Content
Apple tree grafting many gardeners compare it to a surgical operation. And for good reason. After all, when performing this work, it is important to comply with all recommendations and deadlines of experienced gardeners. And most importantly, grafting apple trees is, one might say, a creative process. It is very interesting to watch how a small cutting, grafted onto a wildflower seedling or onto an old tree, grows, blooms and produces a bountiful harvest of fragrant, tasty apples.
If for experienced gardeners grafting is a common thing, then beginners have a lot of questions: how to graft an apple tree in the fall? When is the best time to do gardening? What to vaccinate on and in what way? In this article you will find answers to many questions.
Why vaccinate
Humanity learned to graft apple trees more than five thousand years ago. Thanks to selection, a large number of new varieties have been created that annually delight gardeners with their productivity. What attracts owners of summer cottages to graft apple trees?
- Grafting apple trees is an endless opportunity to conduct experiments in order to obtain new varieties or improve the varietal characteristics of an apple tree.
- Decreasing yield is another reason to renew an old tree and graft an apple tree in the fall.
- Thanks to grafting, you can propagate existing varieties and expand the range of trees growing in the garden.
- Has your apple tree started to dry out, hurt and have to be cut down? Do not rush to uproot the stump - you can graft several branches onto it and in a few years it will again delight you with fragrant fruits.
- Do you have a small plot where there is not enough space to grow enough of your favorite varieties of fruit trees? Do not despair! Thanks to grafting, up to 3-5 varieties can be grown on one apple tree.
- And one more plus. The apple tree is a very generous fruit tree. And sometimes it bears fruit so abundantly that gardeners don’t know what to do with the apples, distributing them to neighbors and friends. If on one apple tree you have several varieties with different ripening rates, then you will process the ripened harvest in a timely manner and without loss.
Whatever the reason, all that remains is to learn how to properly plant an apple tree in the fall. And this process is not so complicated.
When can apple trees be grafted?
Experienced gardeners advocate spring grafting of apple trees. However, many of them note that fruit trees can be grafted not only in spring, but also in autumn, and even in winter, provided that the thermometer drops no lower than -10˚С -15˚С. Whenever you decide to take up this exciting activity, at any time it is important to meet deadlines and be sure to pay great attention to weather conditions.
Grafting an apple tree in the fall does not require a lot of skills and abilities even from novice gardeners. Grafting work in the garden begins in the second half of August - early September. It is very important to have time to complete all work at least a month before the expected frost.
In the northern regions, all work should be completed in mid-to-late September. In the central regions and Moscow region this period is shifted by two weeks. And in the southern regions they do not start grafting apple trees in the fall before the first days of October. They try to finish all work here by early to mid-November.
Before you start gardening, pay attention to weather forecasts. If no frost is expected for the next three to four weeks, then you can begin such an important event. If the forecast is unfavorable, then it is better not to risk it and postpone grafting apple trees until spring.
Tools and materials for grafting apple trees
In order to efficiently carry out a number of activities for grafting apple trees, you will need the following tools:
- A very sharp garden knife or pruning shears. Please note that cuttings intended for grafting apple trees must be cut in one motion. Before starting work, thoroughly wipe the entire instrument with alcohol to avoid infection. After all, any cut is actually an open wound.
- Insulating tape. If you do not have insulating material, you can use a small strip of polyethylene and twine.
- Garden var.
In addition to tools, you will need: rootstock, scion and, of course, desire. Immediately before vaccination, wash your hands well and disinfect them.Remember that you cannot touch open cuts even with clean hands.
What can be used as a rootstock
Grafting apple trees in the fall is a very simple process that even a novice gardener can successfully cope with.
Before you start grafting, you need to take care of the rootstock in advance. Young apple seedlings aged 2-3 years are excellent as a rootstock. Grafting wild apple trees gives excellent results. After all, young wild shoots are adapted to local climatic conditions and also have high resistance.
Many gardeners independently grow apple tree seedlings for rootstock, planting the seeds in the ground in advance. You can also use old apple trees for rootstock. The main thing is that the fruit crop is healthy. Sick rootstocks with signs of disease or damaged by ubiquitous insects cannot be used for grafting apple trees.
If there are no suitable seedlings or fruit trees in your garden, you can graft the apple tree onto the following fruit crops:
- Regular and chokeberry;
- Quince;
- Pear;
- Kalina;
- Hawthorn.
If you have chosen one of the above seedlings as a rootstock, be prepared for the following problems to arise: poor survival rate, gradual crushing of fruits and reduced yield, short fruiting period. Many experts consider grafting apple trees onto third-party seedlings rather as an experiment.
If you want to be guaranteed to receive a bountiful harvest of tasty and aromatic apples, use only apple seedlings and trees as a rootstock.
How to choose a scion
A “scion” is the cutting you would like to graft.How to choose and cut the scion correctly?
Cuttings should only be taken from a healthy apple tree that produces abundant harvests. Before cutting, it is important to know that scions cannot be stored for long periods of time, which means they need to be prepared in quantities that you can use during the day.
The length of the cuttings for grafting an apple tree should be 25-30 cm. It is very important that after grafting there are at least 4-5 healthy buds on each shoot. The thickness of the cuttings, ideal for grafting, is 1-1.3 cm.
Vaccination methods
There are more than ten methods of grafting apple trees. But given that many of them require special skills, as well as special conditions, gardeners, through trial and error, have identified the most effective and easiest to implement:
- Budding (or budding);
- Copulation;
- Cleft grafting;
- For the bark.
Budding, or budding, allows you to significantly save grafting material. This method of grafting apple trees is used in early spring, when the buds on the shoots have not yet begun to grow, or in early autumn, while sap flow is still ongoing in the trunks.
Copulation is the most common method. Gardeners use it if the rootstock and scion, that is, the seedling and the cutting, are the same in thickness. If the diameter of the scion and rootstock differ greatly, then it is best to graft the apple tree using the “split” or “bark” method. Moreover, the latter method is perfect when you need to revive sick, old trees that you cannot uproot.
It is best to plant apple trees when the weather is cloudy but not rainy.If the Indian summer is hot, then vaccination should be done early in the morning or late in the evening.
Do not forget that grafting apple trees is identical to a surgical operation. All actions must be carried out with clean hands and as quickly as possible. The less the cut is exposed to the open air, the higher the likelihood of the scion taking root.
Grafting by budding method
Budding is a universal method of grafting apple trees. Firstly, even a novice gardener can cope with it, it is so simple to implement. Secondly, thanks to it you can avoid cutting cuttings, saving grafting material. And thirdly, grafting apple trees using this method can be done in the fall or spring. It is advisable that the buds for grafting be in “sleep mode”.
Algorithm of actions for budding:
- A healthy bud is selected from a one-year scion shoot. You need to cut off the bud with the adjacent area of bark and a thin layer of wood, the so-called scutellum. All actions must be performed carefully, trying not to break the delicate kidney.
- Make a T-shaped cut on the rootstock shoot and carefully push apart the bark at the cut points.
- Carefully insert the “shield” under the bark, not forgetting about the correct location of the bud - it should look up. Straighten the corners of the bark on the rootstock.
- Carefully wrap the grafting site with electrical tape or plastic wrap, leaving the grafted bud on the surface.
At least after 2-3 weeks you need to carefully examine the vaccination site. If the engraftment process went well, you can loosen the bandage a little.
Copulation
Grafting an apple tree using the copulation method is carried out only when the rootstock and scion are the same in thickness. The diameter of the trunk of the rootstock and scion cuttings should not exceed 2-2.5 cm. Most often, this method is used to graft apple trees at the age of 1-2 years, no older.
Copulation is a universal method because it allows gardeners to graft cuttings at any time of the year: spring, summer, autumn and, in rare cases, winter for grafting apple trees at home.
The point of copulation is to make almost identical cuts on the shoots of the rootstock and scion and connect them into one branch, just like connecting puzzles. The more closely the cambial layers of the scion and rootstock are connected, the more likely it is that the process of engraftment of the apple tree cutting will go well.
There are two types of copulation - simple and improved.
The operating principle is the same in both cases. The only difference is that with improved copulation, not a simple cut is made on the sections of the scion and rootstock, but a zigzag one, which allows the shoots to be connected as tightly as possible.
- On the rootstock you need to make an even, oblique cut 3-4 cm long. You need to cut off the shoot in one motion so that the surface is perfectly flat and smooth.
- Make an identical cut on the scion.
- Connect the scion and rootstock, lightly pressing each other. Wrap the connection tightly with electrical tape or plastic wrap.
- Those grafting sites that did not fall under the insulating layer must be immediately treated with garden varnish.
The so-called grafting pruner received a large number of positive responses from gardeners.Thanks to sharply sharpened and perfectly matched knives, the cuts on the scion and rootstock are identical and fit perfectly together, which greatly simplifies the process of grafting apple trees.
Grafting into cleft
This method of grafting apple trees is perfect if the scion and rootstock differ greatly in diameter. In this way, you can significantly increase and renew the crown of apple trees. Gardeners also use it when growing multi-varietal apple trees.
For rootstocks, trunks aged 3-6 years or skeletal branches with a diameter of 2 cm to 10 cm are well suited. Grafting an apple tree into a cleft in the fall can be carried out as long as active sap flow in the trunks is still ongoing. This work can be completed until mid-September.
In order to graft an apple tree into a split, you should proceed as follows:
- Trim the skeletal branch or trunk of the rootstock and trim it with a knife.
- Carefully split the rootstock lengthwise. A gap that is too deep is not needed. To prevent the crevice from closing, insert a screwdriver or knife into it for a while.
- On a scion cutting with 3-5 well-developed buds, oblique cuts no more than 3.5-4 cm long are made on both sides. You should get a kind of wedge.
- Insert the scion into the split on the rootstock so that the sections are completely hidden in the crack.
- Wrap the branch or trunk tightly with electrical tape or film.
- Treat the remaining open cuts with garden varnish.
This method of grafting apple trees is unique in that up to 5-6 scions can be inserted into one split, depending on the diameter of the rootstock. This way you will get several established shoots at once.
Grafting behind the bark
This method of grafting apple trees can give a second life to old fruit trees. You can graft an apple tree in the fall either to a separate skeletal branch or to a small stump. It is important that its length from the ground is at least 50-70 cm from the ground. Due to the simplicity of this method, apple trees can be grafted onto the bark both in early spring and autumn. The main thing is that the bark is easily separated from the trunk. You must act in accordance with the following recommendations:
- Cut down the skeletal branches at a distance of 50-70 cm from the trunk, leaving 2-3 for sap flow.
- Clean the cut area with a garden knife until it is perfectly even and smooth.
- Make a vertical cut on the bark of the upper part of the rootstock. The length of the cut is 4-6 cm. Make sure that the knife cuts only the bark without damaging the wood.
- Using the blunt side of a knife, carefully pry and push the bark in different directions.
- On a scion with 4-5 well-developed buds, make an oblique cut at least 3 cm long.
- Insert the scion behind the bark with the cut facing the trunk. It is very important that the cut on the cutting “peeks out” 1-2 mm above the cut of the rootstock.
- Secure the grafting site with electrical tape or plastic wrap and treat with garden varnish.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in all methods of grafting apple trees. The main thing is not only to follow all the recommendations, but also to monitor and promptly care for the grafted shoots. And then the apple tree will thank you with a generous harvest for your care and attention.
The author of the video talks in detail about what tools are needed and how to prepare them for grafting an apple tree. He also reveals his grafting secrets very clearly and understandably.
How to care for grafted apple trees
It is necessary to care for grafted seedlings regardless of the apple tree grafting method. Once every two weeks you need to carefully inspect the vaccination sites.
When budding, pay great attention to the condition and appearance of the grafted kidney. For other apple tree grafting methods, carefully inspect the scions. At the slightest suspicion that the scion or bud has not taken root, unwind the grafting site, remove the shield or cutting and cover the cut with garden varnish.
If the outcome is successful, it is not advisable to remove the “bandage” from the vaccination sites until spring. But with the onset of a thaw, it is necessary to gradually weaken it, since during this period the growth of branches begins.
To ensure good nutrition for grafted seedlings, all shoots growing below the grafting site must be promptly and mercilessly removed with pruning shears.
Before the onset of frost, one should not forget about the mandatory autumn watering and hilling of apple trees, thus preparing them for winter.
As soon as you see that the scion has taken root perfectly and the first shoots have appeared from the buds, prune, leaving only the strongest.
Grafted apple tree seedlings need to be tied when the shoots reach a height of 25-30 cm. Repeated tying is required when they reach a height of 40-50 cm. This is necessary so that the seedling does not break under the weight of its weight or from the wind, since the grafting site is near Apple trees take a long time to grow together - at least 2-3 years.
Remember that after grafting, the apple tree needs a lot of time and effort for the damaged tissues to heal successfully. Feeding the apple tree in a timely manner With fertilizers, you help it regain its strength and gain the necessary amount of nutrients before winter sets in.
Before the onset of frost, do not forget to insulate the apple tree seedlings and protect them from rodents.
Conclusion
Grafting apple trees in the fall allows you not only to diversify the assortment of your garden, but also to significantly save time and money. After all, it will take several years to grow a healthy, excellent fruit-bearing tree. Apple tree seedlings are not cheap. Therefore, the benefit in this case is obvious. In just a couple of years, you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor by harvesting your first apple harvest.
