Content
Grafting, by definition, is a method of propagation of fruit trees and shrubs. Thanks to this simple measure, you can significantly rejuvenate the plants and expand the range of fruit crops in your garden. But the most important thing is that grafting is a creative process that allows you to endlessly experiment even in small summer cottages.
For professionals, grafting does not pose any particular difficulties. But for beginner gardeners, grafting apple trees spring can raise a lot of questions. But it is important to know that vaccination, although a simple undertaking, still requires adherence to clearly established deadlines and recommendations.
Goals and benefits of vaccination
Thanks to this generally simple process, more than 10,000 new varieties of apple trees have already been developed. To this day, both experienced breeders and simple amateur gardeners do not stop experimenting with the creation of new subspecies.
Thanks to grafting, breeders achieve the following goals:
- Breeding new varieties;
- Improving such characteristics as frost resistance, the taste of apples, increasing productivity, adjusting ripening dates, acclimatization of the variety in a strictly defined region, the height and size of the tree crown;
- Increasing the resistance of apple trees to common diseases and pests;
- Simplifying the conditions for growing and harvesting fruits.
And often professionals achieve their goals, and gardeners benefit from the results of their work by growing high-yielding varieties of apple trees on their plots.
The benefits of vaccination are as follows:
- It is not always possible to buy seedlings of the variety you like. And thanks to apple tree grafting in the spring, you can significantly expand the range of fruit crops in your garden.
- Grafting is the only method by which it is possible to zone varieties of apple trees intended for cultivation in other climatic conditions;
- Low yield, poor taste of fruits, one-sided crown - these shortcomings can be corrected by grafting.
- Old, diseased trees can always be revived by grafting.
- Thanks to this simple procedure, you can combine up to five varieties of apple trees with different tastes and different ripening periods on one tree, which helps save space in a limited space.
- Vaccination is a limitless field of activity for those who like to experiment.
Grafting an apple tree in the spring is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. It is important to remember that many gardeners equate this process to a surgical operation.That is why you need to follow the recommended timing and tips to get excellent results.
To the question why you should learn how to graft fruit crops, the author of the video will answer you:
When to plant: spring or autumn
In most cases, experienced gardeners vaccinate apple trees in the spring. And this is due to the peculiarities of the development and growth of trees during this period. With the onset of a thaw, all nature awakens, the buds swell, and active sap flow begins in the trunks and branches of trees.
Grafting an apple tree in the spring is more justified for the reason that during the summer a weak seedling has enough time to get stronger and gain strength, adapt to local climatic conditions, and subsequently calmly endure the winter cold.
Another advantage of spring grafting of apple trees is the opportunity to evaluate the results of your work as quickly as possible. After all, literally after 2-3 weeks it will be clearly visible whether the graft has taken root. When grafting cuttings at other times of the year, you will have to wait several months.
The timing of grafting apple trees in the spring is ambiguous. The climatic conditions of each region are different. First of all, you need to focus on the condition of your kidneys. It is advisable to complete all garden work before the buds open.
On average, active sap flow gains strength by mid-to-late April. In the southern regions, the optimal time for grafting an apple tree occurs a little earlier - at the end of March - beginning of April.And sometimes gardeners have only a few days in which they need to prepare cuttings, rootstock, tools, and graft the apple tree in the spring.
Preparation of tools and materials
Before properly grafting an apple tree in the spring, you need to take care of tools and material in advance. After all, the time suitable for vaccination is very limited. And in the spring, all summer residents have a lot of work.
In order to carry out this procedure as quickly as possible and reduce the risk of possible failures, prepare the following tools and materials in advance:
- Secateurs, garden knife, saw (if you are going to graft onto old apple trees or thick branches). All tools must be sharp. They must be treated with an alcohol solution immediately before vaccination.
- Insulating material for fixation. The material must be dense and waterproof. Electrical tape, or polyethylene cut into strips and twine are ideal for this purpose.
- Garden varnish for processing cuts and combinations.
- You also cannot do without a good scion and suitable rootstock.
Before vaccinating an apple tree in the spring, be sure to wash and disinfect your hands.
Scion preparation
A scion is a cutting from an apple tree, the variety of which you would like to have on your site. For successful grafting, it is important to select and cut the scions correctly.
It is advisable to cut the cuttings immediately before grafting the apple tree, that is, in the spring. The optimal amount of harvested material is very easy to calculate. How many cuttings you can plant within 3-4 hours, that’s how many you should prepare.
You need to cut material only from a healthy, fruit-bearing apple tree.Sick, damaged branches are not suitable for grafting.
It is undesirable to use so-called tops - empty shoots - as a scion. It is very easy to distinguish them from ordinary shoots - the buds on the tops are small and located less frequently than on the branches, which are guaranteed to yield a harvest.
On average, the length of apple tree cuttings should vary between 15 - 25 cm, and their thickness 0.8 - 1.3 cm. When preparing suitable material, please note that each shoot must have at least 3-5 healthy, well-developed buds.
One shoot can be divided into several cuttings, the main thing is that they have the required number of buds. Immediately after cutting, place the shoots in honey water. Dilute honey in water in a ratio of 0.5 tsp. for 0.5 cups of water. This will help preserve the cuttings and increase the chances of survival.
It is very good when the apple tree from which you want to take cuttings is nearby. But what if the source tree is far away, or it is not possible to cut it and immediately graft a shoot? In this case, you can store the shoots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or basement, at a temperature from – 1˚С to +5˚С.
The author of the video will tell you how to prepare cuttings for subsequent spring grafting of apple trees:
Preparation of the rootstock
A rootstock is a seedling, stump or tree to which the prepared cutting is grafted. A suitable rootstock must be arranged in advance.
The time frame for carrying out spring work is very short, so the basis for future fruit crops is selected in advance, in the summer or autumn, and only grafting is carried out in the spring.
The ideal rootstock for an apple tree is young, 2 or 3 year old seedlings. You can also use wildflower as a rootstock - young shoots of apple trees growing in the wild. Such seedlings grew in local climatic conditions and are highly resistant to diseases and pests.
You can grow the rootstock yourself. Plant apple seeds, and in a couple of years you will have many seedlings suitable for grafting.
Many years of practice have shown that old trees can also be used as rootstock. It is important to remember that only healthy trees, without signs of disease or signs of rotting, are suitable for grafting apple trees in the spring. It is also undesirable to graft onto an apple tree that is damaged by insects.
In the absence of a suitable rootstock, apple trees can be grafted onto third-party crops - pear, quince, viburnum, rowan or hawthorn. But in this case, there are often cases of poor survival of the scion, as well as a gradual decrease in yield; over time, the fruits become small and lose their taste.
In order to be 100% sure of the result and consistently get a good harvest of apples in the future, preference should be given to apple rootstocks.
Which method to choose
At the moment, there are many known ways to graft an apple tree in the spring. However, most of them are difficult to perform or require experience. Therefore, at the moment there are three methods that are so simple to implement that even a novice gardener can cope with them:
- Copulation;
- Grafting for the bark;
- Cleft grafting.
The most common and easiest way to graft an apple tree in the spring is copulation.This method is used to graft shoots if the scion and rootstock are approximately the same in thickness. If the diameter of the seedling and the cutting are very different, then it is better to graft “behind the bark” or “into the cleft.”
Apple trees need to be grafted in the spring in cloudy but not rainy weather. If spring spoils you with warm days, then postpone the vaccination until the morning or evening.
And do not forget that under no circumstances should you touch open sections with your hands. All actions must be quick and clear.
Whatever method you prefer, it’s time to learn how to graft an apple tree in the spring. A video for beginning gardeners will help you become familiar with several grafting methods, learn the lessons, and apply them in practice.
Copulation
Copulation is deservedly considered the most universal grafting method, because it is so simple that it allows gardeners to graft apple trees not only in spring, but also in summer, and even in autumn.
The whole point of this method of grafting apple trees is that identical cuts need to be made on the young shoots of the scion and rootstock, which are then connected into one branch and fixed. The more tightly both parts are connected, the higher the likelihood that the shoot will take root.
It is customary to graft an apple tree in the spring using the copulation method if both the scion and the rootstock are approximately the same in diameter. The maximum thickness of the shoots is 2-2.5 cm. Apple trees are mainly grafted by copulation in the spring onto seedlings aged 1-2 years, or onto young game trees.
There are two types of copulation - simple and improved (by the tongue).The technique is the same in both cases, only the cut is different. With improved copulation on both cuttings - rootstock and scion - you need to make a zigzag cut or a shallow split to connect the cuttings as tightly as possible.
A step-by-step description of grafting an apple tree in the spring using the copulation method:
- On the rootstock and on the scion you need to make even, oblique cuts 3-4 cm long. You need to cut the cuttings in one motion “toward yourself” so that the cut is perfectly even.
- Both shoots need to be connected together, pressing each other as tightly as possible.
- Wrap the connection tightly with insulating tape or film and secure well.
- Open wounds that were not covered with electrical tape should be immediately treated with garden varnish.
The results of apple tree grafting will be noticeable within 1.5-2 weeks. If the “operation” was successful, the buds will soon swell and the first green leaves will appear on the shoots.
Grafting pruners are becoming increasingly popular among experienced summer residents. Sharp blades and several interchangeable attachments will allow you to make perfect cuts. Thanks to grafting pruners, the process of spring grafting of apple trees is simplified several times.
The author of the video will tell and show you step by step how to properly graft an apple tree in the spring using the “tongue” copulation method:
"For the bark"
By grafting “behind the bark” you can rejuvenate old apple trees or straighten the crown of one-sided trees. You can graft an apple tree in the spring either to a small stump or to a skeletal branch. Also, using this method you can combine several different varieties of apple trees on one tree.
When performing vaccinations, it is important to comply with three conditions:
- The free length of the rootstock should be at least 40-60 cm.
- The bark should come off easily.
- There should be no signs of disease or damage on the scion.
To properly graft an apple tree, novice gardeners need to follow the following step-by-step algorithm:
- Cut down the skeletal branches or stump at a distance of 40-60 cm from the trunk (ground).
- The cut area must be carefully cleaned with a garden knife until it is perfectly smooth.
- Now it is important to make the cuts on the bark correctly. If you are grafting an apple tree in the spring on a skeletal branch, then you need to cut the bark in the upper part, otherwise the branch will subsequently break off under the weight of its weight or fruit. The length of the cut is no more than 4-6 cm. Please note that you only need to cut the bark without touching the wood.
- Pry up the bark and push it apart to a distance of 3-4 mm from the trunk. It is better to do this with the blunt side of a knife so as not to injure the rootstock.
- Make an even, oblique cut on the scion. The length of the cut is at least 3 cm.
- Now you need to carefully insert the scion behind the bark, pressing the open cut against the trunk. 2-3 mm of the cut on the scion should “peek out” above the cut.
- Secure the grafting site well with insulating material and treat open areas with garden varnish.
This method of grafting apple trees in the spring is very easy to perform and does not require any special skills or experience. The most important thing is to follow the recommendations of experts. And young apple trees will soon thank you with a generous harvest of fragrant and tasty apples.
The author of the video will give you an object lesson on how to plant an apple tree in the spring using the “bark” method.
"Into the Cleft"
Grafting of apple trees in the spring using the “split” method is carried out if the rootstock and scion differ significantly in thickness.This method is often used in cases where it is necessary to renew, level, or increase the crown of trees, as well as for growing several varieties of apples on one apple tree.
The trunks or branches of an apple tree, the diameter of which varies from 2 cm to 12 cm, are ideal as a rootstock. The timing of grafting an apple tree in the spring using the “split” method is more flexible: you can start working in the garden from the moment the sap flow in the trunks begins, that is, at the end of March - mid-April. And until the end of May you have plenty of time to complete the grafting without haste.
In order to properly graft an apple tree into a cleft, you should follow a number of simple steps:
- Cut down the trunk or skeletal branch of the apple tree and carefully trim it with a knife. The cut must be perfectly smooth, without chips or roughness.
- Using a screwdriver or a knife treated with alcohol, carefully split the rootstock lengthwise. Don't make the gap too deep. For convenience, insert a screwdriver into the crevice.
- At the lower end of the scion, you need to make oblique cuts on both sides, the length of which is 3.5-4 cm. The result should be a wedge.
- Insert the scion into the cleft in the branch so that the sections are hidden in the cleft.
- Remove the screwdriver and wrap the branch with electrical tape.
- Treat all open wounds with garden varnish.
The author of the video will tell you how to graft an apple tree into a cleft in the spring:
Aftercare for fruit trees
Apple trees grafted in spring, regardless of age and grafting method, need attention and care. Grafted seedlings need to be inspected weekly.
The condition of the kidneys will tell you that the grafting of the apple tree in the spring was successful and the scions have taken root.After 1.5-2 weeks they should swell. And soon the first leaves will appear on the shoots.
If after 3-4 weeks the kidneys remained in the same condition, did not swell, but, on the contrary, shrunk, then the “operation” ended in failure. In this case, do not despair. The grafting sites must be freed from insulating material, the grafts removed, and the open areas covered with garden pitch.
To guarantee good results, experienced gardeners, when grafting an apple tree in the spring, graft not one or two, but several seedlings. If all the shoots are accepted, the weakest ones are removed, leaving only the powerful ones.
If all the scions have taken root, it is not advisable to remove the bandages until next spring. A year later, with the arrival of a thaw, the insulating material must be gradually weakened. In spring, young branches grow not only in height, but also in diameter.
For good growth and to ensure the supply of nutrients in sufficient quantities, it is necessary to promptly remove numerous shoots and shoots growing below the grafting.
Do not forget about standard measures for caring for seedlings - watering, fertilizing, loosening, mulching.
Conclusion
It will take several years to grow a young, fruit-bearing tree. Every summer resident wants to have several varieties of apple trees with different ripening periods on one plot. The cost of seedlings is only growing every year. Grafting apple trees in the spring is a great opportunity to save money and collect only the best varieties in your garden. Only 3-4 years will pass, and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the literal sense.
