how the rootstock seedlings came out of the winter, are there any damage, frostbite, are all the buds awake.
- The place of summer vaccination is almost imperceptible, the branches are not deformed.
- Possibility to check the result in the current season.
- Possibility to try again if the vaccination failed in the spring.
Watch the video on how to plant an apple tree in the summer:
Flaws
- Vaccination Recommended only for young apple trees;
- On branches more than 1.5 cm in diameter, summer vaccination is not done;
- In very hot summer it is difficult to choose the time for grafting - the heat significantly reduces the result of grafting.
Ways
Can be used in summer any vaccination technology.
As in spring, these can be techniques:
- For the bark
- In a cleavage
- In the side cut
- bridge,
- cutting,
- kidney,
- eye,
- wedge,
- copulation,
- Budding.
Watch the video for the best ways to graft apple trees:
AUTUMN
Advantages
The main advantage of vaccination in the fall is that it can be done at all..
On this basis, additional advantages are formed:
- If vaccinations in spring and summer are not successful, you can not lose a year.
- Seedlings grafted in autumn will develop faster than seedlings grafted next spring.
- A successful autumn vaccination will increase the frost resistance of the seedling.
Flaws
- Low survival rate of cuttings;
- It is difficult to heal the wounds inflicted on the apple tree;
- Errors in vaccination technique are not allowed;
- It will be possible to check the result only in the next season;
- Possibility of frostbite of vaccination sites.
Way
In autumn vaccination options are limited.
The main technique for achieving a good result in the fall is considered to be a split graft. You can also apply: “budding” and grafting “for the bark”.
Step-by-step diagram of budding with a shield. WINTER
Advantages
- Artificially created conditions create complete control over the grafting process. The influence of weather conditions is excluded.
- High survival rate of cuttings.
- The vegetation period is extended by almost 2 months. Seedlings grow and get stronger faster than those that were grafted in spring and summer.
- Comfortable working conditions: warm, dry.
- The ability to simultaneously obtain a large amount of planting material.
- The vaccination is carried out at a time when one summer season has already ended, and the other has not yet begun. There is an opportunity to do everything slowly, and free up spring and summer for other chores in the garden.
Flaws
It takes a lot of time to prepare:
- Digging and storage of rootstock seedlings,
- Preparation of scion cuttings;
- A lot of space is needed for storing materials and for carrying out work, where the specified temperature regime must be maintained.
Ways
Suitable for winter methods that are designed for splicing thin branches.
Gap copulation is considered the main grafting technique. You can also use budding.
Watch the video on how the winter grafting of fruit trees is performed:
Conclusion
See the nuances of grafting an apple tree from an agronomist:
Evaluation of the pros and cons of vaccination in different seasons of the year allows us to draw a number of conclusions:
- It is better to graft old apple trees in early spring, before the growing season begins;
- Young trees - in the summer, in the second wave of sap flow;
- For harvesting a large amount of planting material, winter vaccination is ideal;
- Work in the fall should be carried out only as a last resort, when at other times the vaccination failed or was impossible.
In contact with
By learning to graft, you will enrich your knowledge of horticulture, and this will help you to properly care for grafted plants; stop depending on the presence or absence of seedlings of interesting fruit and ornamental species in stores; get an opportunity for creativity; you will experience pleasure both from the process itself and from observing the results of your own work, because you can really influence the winter hardiness and productivity of crops, their resistance to diseases.
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Very often, not the fruit crops that we wanted get into the garden plot - due to confusion in varieties. Time passes, and the gardener is faced with the question of what to do with such trees? You can uproot them and plant others, or you can do otherwise - instill .
Only healthy trees with a well-developed leaf apparatus, annual growths of at least 20 cm and light-colored wood of re-grafted branches are suitable for grafting. The stem and their skeletal branches should not be damaged by frost and sunburn. Not suitable are those that are injured by rodents or during treatments. The age of the tree to be regrafted is not significant, but two- and three-year-olds are impractical due to their weak growth. In areas with severe winters, fruit trees up to 6-8 years old are re-grafted in one year, and older ones - in two or even three years.
Trees of all fruit crops can be grafted, but apple, pear, plum and mountain ash are most successfully amenable to this operation. Cases of incompatibility during regrafting of cultivars are rare. Practice shows that it is quite acceptable to plant summer varieties on winter ones and vice versa.. Several varieties can be grafted onto one tree, but they must necessarily be of the same ripening period, otherwise the rhythm of growth processes is disturbed in the overgrafted tree, which leads to a decrease in its winter hardiness.
Trees can be grafted completely and partially, that is, individual branches. The greatest effect of grafting is observed when not random, but specially selected varieties with high winter hardiness are re-grafted. Grafting insufficiently winter-hardy varieties into the skeletal branches of a tree of a winter-hardy variety greatly increases their survival in harsh winters. Such winter-hardy varieties suitable for regrafting are called skeleton-formers.
The regrafted variety is able to accelerate or slow down the ripening of the fruits of the grafted variety and affect their keeping quality. For example, grafting summer varieties into the crown of a winter variety delays ripening and increases the keeping quality of the fruit. As a result of the grafting of winter varieties into the crown of a tree of a summer variety, the ripening of fruits is accelerated, but the keeping quality is somewhat worse.
Vaccination times.
Fruit trees are grafted with cuttings or buds in spring and summer. But as experience shows, novice gardeners spring grafting with a cutting is better. In stone fruit crops, such a vaccination can be started early, after the onset of positive night temperatures, without fear of small frosts.. It is necessary to cope with this operation before the buds on the grafted trees bloom. For pome trees, regrafting is feasible during almost the entire growing season. The success of the spring vaccination largely depends on the condition of the cuttings, which are harvested in the winter. Cuttings with frozen wood (light brown color on the cut), with blossoming buds or with dried, non-elastic bark are unsuitable, because they do not take root well and grow slowly. The best results with spring grafting of pome crops are obtained in the period from bud break to the end of flowering. For summer grafting, cuttings are taken from the lower part of the growth of the current year, where the buds are already well formed. The leaves and half of the cuttings are removed. We advise the summer resident to graft pome trees in summer and early autumn only for areas with mild winters.
Procurement and storage of cuttings.
Cuttings for spring grafting of pome and stone fruit trees are taken from annual shoots of healthy, vigorous trees. The best time for harvesting them is the beginning of winter - after the first 5-10-degree frosts, which contribute to the hardening of annual shoots, so that the cuttings tolerate storage much better. Strongly growing shoots-tops are of little use as cuttings, since grafts from them develop slowly and bear fruit poorly. The cuttings are tied, and each bundle is labeled with the name of the variety. Plastic labels are better, but if wooden ones are used, then so that the pencil inscriptions are not erased and the wood does not darken, they are wrapped with plastic wrap. It is recommended to tie the bunches with synthetic twine or soft thin wire, because ordinary hemp rope often overheats during storage of cuttings and varieties can mix. Before grafting, the cuttings are stored in the basement at a temperature of 0±3°C. The bundles are placed vertically, cut down and spudded with sawdust or sand from the sides, keeping the mass moist during the winter. In the absence of a basement, the cuttings are stored in an unheated room; first wrapped in damp burlap, and then in paper or film. After snow falls, a snow pile is made and cuttings are transferred into it. So that the collar does not melt longer in the spring, it is located on the north side of the building or a high fence and covered with some kind of heat-insulating material (peat, sawdust, etc.). When the snow in the pile begins to actively melt, the cuttings are taken out, wrapped again in wet burlap and film, and stored in a cold place until grafting (on the ground under a barn or house on the north side). A small number of cuttings can be stored in a home refrigerator wrapped in a wet cloth and film. They are periodically inspected and, if mold is found, the cuttings and fabric are washed with cold water. Allow to dry, wrap again and moisten the fabric. After mild winters, cuttings of pome crops for spring grafting can be harvested in early spring, before bud break. But this is not usually done with stone fruit crops, since almost every year their annual shoots freeze slightly. For summer budding or summer grafting with cuttings, annual shoots are cut off immediately before grafting.
Preparing a tree for regrafting and grafting.
Trees for spring grafting are pruned simultaneously with this operation. When pruning, observe the subordination of branches. The branches of one tier are re-grafted at the same height from the soil surface, and the central conductor is 30-40 cm higher than the grafts made on the branches of the upper tier. All small branches at a distance of 15-20 cm from the cut are removed so that they do not interfere with work.
When re-grafting a young tree, the grafting zone should be within 1 to 2 m above the soil surface. If it is below 1 m, then in the winter months it can freeze a lot (especially in the first years after the operation), and if it is higher than 2 m, then crown care and fruit picking become very difficult. From the trunk, the skeletal branches of a young tree are re-grafted at a distance of 40-50 cm.
In adult trees, the place of regrafting of the skeletal branches of the first tier is determined by their thickness. In the conditions of the Non-Black Earth Region, the diameter of the branch at the grafting site for pome crops should not exceed 5-6 cm, for stone fruits - 3 cm. Slices of a larger diameter overgrow slowly and often freeze slightly in one of the next harsh winters. Branches extending from the trunk at an angle of less than 30 ° are unsuitable for this operation. They are subject to cutting the next year after regrafting the tree. The regrafting of very thick skeletal branches at a distance of more than 1.5 m from the trunk is also undesirable, since then the fruiting of the grafted variety will be concentrated only along the periphery of the crown.
The stalk is grafted on top of the branch, and with a diameter of more than 3 cm - also on one or two sides. If this is done from the bottom of the branch, the cutting takes root worse and in the future may break off under its own weight. The success of this operation largely depends on the skill and accuracy of the gardener and the condition of the instrument. As with any surgical operation, cleanliness and precision must be observed in everything. This also applies to the preparation of tools. Before setting up the cutting, the shoot from which the cutting is cut off and the grafting site on the branch are thoroughly wiped with a clean, damp cloth. If the prepared cutting falls to the ground, it is thoroughly wiped, and the cut is renewed with a knife.
At the junction of the cutting with the branch, as we already know, a strapping tape is tightly applied and all open cuts are carefully covered with garden pitch. In years with a hot spring, it is recommended to re-apply garden pitch to bare surfaces. If the gardener has little experience in grafting, and the weather in spring is very hot, then you can increase the survival rate of cuttings using narrow plastic bags that are put on the ends of the regrafted branches. The put on bags should be 10-12 cm longer than the grafted cuttings. They are removed when shoots begin to grow on these cuttings.
Vaccination methods.
There are quite a few such methods, but the following have proven themselves to be the simplest and most reliable in the spring time for grafting with a cutting: improved copulation with a tongue, into a side cut, into a split and behind the bark. Success with all these methods depends significantly on a correctly made oblique cut at the lower end of the handle. The length of the cut should be 3-4 cm, and the surface should be even and clean. It should be superimposed on the plane of the grafting knife without gaps. A bud is left above the cut on the cutting, which stimulates its survival, and when the graft is broken off at the place of the cut of the overgrafted branch, it helps to restore it. The upper end of the cutting is cut off above the kidney, leaving no hemp. It is better not to touch the cuts at the lower end of the cutting with your fingers, because they leave fatty traces and the grafting components grow together very slowly in these places.
Improved tongue copulation method they are used when the grafted branch and the stalk are of the same thickness. On the stalk and the branch, oblique cuts of equal length are made and, stepping back 1/3 from the sharp end, they make splits with a knife, slightly not reaching the beginning of the cut. Cuts on the handle and branches are applied to each other so that the tongue on the cut of one of them enters the split of the other. Slices are combined until they completely match. Then the regrowth will be fast, complete and durable.
The splitting method is applicable only for regrafting small branches, the diameter of which does not greatly exceed the diameter of the cutting. The branch is cut with a pruner, and the remaining stump in the center is split with a grafting knife. The lower part of the handle is shaped like a wedge. The cutting is inserted into the slot so that the bark and cambial layers of the hemp and the cutting coincide on at least one side of the branch being regrafted. In the case of grafting larger branches in this way, the gap does not overgrow for a long time, which can cause the branch to die off due to tissue rotting.
Method of grafting into the side cut with the simultaneous removal of the branch above the place of the cut without leaving a stump, it is applicable for regrafting branches whose diameter significantly exceeds the diameter of the cutting. It is especially effective when regrafting young trees with branches 3-4 cm in diameter. With this method, a side cut is made on a selected segment of the branch. The grafting knife is placed at an angle of 30 ° to the axis of the branch (it should be under the elbow of the hand in which the knife is located), and the fingers of the other hand are pressed against the end of the knife. The knife is moved forward and deep into the branch, making sure that its blade only cuts through the bark and only slightly touches the wood. After that, the branch is shortened over the notch, leaving no hemp. At the lower end of the cutting, two oblique cuts are made, forming a pointed wedge. If the cuts are made correctly, then the oblique wedge should look like an isosceles triangle. The cutting is pushed into the cut in such a way that the cutting surfaces of the cutting and the branch coincide with cambium layers on the outer side. In grafts made in this way, wounds heal quickly and the joints have high mechanical strength.
Bark grafting method applicable for branches whose diameter is much larger than the diameter of the cutting. They are used only during the period of intensive sap flow. From above or to the side of the hemp remaining from the cut to the base of the branch, a bark is cut to a length of about 2.5-3 cm to the wood. The edges of the bark on both sides are slightly turned away with the end of the knife. After that, a cutting is taken and an oblique cut 3 cm long is made at its lower end under the kidney. To increase the contact area between the cambial layers of the cutting and the branch on the other side of the oblique cut, a small area of bark is removed at the end of the cutting. The stalk prepared in this way is inserted behind the bark, making sure that the upper part of the oblique cut is 2–3 mm higher than the surface of the cut end of the branch, and the kidney on the opposite side of the oblique cut is below the end of the hemp. Then the wound at the end of the stump heals faster, since not only the cambium of the overgrafted branch takes part in this process, but also the callus formed on the cut of the cutting. Nevertheless, a characteristic feature of this method is that the graft fuses with the regrafted branch very slowly and is often broken off by the wind in the first two or three years after the operation. Therefore, an individual support must be provided for each inoculation. It is advisable to use bark grafting in combination with lateral cut grafting.
During the summer periods of grafting with a cutting, the method in the lateral cut was most widely used. It is done without cutting the branch above the place of the cut. The branch above this place is removed without leaving a stump in the spring of the next year after bud breaks on the grafted cutting.
The length of the cutting when regrafting. During spring and summer grafting of pome and stone fruit crops, a cutting with 3-4 buds is usually used. Moreover, in cherries, it is taken from the lower or from the upper part of the annual shoot, since the stalk from the middle part is unsuitable for grafting. The buds here are mostly flower, so that such a cutting that has taken root fades and dries up. For regrafting pome crops located in areas with good protection from the wind, you can use longer cuttings (6-8 or even more buds). Growth shoots appearing in such cuttings do not develop as strongly as in cuttings with 4 buds. They ripen better and suffer less from frost in the first winters. In grafts with long cuttings, growth shoots develop from the upper buds, and from the lower buds, ringlets and fruit twigs, which bear fruit already in the second year after grafting.
Banding material for grafting. As a strapping material for grafting with a cutting, a polyethylene film tape 2–2.5 cm wide is used. It is tightly applied in the form of a spiral to the grafting site so that the turns overlap each other somewhat. The end of the hemp is not closed. Tight application of the tape is the key to a high survival rate of vaccinations. The polyethylene tape is elastic and does not interfere with the growth of the grafts in the first two to three weeks.
Adhesive insulating plastic tape can also be used as a strapping material, but it should be applied with the adhesive side out.
Garden var. No matter how neatly the strapping is applied, there are still open cut points. If the upper cut on the cutting, the end of the branch to be grafted and the open cuts at the junction of the cutting with the branch are not covered with garden pitch, they will dry out and the cutting will die. As a garden pitch, Petrolatum has proven itself well. It easily and evenly lays down on fresh sections at low temperatures, adheres well to them, does not dry out for a long time, retains elasticity, does not spread in hot weather and does not burn the tissues of the bark and cambium. In the absence of a garden pitch, it can be replaced with children's plasticine.
