Content
- 1 Why do you need to graft peaches?
- 2 Peach grafting timing
- 3 Preparation of tools and materials
- 4 What can a peach be grafted onto?
- 5 Scion preparation
- 6 Peach grafting using budding method
- 7 How to graft a peach using the copulation method
- 8 Grafting a peach by the bark
- 9 How to properly graft a peach “into the cleft”
- 10 Caring for grafted peaches
- 11 Conclusion
Peach is a heat-loving plant that is difficult to grow in regions with cold winters. But grafting a peach onto a fruit tree can solve the problem, making it whiter and cold-resistant with maximum fruiting. Anyone can master the grafting technique, the main thing is to purchase sharp tools and strictly follow the instructions.
Why do you need to graft peaches?
Grafting is one of the ways to propagate peach. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to harvest a rich harvest of high quality, increase frost resistance, resume fruiting and preserve rare varieties.
If the area is small, several varieties are grafted onto one scion. This will allow you to grow a tree that will produce crops with different tastes.
Grafting a peach is a long and interesting task; it requires gardeners not only to make precise movements, but also to follow the rules of execution.For grafting to be successful, you need to know the timing, time, choose the right rootstock and study existing methods.
Valuable peach varieties can be propagated from green cuttings. This method is suitable for obtaining self-rooted seedlings. Root young cuttings in nutritious soil. The container is filled with prepared soil and the top is covered with sand. The cuttings are treated in the preparation “Kornevin” or “Epin” and planted at an acute angle. To create a favorable microclimate, the container is covered with a glass jar. During the rooting process, regular irrigation and ventilation are carried out.
However, most gardeners propagate peaches in their garden plots by grafting.
There are several ways to graft a peach:
- copulation;
- budding;
- into the cleft;
- for the bark.
Peach grafting timing
Vaccination can be done at any above-zero temperature. The timing depends on the region, the age of the tree and the chosen method.
In the spring, peach grafting is done using the method of budding and copulation. Agronomists consider spring the best time, since the weather and sap flow will help restore wounds after surgery in the shortest possible time.
Spring grafting is carried out during the swelling of the buds, after the air has warmed up to + 8 ° C, since sub-zero temperatures will lead to rejection of the grafted cuttings.
Peach grafting in summer is carried out by budding into the crown. The healing process lasts about a month. Gardeners distinguish 2 categories of summer grafting:
- early summer - the beginning of June;
- summer – from July 10 to July 30.
Autumn vaccination is recommended in regions with warm climates. In cities with unstable weather, the graft will not have time to take root and will freeze with 100% probability at the first frost.
Preparation of tools and materials
The vaccination must be done the first time. To get a positive result, the cuts must be smooth, without defects or jagged edges. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare sterile and very sharp instruments. The following tools are used for grafting:
- pruner;
- knife;
- garden saw.
You should also have on hand: glue, plastic film, electrical tape, garden varnish, bandage and newspaper. A newspaper is needed when vaccinating in the summer. It will save the grafting site from direct sunlight.
What can a peach be grafted onto?
The best rootstocks are hardy varieties of peaches. By combining several valuable varieties, you can grow a rare, high-yielding species with large, tasty fruits.
Also suitable as a rootstock:
Apricot - shows high survival rates, therefore suitable for inexperienced gardeners. Strengths of the scion:
- good fruiting;
- high survival rate;
- no influx.
Plum - it is used as a rootstock if peach is grown in regions with changeable weather. Strong, cold-resistant varieties are suitable for rootstock.
Cherry plum is an ideal rootstock. Based on it, the peach tree acquires immunity to fungal diseases, and ripe peaches acquire an unusual taste. This rootstock has one drawback - root shoots. If it is not removed in a timely manner, it will take a lot of strength from the tree, which will lead to a decrease in yield.
Almond - this rootstock is suitable only for the southern regions.Such a grafted peach can grow and bear fruit only in warm weather.
Sloe and felt cherry - gardeners claim that by taking these trees as a rootstock, you can grow a bush-like peach tree of compact size. But to prevent flexible branches from breaking during fruiting, it is necessary to install supports.
Also suitable for grafting are clonal peach rootstocks, which will have good compatibility and will not have a negative effect:
- Spring flame - a hybrid of Chinese plum and cherry plum. The rootstock is medium-sized, frost-resistant, suitable for southern and middle regions.
- Kuban-86 – semi-dwarf rootstock with well-developed roots and immunity to nematodes.
- VVA-1 - a hybrid of cherry plum and plum. The rootstock is drought and frost resistant.
- Speaker - a hybrid of cherry plum and cherry plum, which is suitable for growing in the Central region of Russia. The variety is highly resistant to diseases.
- VSV-1 - a hybrid of cherry plum and felt cherry. The rootstock grows well in moist soil, is resistant to diseases, frost-resistant, and can grow in all regions of Russia.
Is it possible to graft a peach onto an apricot?
Peach and apricot are very similar crops. Therefore, apricot is considered an ideal rootstock for peach, since many varieties are cold-resistant and can grow in any soil. The best time to graft peach onto apricot is spring and summer. If the grafting is done in the spring, it is necessary to wait until the end of frost and cover the grafting site with polyethylene. Summer vaccination is carried out from early June to mid-July.
The best varieties for rootstock:
- Veteran;
- Juicy;
- Greensboro;
- Redhaven.
When grafted onto an apricot, the peach will bear fruit early and grow vigorously.The growing season ends early, which allows the plant to ripen well and safely withstand the upcoming cold. Any method you like is suitable for grafting onto apricots.
Is it possible to graft a peach onto a plum?
Grafting a peach onto a plum makes it possible to preserve the varietal qualities of the peach. Since the plum is unpretentious, resistant to diseases and tolerates harsh winters, and the peach tree grows strong, healthy and bears fruit well.
2 varieties of plums are suitable for the rootstock:
- Hungarian Donetsk;
- Hungarian Italian.
Benefits of Peach Grafting on Peach
Peach serves as the best scion for peach. By combining different varieties, you can grow a high, unique harvest with good taste.
When using a peach as a scion, you must remember that heavy, alkaline soil is not suitable for such a rootstock. Positive qualities include durability, low risk of drying out and the absence of root growth. Weakness of the scion: low drought and frost resistance.
Today, gardeners use 2 types of rootstock: generative and vegetative. Generative propagation of peach is carried out by germination of seeds. From one seed, with proper care, 1 rootstock grows.
Propagating peach by cuttings (vegetative method) to obtain a high-quality rootstock allows you to obtain an improved variety and harvest a generous harvest of tasty and large fruits. According to gardeners, the best rootstock for peach is considered to be a seedling grown from a varietal cutting.
Compatibility of peach with other fruit trees
You can practice peach grafting on any fruit crop, but only some are considered the best. Before grafting, you need to choose the strongest and healthiest specimens and know what outcome can be expected.
In addition to plum, peach and apricot, you can consider other options:
- Almond – used in warm cities. This is a strong, tall tree, so it is ideal for peach. Any variety can be grafted onto almonds. If the manipulation is carried out correctly, the yield will increase by 2 times.
- Cherry plum – an ideal rootstock that is suitable for garden plots with heavy, waterlogged soil. The peach will have a bush-like shape, making it easier to harvest. With timely removal of root shoots, fruiting occurs early, annually and abundantly. Certain varieties of peach can be grafted onto cherry plum, such as: Kyiv and Sverkhranniy.
- Felt cherry – when using this rootstock, the peach tree grows short, but frost-resistant. During fruiting, flexible shoots need support, otherwise the branches will break before the fruits are fully ripened. The rootstock has one drawback - the peach will often suffer from moniliosis.
- Turn – you can grow a low-growing, cold-resistant shrub that will consistently bear fruit. In order for the fruits to be tasty and large, it is necessary to regularly remove pre-root shoots.
Scion preparation
For the rootstock, 2 summer shoots without flower buds, about half a meter long, are suitable. They are cut in the fall, after leaf fall, from the southern part of the crown. Weakened, thin shoots have a low survival rate, so cuttings with a diameter of 5-10 mm are suitable for scioning. It is better to cut them from a healthy tree in the morning or evening.
The cut cuttings are tied, wrapped in a damp cloth, placed in a plastic bag and placed in a refrigerator or basement where the air temperature will not exceed + 2 °C. Well-preserved cuttings should have smooth wood and the buds should not be deformed. Before grafting, it is better to check the viability of the scion; if it bends and does not break, then it is suitable for subsequent work.
Peach grafting using budding method
Budding is a successful method to obtain a healthy and well-bearing tree. It is required:
- to increase frost resistance;
- to obtain high-quality, varietal peaches;
- for early fruiting.
Budding can be carried out in the butt and in the crown of the rootstock.
Butt grafting is suitable for young seedlings. The method is difficult, so it is not suitable for an inexperienced gardener. Technique:
- A 3 cm long shield is made on the cutting, leaving one bud in the center.
- A 3 cm long bark is removed from the rootstock.
- The shield is applied to the cut on the rootstock and secured with electrical tape.
- After a month, the retainer is removed, and the junction of the rootstock and scion is treated with garden varnish.
T-shaped budding into the scion crown - this method is used in the spring, when the air temperature warms up to + 8 °C. Sequence of vaccination:
- A vertical and horizontal cut in the bark is made on the rootstock.
- A bud and base are cut from the scion.
- A bud is inserted into the cut in the bark and the upper part is cut off.
- The grafting sites are fixed with film at the top and bottom.
How to graft a peach using the copulation method
Vaccination is carried out in early spring. The method is easy to implement and does not require much effort and time. Execution method:
- the cutting and the rootstock must have the same thickness along the length;
- the grafting site is disinfected and a cut is made at an angle of 45 °;
- a similar cut is made on the cutting under the lower bud;
- connect 2 fragments and fix with electrical tape;
- the junction is sealed with garden pitch.
Grafting a peach by the bark
This method is used to rejuvenate wood. For this:
- cut off the trunk or stem branch, clean the cut area;
- a vertical cut 6 cm long is made on the rootstock and the bark is carefully separated for better entry of the cutting;
- an oblique cut is made on the cutting;
- The peach scion is inserted behind the bark and secured with polyethylene or electrical tape.
How to properly graft a peach “into the cleft”
Cleft grafting is a simple and popular method that has many advantages:
- ideal - it can be used with the same and different diameters of the rootstock and scion;
- 100% survival rate;
- easy to implement.
The grafting is carried out in the spring at the time of swelling of the buds. Vaccination technique:
- Preparation and splitting of the rootstock - the trunk chosen for the rootstock is cleaned of dirt and old bark. If the diameter of the rootstock is small, make an incision with a sharp knife to a depth of 3-4 cm. To prevent the split from closing, insert a wedge into it.
- Preparation of the scion - a wedge-shaped cut 3-5 cm long is made on the prepared cutting. Bare wood should not be touched with hands, as this can lead to infections.
- Joining the rootstock and scion - the prepared cutting is inserted into the split so that the cambial layers come together. The grafting site is tied with cling film, open areas are covered with garden pitch.Until the buds open, in order to maintain air humidity, the grafting site is covered with a transparent plastic bag.
Caring for grafted peaches
The fixing bandage is removed 30 days after vaccination, and the cut site is treated with garden varnish. Even if the cutting has taken root, further growth, development and fruiting depend on compliance with the rules of care. Peach is an unpretentious tree, but agrotechnical rules must be followed responsibly:
- Watering is carried out once every 14 days, as the top layer of soil dries. In order for the root system to receive a sufficient amount of moisture, 10-15 liters of water are spent on each plant.
- Often, growth begins to form at the grafting site, which must be promptly disposed of. Otherwise, the tree will begin to spend energy on developing the root system, instead of increasing green mass, flowering and fruiting.
- It is necessary to regularly inspect the peach, since after grafting the tree is weakened, and diseases and insect pests can attach to it. Prevention is best carried out in the morning and evening hours, using folk remedies and disinfectant solutions.
Conclusion
Grafting a peach is an interesting and easy task. By observing the timing, the technique and choosing the right tree for the rootstock, you can easily grow a peach tree even in regions with an unstable climate.
