How to graft a pear: when is it better, on which tree, step-by-step guide

Content

1 Why are fruit trees grafted?
2 When can you graft a pear?
3 What tree can a pear be grafted onto?
4 Selection and preparation of rootstock and scion
5 What material to prepare for grafting pears
6 How to properly graft a pear
7 General rules for performing work
8 Care after vaccination
9 Advice from experienced gardeners
10 Conclusion

Gardeners quite often face the need to graft pear trees. This method of vegetative propagation in some cases can become a complete replacement for traditional planting of seedlings. In addition, grafting is often the only way to save a tree in the event of its death or damage.

Why are fruit trees grafted?

Grafting is not a mandatory event in the year-round cycle of pear care work.However, knowledge of the goals and objectives of this procedure, as well as the basics and methods of its implementation, can significantly expand the gardener’s horizons and improve his understanding of the metabolic and restoration processes occurring inside the tree.

In addition, vaccination allows the following:

Propagate the variety you like.
Improve the characteristics of the plant, its winter hardiness, resistance to adverse natural factors.
Diversify the species composition of the garden without resorting to planting new trees.
Extend or change the harvest time by grafting varieties with different ripening periods.
Save space in the garden.
Turn wild wood into a varietal tree.
Change the taste characteristics of fruits.
Save the variety in case of death or damage to the tree.

Trees are also grafted for research purposes to develop new varieties.

When can you graft a pear?

Theoretically, a pear can be grafted at any time, since the life processes of the tree occur year-round. However, practice shows that this procedure may not always end successfully. In autumn and winter, the tree's recovery processes are very weak, so the likelihood that the scion will take root is practically zero. Therefore, a more favorable time is chosen for vaccination, namely spring and summer.

Pear grafting in spring

Spring pear grafting is usually the most successful. If the deadlines and rules are followed, it guarantees a survival rate close to 100%. The best time to graft a pear is the period before the buds open, i.e., before the start of active sap flow. Another important condition is the absence of return frosts and nighttime temperature drops to negative values.In the southern regions, this time occurs in March, and in the more northern regions - in early or mid-April.

Grafting a pear in the spring for beginners - on video:

Summer pear grafting

In addition to springtime, pear trees can also be grafted in summer. The most suitable time for this is July. To protect the scion from direct sunlight, the grafting site must be shaded, otherwise the cutting may simply dry out. Pear grafting can also be carried out at a later time, for example, in August, but the probability of successful survival in this case is much lower.

Instructions for beginners about grafting pears in summer:

Autumn pear grafting

In autumn, processes in the trunk and branches of trees slow down greatly. The bulk of the nutrients remain in the roots and are not directed to crown growth as the plant prepares for winter. It is not advisable to vaccinate pears in the fall at any time, since it will most likely be unsuccessful. Drastically changing weather conditions at this time of year also do not contribute to the survival of the scion.

Winter pear grafting

Winter grafting can be successful only in those regions where the calendar winter does not last long and is rarely accompanied by severe frosts. Suitable conditions for carrying out vaccination work in such an area may already occur at the end of February. However, in most parts of our country winter vaccinations are not carried out. The only exceptions are trees grown indoors. They can be vaccinated in January-February.

What tree can a pear be grafted onto?

As a rule, most vaccinations are done within one species, for example, a varietal pear is grafted onto a wild species.Interspecific grafting is less commonly used, when one seed crop is grafted onto another, for example, a pear onto an apple tree. The resulting plants, as a rule, differ significantly in their performance from both the rootstock and the scion. However, not all species can be vaccinated against each other, and a positive result is not always guaranteed.

Internatal vaccinations are carried out the least often because they are the most complex. Even if such grafting was successful and fusion occurred, the further development of the tree may be unpredictable due to the different growth rates of the rootstock and scion. However, experiments in this area are constantly being carried out and the statistics of the results are regularly updated.

From all of the above, we can conclude that the best rootstock for a pear will be another pear. However, there are several other crops that can be used as rootstocks. The following trees can be used to graft pears:

chokeberry (chokeberry);
hawthorn;
irgu;
cotoneaster;
apple tree;
rowan

What happens if you graft a pear onto an apple tree?

Both species belong to pome crops, so an attempt graft a pear onto an apple tree may well be successful in the spring. However, the rootstock and scion are not always completely compatible. In this case, even with initial fusion, the cutting may subsequently be rejected. In some cases, the grafting site may grow. This problem is solved in several ways. For example, by re-grafting an already grown cutting after a year. The shoot grown on the rootstock during this time will have much greater compatibility.

The likelihood of successful grafting can be increased by using a so-called intercalary insert.In this case, another link is added between the rootstock and the scion - a cutting that has good fusion characteristics with both the first and the second tree.

How to graft a pear onto a rowan tree

Grafting a pear onto a mountain ash allows you to grow an orchard even in places not intended for this, for example, in wetlands. The pear will not grow there, but the rowan feels quite well in such conditions. This grafting is done in the spring, and it is very important that the scion cuttings are in a dormant state, and the growing season has already begun on the rootstock tree. To achieve this difference, you need to keep the pear cuttings in the refrigerator for some time. In the same way, you can graft a pear onto chokeberry - chokeberry.

It must be remembered that the rate of growth of the trunk of the mountain ash is less than that of the pear. Therefore, after 5-6 years, the tree may simply break under its own weight due to the trunk being too thin at the base. The problem is solved by tying the seedling to a reliable support or by ablactation - the lateral splicing of several (usually 3) rowan seedlings used as a rootstock.

How to graft a dwarf pear onto a tall one

There are no dwarf pear species in their pure form. To reduce the height of the future tree, weak-growing rootstocks are used: in the south it is quince, in the northern regions it is cotoneaster, which is much more frost-resistant. Vigorous rootstocks are usually obtained from wild pear seedlings. Cultivated varieties are grafted onto them. Such trees have a height of up to 15 m and actively bear fruit for up to 100 years.

How to graft a pear onto an irgu

Grafting pears onto shadberry is possible. The resulting trees are distinguished by their compact crown size (3-3.5 m) and uniform fruiting.It is also important that their frost resistance increases significantly. Pears grafted onto shadberry begin to bear fruit very early. Already in the second year after grafting, the first harvest can be expected to ripen.

Grafting pears onto shadberry has its own characteristics. The trunk of the rootstock cannot be cut directly at the grafting site; it is imperative to leave a stump with 2-3 branches. These shoots, developing in parallel with the scion, will ensure normal forward and reverse flow of nutrients along the tree trunk. In this case, rejection and death of the scion, as a rule, does not occur. After 3-4 years, when the process normalizes, the remaining stumps can be removed.

Serviceberry trunks live for about 25 years. In addition, over time, the difference in the thickness of the rootstock and scion reaches a significant value. Therefore, for normal growth and development, it is recommended to regraft the pear onto new trunks at least every 15 years.

What is a columnar pear grafted on?

Columnar trees are becoming increasingly popular due to their compact size and decorative shape. As a rootstock for a columnar pear, you can use quince, shadberry or wild pear. Quince is considered the most suitable rootstock for dwarf plants, but its winter hardiness leaves much to be desired. And such a plant will grow well only on light, fertile soils, which are quite rare in ordinary gardens.

When using wild pear as a rootstock, the plants are more powerful and unpretentious, with a good reserve of frost resistance. However, pears on such a rootstock begin to bear fruit much later, 5-7 years after planting, while those grafted onto quince produce the first harvest 2-3 years after grafting.

A special feature of wild-grafted columnar pears is their tendency to thicken the crown. Such trees must be regularly thinned out, as well as side shoots trimmed, otherwise very soon the pear will cease to be columnar and will turn into a dense lump of intertwined shoots.

Grafting a pear onto a hawthorn

Hawthorn is a very common rootstock for grafting many fruit crops. It is winter-hardy and unpretentious. It is possible to graft a pear onto a hawthorn, and with a high degree of probability the grafting will be successful. Such a tree will quickly begin to bear fruit, and the harvest will be more abundant, larger and tastier.

However, such vaccinations are short-lived and usually last no more than 8 years. Therefore, it is recommended to graft 2-3 new shoots annually to constantly replace dying shoots.

Wild pear grafting

Grafting wild pears with varietal cuttings is used very widely. This symbiosis is ideal in compatibility. Wild pear seedlings have good frost resistance, they are unpretentious, and develop a powerful root system. However, you need to remember that the pear produces a powerful tap root, which can go 2 m or more into the ground. Therefore, the groundwater level at the site of future planting should be no higher than 2-2.5 m.

You can graft an old wild pear directly into the crown. If it is of significant size, then it is recommended to graft the cultivated variety in this way. Using this procedure, over time, all skeletal branches can be replaced with varietal ones, and they may all be of different varieties.

Grafting pear onto quince

Grafting a pear onto a quince is quite simple. Most dwarf pear varieties have just such a rootstock.The tree grows short and compact, so working with its crown is very convenient. The yield of pears grafted onto quince is quite high. Its biggest drawback is its poor frost resistance. A pear on a quince rootstock cannot withstand temperatures below -7 °C, which is why it is planted only in the southern regions of the country.

Selection and preparation of rootstock and scion

Autumn is the best time to take cuttings. Quite often they are cut during pear pruning, saving time. Harvesting is done with a reserve, taking into account the fact that some of the grafting material may not survive the winter.

The choice and preparation of the rootstock depends on its thickness and the method of operation. The most commonly used methods of pear grafting are:

budding (vaccination with a sleeping or awakening eye);
copulation (simple and improved);
into the cleft;
into the side cut;
for the bark.

What material to prepare for grafting pears

After leaf fall, annual shoots are cut, cutting them into pieces 10-15 cm long. Their thickness should be within 5-6 mm. Each cutting should contain 3-4 healthy developed buds, and the upper cut should pass directly above the bud.

Important! For cutting cuttings, do not use the tip of the shoot and its lower part.

Chopped cuttings are tied into bundles. Store them in a container with damp sand or sawdust at a temperature of about + 2 °C. If there is no cellar that maintains such a temperature, you can store the cuttings in the refrigerator, wrapping them in a damp cloth and packing them in a plastic bag.

How to properly graft a pear

Vaccination is a rather complex procedure, and it must be carried out as carefully as possible.To perform vaccination you will need the following tools and materials:

copulating knife;
budding knife;
gardening scissors;
hacksaw;
strapping material;
garden var.

All cutting tools must be perfectly sharpened, since smooth cuts grow together much faster and better. To avoid infection, knives must be sterilized or disinfected with any alcohol-containing liquid.

Grafting a pear with a bud (budding)

Budding is a very common method of grafting. The grafting material (scion) is only one bud, the eye, as gardeners often call it. This is where the name of the method comes from - budding (from the Latin oculus - eye). If the grafting is carried out with a bud taken from an autumn cutting of last year, then it will begin to grow and sprout in the same year. This method is called budding with a germinating eye. If pear grafting is done in the summer, then the bud is taken from fresh cuttings of the current year. It will overwinter and germinate only next year, which is why this method is called sleeping eye budding.

Budding can be carried out in two ways:

butt;
in a T-shaped incision.

During butt budding, a rectangular section of bark is cut out on the rootstock - a shield, which is replaced with a shield of exactly the same size with a scion bud. Having achieved maximum alignment of the cambium layers, the shield is fixed using a special tape.

Important! When fixing the shield, the kidney should remain open.

The second method of budding is done as follows. A T-shaped cut is made in the bark of the rootstock. The sides of the bark are folded back and a scion shield with a bud is inserted behind them. The grafting site is then wrapped with tape, leaving the bud open.

As a rule, the results of vaccination become clear after 2 weeks. If the bud confidently begins to grow, then everything has been done correctly. If germination is not observed, and the bud itself has turned black and dried out, it means that invaluable experience has been gained and next time everything will definitely work out.

Grafting a pear into a cleft

Split grafting is used if the thickness of the rootstock significantly exceeds the thickness of the scion cuttings. This situation can arise, for example, when the crown of a tree is severely damaged, but the root system is in good condition. In this case, the damaged tree is cut down, and several cuttings are grafted onto the stump (usually 2 or 4, depending on the thickness of the stump).

Before grafting, the rootstock is split in two or in a cross. Scion cuttings are inserted into the split, the lower part of which is sharpened with a sharp wedge. Having achieved the connection of the outer layers of the cambium, the cuttings are fixed with tape, and the open cut is covered with garden varnish or natural-based oil paint.

Vaccination for bark

Grafting a pear by the bark can be used in the same cases as grafting into a cleft. It is done in the following way. The stump or even cut of the rootstock is cleaned with a knife, removing all surface irregularities. Even cuts about 4 cm long are made on its bark. The lower part of the cutting is cut with an oblique cut so that its length is 3-4 cm.

The scion is inserted behind the bark at the cut sites so that the cut is directed inside the tree and protrudes 1-2 mm beyond the cut surface. The grafting site is fixed with tape, and open areas are covered.

Copulation

Copulation is a fairly common grafting method, used in the case of a slight difference in thickness between the rootstock and scion.In this case, the upper part of the rootstock and the lower part of the cutting are cut with an oblique cut, the length of which should be approximately 3 times greater than its diameter. After this, they are combined with each other, achieving maximum coincidence of the cambium layers. Then the grafting site of the pear is secured with tape.

The improved copulation method allows you to increase the likelihood of a positive result. In this case, the oblique cut is made not straight, but zigzag. This fixes the shoot much more tightly and also increases the boundaries of contact between the cambium layers.

Currently, there are tools that make it possible to achieve almost perfect contact between the cambium layers. This is the so-called grafting pruner. With its help, the cutting and rootstock are cut, and the shape of the cut matches perfectly.

However, such tools have a number of significant drawbacks. They are applicable only on shoots of a certain thickness; moreover, the rootstock and scion must be almost the same in diameter. An important factor is their high price.

Ablactation

Ablation, or proximity grafting, is quite rarely used for pears. More often it is used to create hedges or to graft poorly rooted grape varieties. However, this method will also work for pears. Its essence is that two shoots growing in constant direct contact with each other eventually merge into one.

You can speed up this process by cutting off shields of the same shape from both shoots and fixing them. After about 2-3 months, the shoots will grow together at the point of contact.

By the bridge

Bridge is one of the types of grafting used in a critical situation, for example, in case of ring damage to the cortex by rodents.In this case, it is necessary to use pre-prepared cuttings, which will be a kind of bridge between the root system and the crown of the tree. Make a bridge as follows. Mirror T-shaped cuts are made on the bark above and below the damaged area. Cuttings cut obliquely are planted in them, achieving as precise alignment of the cambium layers as possible. Their length should be slightly greater than the distance between the cuts, and the cutting should be slightly curved after installation.

The number of bridges depends on the thickness of the damaged tree. For a young seedling, one is enough; for an adult tree, you can install 6 or 8 bridges. After installation, they need to be secured with tape or nailed with thin nails. All damaged areas must be covered with garden pitch or other material.

Important! All bridge cuttings should face the direction of natural growth.

General rules for performing work

Vaccination is akin to a surgical operation, so its result directly depends on accuracy. All cuts must be made smoothly and clearly. The instrument must be perfectly sharpened and sterilized. It must be remembered that there are no exact dates for vaccinations; all work must be carried out based on weather conditions and your experience.

Care after vaccination

2 weeks after the vaccination, its success can be assessed. If the grafting site does not turn black, the buds swell and begin to grow, then all the efforts were not in vain. If the result is negative, the vaccination can be repeated in a different way at another suitable time. It is also worth checking whether the rootstock and scion are compatible.

After successful grafting, it is necessary to observe the growth of the shoot. There is no need for too rapid growth; it is advisable to slow it down by pinching the top. In this case, the tree will spend more energy on healing the grafting site, and not on forcing out the shoot. All growth below the grafting site must be removed for the same purpose.

After about 3 months, the fixing bandages can be loosened. They can be completely removed in a year, when the tree has overwintered and it can be confidently recognized that the graft has taken root.

Advice from experienced gardeners

To avoid unnecessary mistakes, it is recommended to follow the following rules when vaccinating:

Before grafting, make sure that the rootstock and scion are compatible, including the timing of fruit ripening. Grafting a late pear onto a summer pear may result in the crop simply not having time to ripen due to the tree going into hibernation early.
All work should be performed only on time, with high-quality and clean tools.
The rootstock and scion must be absolutely healthy so that the plant does not waste energy on recovery.
If you plan to use a recently planted tree as a rootstock, you must first give it the opportunity to grow its own full-fledged root system. Therefore, anything can be grafted onto it only after 2-3 years.
You should not graft several different varieties at once. The tree gets used to one thing faster.
The grafted pear must have at least one branch of its own. If it is not a varietal plant, then its growth can be slowed down by constriction.
It is better to use trees older than 3 and younger than 10 years as a rootstock. Grafting anything onto an old pear tree will be much more difficult.

The success of vaccination largely depends on experience.Therefore, it is better for novice gardeners to carry out this operation for the first time under the guidance of a more experienced friend.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to graft a pear if you follow all the recommendations. This tree has good survival rate and does well on many rootstocks. Therefore, this opportunity must be used for the species diversity of the garden.