Eye grafting in summer. So that the vaccine takes root well. Main types of vaccinations and the right time for them

Before budding an apple tree, it is worth understanding what it is and why it is called that.

Budding is a special type of grafting (popularly called inoculation), accessible to every gardener.

Budding – young seedlings, in which a bud of a cultivated variety is used.

• A cut is made on the rootstock bark without damaging the cambium.
• A kidney is inserted into the resulting incision behind the bark.
• The joint is secured and covered with garden varnish or putty.

The bud located on the rootstock resembles an eye. Hence the name of the procedure, because previously the eye was called “eye”.

Rules for how budding of an apple tree should be done in summer

In order for the apple tree grafting operation to be successful, you must adhere to the following rules:

• The material for vaccination must be healthy;
• The cut on the rootstock must be made with a sharp, disinfected instrument;
• The length of the cut on the rootstock should correspond to the size of the cultivated bud;
• The cambium of the bud and the rootstock should fit perfectly: without bending into the bark, without displacement;
• Contamination of the connection point is not allowed;
• The operation must be carried out quickly;
• The winding that secures the alignment should be neither loose nor too tight;
• The variety and type of tree of the rootstock and scion must be genetically compatible.

Compatibility of scion and rootstock.

Application practice

The budding method is convenient and effective.

The survival rate of the scion, if the grafting rules are followed, is almost 100 percent. Therefore, the method is widely used.

Apple tree budding allows you to impart additional qualities to a cultivated variety, for example, winter hardiness or drought resistance. Sweet, aromatic varieties of southern apples can successfully grow and develop in rather harsh conditions.

In this way, zoned varieties are obtained.

Budding is used in the production of planting material. Growing apple tree seedlings by budding takes only one year. In addition, this grafting method allows you to grow planting material not only during the warm planting season, but also in winter.

Although this type of grafting is mainly used on young seedlings up to three years old, you can budding an adult apple tree. Especially if the fruits have become smaller or fruiting has decreased. Grafting the same variety will help rejuvenate the tree.

In the crown of a mature tree By budding you can graft different varieties of apple trees. This is very convenient if you want to try to grow new varieties, but space on the plot is limited.

ADVICE: There are limitations when grafting different varieties onto one tree. It is advisable that the growth rates of the rootstock and scion coincided.

This discrepancy can make the survival of apple tree buds on rootstocks of a different species unsuccessful.

You can grow different varieties of apple trees on one tree.

Compatibility of apple and pear trees during budding confirmed not only theoretically, because both plants are pome-bearing, but also practically.

Many gardeners successfully graft an apple tree onto a pear tree and vice versa. Such a procedure may entail two goals:

• Using pear exclusively as a rootstock;
• Getting a tree that grows apples and pears at the same time.

However, well-established vaccinations eventually disappoint summer residents.

IMPORTANT! The growth rate of pear trees significantly exceeds the development rate of apple trees. Abundant fruiting does not occur; after 3-7 years the graft dies off.

Rowan rootstock often serves as the basis for grafting small-fruited apple trees. It is used to reproduce different types of china. This combination gives good results.

Small-fruited apple trees and rowan trees are similar in growth rates. Budding an apple tree onto rowan increases the winter hardiness of the seedling. In addition, rowan rootstock makes it possible to reduce the height of the usually tall china.

Grafting large-fruited apple trees onto rowan is short-lived.

By studying the methods of how apple and pear grafting should be carried out (budding), you can significantly expand the capabilities of your fruit tree.

Budding methods

For the bark

Other names of the method - budding with an eye and budding with a bud. For the grafting process, choose a good large bud from a mature young branch.

The thickness of the branch should not exceed one and a half centimeters. The bud should be located in the center of the one-year-old branch.

• The branch is separated from the apple tree, the leaves are removed, and the petioles are left.
• When cutting out the selected bud, you must try to cut the cambium, but not touch the deep layers of wood.
• An equal amount of tissue should remain on top and bottom of the kidney, but no more than one and a half centimeters.
• A cut is made on the north side of the rootstock in the shape of the letter T, so deep as not to touch the central wood of the rootstock, about four centimeters long.
• The kidney is carefully inserted into the incision, the layers of the cambium touching.
• The grafting area is tightly bandaged with grafting tape from bottom to top - the eye itself remains outside the winding.
• All places where the grafting tape comes into contact with the bark of the rootstock are treated with garden varnish.
• The winding should provide a tight connection between the eye and the rootstock, but should not cut into the bark.
• With the appearance of the sprout, the grafting site is unbandaged.
• The section of the branch above the eye is cut off, leaving a small stump.

Step-by-step diagram of budding with a shield.

ADVICE: As soon as the petiole falls off on its own, the grafting is a success. If the kidney turns black, the procedure must be repeated.

Sleeping eye

Budding with a sleeping eye is a variant of budding by the bark, in which a dormant mature bud is used.

The technique is similar. The procedure is carried out in the summer. This apple tree budding is carried out in August, since in the summer it is easy to determine the quality of the bud.

A bud placed in the rootstock tissue should begin to germinate next spring. Therefore, when wrapping the grafting area, the eye is closed entirely.

For this method, it is important to correctly observe the timing of vaccination., otherwise the bud may germinate in autumn or early winter. In this case, the cold will certainly destroy the young graft.

The optimal timing is determined by the easy separation of the apple tree bark and usually occurs at the end of July - mid-August.

IMPORTANT! If the period when the bark is easily separated from the cambium is missed, budding with a sleeping eye cannot be carried out.

Watch how summer budding of an apple tree is carried out in a video from experienced gardeners:

In the butt

This method is easier, but The result of grafting largely depends on a good eye and the firmness of the gardener’s hand.

Budding an apple tree in the butt in the summer is convenient for those who did not have time to vaccinate with a sleeping eye.

This method of budding is not affected by the condition of the cortex. Vaccination works on the principle of a designer. The rootstock acts as the base, and the bud is its detail.

• It is necessary to cut out a part of the rootstock with approximate dimensions of 0.5 cm in depth, 2 cm in length;
• A bud of the same size is cut out from the scion;
• The parts are connected by a cambium;
• The grafting site is tightly bandaged from bottom to top, including the eye itself.

Shield vaccination.

The result of budding into the stock largely depends on the identity of the cuts of the rootstock and scion.

IMPORTANT: If the bud from budding with a sleeping eye or budding in the butt has sprouted ahead of time, you will have to take measures so that it is not destroyed by winter frosts.

Preparing for vaccination

Preparation of material for budding apple trees plays an important role for the success of the operation.

Rootstocks

Before starting the vaccination procedure, it is necessary to increase air access to the roots of the rootstocks.

If the rootstocks were hilled, need to unlearn, weed and loosen the soil in the area of ​​the roots of the rootstocks 10-14 days before the start of grafting work.

Before you start vaccination, the rootstocks are watered. Preparing apple tree rootstocks for budding includes removing excess shoots from the trunk and keeping it free of dust and soil.

Cuttings

For budding, apple trees must be no older than one year, well leafed and with fully matured wood.

For spring and summer procedures, branches are cut on the day of work.

IMPORTANT! Cuttings should not be stored in the sun.

Before the procedure itself, the leaves on the branches are removed. Leaf petioles are left, but shortened to 0.8-1 cm.

Kidneys

The buds must match the size of the rootstock.

If the rootstock is thicker than the scion cutting, it is permissible to take a bud from the bottom of the latter. The upper buds of cuttings can only be used when working in the summer.

It is very difficult to determine whether the upper buds of an annual shoot have ripened in the spring.

This means that the result of such a vaccination will not be guaranteed.

Options for budding

With or without bark

Since budding of an apple tree with or without wood is possible, the question often arises: Which vaccine takes root better?

When is it carried out? budding by the bark, the bud is cut off along with a piece of wood. Considering that for better graft survival it is desirable that the implanted bud does not contain bark, gardeners try to remove it mechanically.

There is no need to strip the bark from the bud. Budding by the bark also takes root well with wood. If you want to vaccinate without it, you should use sleeping eye budding.

It is produced precisely during the period when the bark separates freely, literally, it is removed by itself. Grafting of wood bases implies some difficulties.

At first the bud slips a lot, then dries quickly. It must be placed into the incision quickly, carefully and correctly. This requires skill.

Outside or inside

When choosing where to graft an apple tree by budding: outside or inside the branch, it is more correct to graft in both places.

Several buddings are carried out on one shoot to ensure that the grafting is successful.

This is especially important for rejuvenating old trees. Increased chances of success allow you to avoid wasting time.

When grafting two kidneys they are placed on different sides of the rootstock, one above the other. In the future, if both vaccinations take root, you can choose the stronger one and remove the weaker one.

If the grafting is done into the crown of a tree, you need to choose the side of the branch that looks outward.

Watch the experience of gardeners on how summer budding of an apple tree is performed in a video with explanations:

IMPORTANT! The grafting made inside the branch, after germination, will be directed to the center of the crown - this is shading and interferes with the growth of other fruit-bearing branches.

High or low

Grafting a young seedling according to classical gardening on a seed rootstock is done 5-7 cm higher than the root neck of the tree.

When working with clonal rootstocks - height increases to 10-12cm.

Manufacturers of apple tree planting material on dwarf and medium-sized rootstocks use high grafting - from 20 to 60 cm, respectively.

High budding of the apple tree inhibits the growth of the scion. Seedlings grafted high begin to bear fruit earlier.

This method also has disadvantages:

• It provokes a decrease in the number of side shoots and the fruits themselves.
• Due to high budding, the roots of the rootstock do not cling well to the soil and form a large amount of shoots.

With proper agricultural technology, organization of supports and artificial reduction of ovaries, these processes can be regulated.

Growing apple tree planting material

Grafting by budding gives every gardener the opportunity to grow an apple tree on their own. To get a young apple tree you will have to try, but the result is worth it.

First you need to grow or select a rootstock.

Seed rootstock

If you decide to grow an apple tree, it is better to use old, proven varieties that grow successfully in the area.

They must be winter-hardy and resistant to infections and pests. The Antonovka variety has proven itself best of all, so it is used for seed rootstock more often than others.

After the seedling grows, it must be grafted. Budding of apple tree rootstocks can be carried out throughout the summer season, especially if one or two trees are grown.

If a lot of planting material is produced, it is better to carry out summer budding.

Clonal rootstock

In the production of planting material, clonal rootstocks are layerings, root shoots and cuttings of selected varieties.

Vegetative propagation prevents cross-pollination of plants and changes in their qualities. All vegetative rootstocks retain the characteristics of the mother plants. In addition, the cultivation of such rootstocks is faster.

Clonal rootstock can be purchased. There are companies that produce rootstocks specifically for sale. If there is no such company nearby, you can buy the rootstock through an online store.

You can, of course, use the root shoots of an apple tree that grows on the site. But when buying a rootstock, you have the opportunity to choose the degree of growth of the future seedling.

Budding of apple tree seedlings, done on a dwarf or medium-sized rootstock, will protect the garden from 6-8 meter apple trees, the care of which is very problematic.

• The most common dwarf rootstocks: M9, M8, M27, D1071.
• The most common medium-growing rootstocks: MM104, M2, 3,4,5,7.

It is worth considering that apple trees on a seed rootstock begin to bear fruit two to three years later than the same varieties on a dwarf rootstock.

Early fruiting varieties on dwarf rootstocks can begin bearing fruit even in the year of grafting.

But seed rootstocks have good adhesion to the ground, unlike clonal ones.

IMPORTANT! Seedlings produced on dwarf rootstock may be torn out of the ground by strong winds or the weight of the crop.

Watch the video on how to plant clonal rootstock:

Two-year cycle of growing low-growing apple trees

To reduce the growth of an apple tree on a seed rootstock, budding of apple trees on annual rootstock is used. Growing a young apple tree seedling in this case will take two years.

• In the first year, budding of a low-growing variety is carried out on an annual seed rootstock. The most commonly used varieties are: Red-leaved Paradise and Raika. The grafting is carried out at a height of 7-10 cm from the ground.
• In the second year, budding of the desired cultivar is done on the grown scion. This vaccination is higher. The distance from the first graft to the new varietal is 15-18 cm. It is this section of the rootstock that will be responsible for the growth of the apple tree. The result will be a dwarf variety on a seed rootstock.

In warm climates, the grafting site remains above the soil. And in areas with sharp changes of seasons and harsh winters, such an apple tree should be planted, deepening the trunk to the point of budding.

This is necessary so that in the fall the graft can be hilled up and insulated.

Growing columnar apple trees

Columnar varieties of apple trees represent a separate group of plants. The shape of the crown in the form of a column is formed by breeders and incorporated into these varieties at the genetic level.

The budding of columnar apple trees is technologically no different from the grafting of seedlings with a standard one. The differences lie in the selection of rootstock.

To obtain a good seedling, the rootstock must be super-dwarf. In the production of this type of apple tree, two main rootstocks are used:

• For warm regions of southern Russia, PB-4 (Pavradizka Belorusskaya) is used.
• For all other regions, the rootstock is Baby Budakovsky.

Budding columnar varieties onto standard rootstocks is unproductive, since the biological characteristics of the columns will be inhibited. Even on dwarf rootstocks it is impossible to obtain a miniature columnar tree.

Growing seedlings in a nursery

Growing apple tree seedlings can become the main focus of a gardener’s work.

Having a good command of the budding technique, you can begin to develop in two directions:

• Creation of an intensive fruiting garden;
• Production of planting material.

An intensive garden, when budding rootstocks with varieties that quickly begin to bear fruit, will bring the first harvest within a year.

And in 2-3 years it will bear fruit in full force. Using budding skills, you can obtain large harvests for sale yourself, or you can offer the creation of intensive gardens to potential clients.

Nursery organization– another opportunity that comes from mastering the grafting technique. The advantage of budding seedlings in a nursery is that this type of grafting can be done at almost any time of the year and in any quantity.

To free up time for gardening in spring, summer and fall, many nurseries bud apple trees in winter. For this purpose, rootstocks and scions are harvested in the fall and stored.

The grafting is carried out indoors during the winter.
This grafting method allows you to obtain ready-made sales material in one year:

• In the spring the rootstock is grown,
• In winter, budding is carried out,
• Next spring, the seedlings are ready for sale.

A fruit nursery is a type of business that does not lose its popularity and, with the right approach, gives a good profit.

Apple tree budding dates

Timing of apple tree grafting depend on the stage of vegetative development of the tree. Most often, budding is performed during sap flow. During this period, regeneration processes are activated in the apple tree.

There are two such periods - early spring and mid-summer.

You can determine when the best time to budding an apple tree is by the degree of bark separation. If the bark easily lags behind the cambium, it’s time to start grafting work.

Spring

In the spring, budding is carried out by the bark, in which a vegetative bud is used. For spring work, it is important to catch the very beginning of sap flow.

In central Russia Grafting an apple tree by budding in the spring usually occurs at the end of April, when the snow has already melted, but the ground has not yet thawed and the buds on the trees have not begun to grow.

Winter

In order to be able to graft in the winter, the rootstock and scion are prepared in advance, creating the necessary conditions artificially:

• At the end of autumn, rootstock seedlings and scion cuttings are removed to a cool place.
• One and a half to two weeks before grafting, the rootstock seedlings, and 2-3 days before the scion cuttings, are moved to a warm temperature of 22-25 degrees.

ADVICE: Winter budding of apple tree rootstock is carried out starting in mid-December and ends no later than mid-March.

Summer

Most often, budding of apple trees is done in the summer. The process of bark separation begins around the end of July and continues until mid-August. Midsummer is a convenient time for vaccinations. Unlike spring, you can easily identify a well-ripened bud.

Features of apple tree budding in summer allow vaccination not only during the period of sap flow of the apple tree, but also after it. You just have to change the method.

In the first case, budding with a sleeping eye is used, in the second - budding with a butt.

The main spring work on preparing the garden for fruiting is usually completed by mid-summer, leaving the gardener with more time to carry out grafting.

Dependence of budding timing on climate zone

Climate influences the timing of grafting work. The timing of spring budding in the Omsk region will differ significantly from the time of vaccination in the Volgograd region.

In warm climates spring comes earlier and rarely threatens return frosts. The early growing season of fruit trees in the south makes it possible to begin budding as early as March, and in some regions even in February.

The gentle change of seasons expands the timing of summer budding in Ukraine. When budding in the stock, work can be carried out until mid-October.

For northern conditions Spring and winter vaccinations are preferred. The same timing is suitable for residents in the Middle Volga region. When choosing when to budding an apple tree in Siberia, it is worth assessing your capabilities.

If there is a room in which a constant low positive temperature is maintained, it is better to use winter budding.

Spring grafting also suitable, but there is a danger of spring frosts. In the Middle Volga region, spring budding gives good results.

Summer budding is risky in both regions, since there is a possibility that the graft will not have time to take root well and will not be ready to survive the winter cold.

Practice shows that in Northern Kazakhstan The best results are obtained by budding apple trees throughout April.

Residents central Russia can get good results from both spring and summer, as well as winter budding.

Similar situation in Belarus. It is important not to rush to start grafting apple trees in the spring and not to be late with grafting in the summer.

Watch a useful video on how to graft two varieties, secrets of professionals:

Having mastered the techniques of budding, every gardener has the opportunity to increase the winter hardiness and productivity of his favorite variety, can replenish his garden with new varieties, rejuvenate apple trees and create unique trees in the crowns of which pears and different varieties of apples can coexist.

In contact with

Shapes of branches and shoots. It is important for every gardener to be able to distinguish fruiting wood from growth shoots, since otherwise, when pruning, you can easily remove the wrong branch and then wait in vain for the harvest.

A seedling purchased from a nursery consists of a trunk and several shoots.

The height of the trunk is already established when grafting in the nursery, so you can choose from high-, medium- and low-standard trees or.

After planting in the garden, the targeted formation of the young crown begins, and for almost all types of fruit crops, preference should be given to a pyramidal, rounded crown.

It most closely matches the natural shape of the crown, and it looks better than, for example, a U-shaped or goblet-shaped crown.

Skeleton of a rounded crown

The formation of a strong crown skeleton begins already in the first, post-planting pruning. It consists of a center, that is, a trunk and a central conductor, three or four skeletal branches and several lateral branches, which are evenly distributed on the skeletal branches. With proper pruning, it is these strong branches that will produce fruiting branches and short fruiting wood.

Types of buds: sharp, elongated, tightly adjacent leaf buds on annual shoots; flower buds are round in shape, protruding slightly on the two-year-old part of the shoot. The older flower buds form fruit bags.

Fruit wood of pome crops

Flower buds are found on often short fruiting wood. This applies to apple and pear trees, while in many stone fruit species leaf and flower buds can sit together on longer annual shoots. This can also be observed in some varieties of apple trees, such as Jonagold, James Grieve, Prince Albrecht of Prussia.

There are several types of shoots in pome fruit wood:

• Fruit twigs: weak shoots 10-30 cm long, which in pome fruit crops initially form only flowers and fruits. This must be taken into account, for example, when pruning curly fruit trees.
• Spear: a shortened shoot only 5-10 cm long, which basically ends in a flower bud. And even if the final bud turns out to be a leaf bud, it still turns into a flower bud over time.
• Ringlet: a short shoot, often less than 5 cm, grows slowly, and after the leaves fall, it leaves characteristic ring scars. In summer, at the top of the ringlet, in most cases, a rosette of 3-8 leaves is formed. Like the spearfish, under favorable nutritional conditions, already in the first year the apical bud turns into a flower bud. When thickening, the fruit wood of mature trees must be thinned out or rejuvenated! This activates growth and ensures higher quality fruit.
• Fruit bags: thickenings at the end of the fruit branch that bears fruit; It is in the places where the fruits are attached that traces remain, which is absolutely normal. Most often, new flower buds form again on the fruit bags.

Fruit wood from stone fruits

In stone fruits, flower buds can form already on annual shoots, but the apical bud is always a growth bud. In cherries, apricots and peaches, valuable fruit buds grow along with leaf buds on annual elongated shoots. In peach, true and false fruit shoots are also distinguished. True fruit shoots consist of three buds: two floral and one leafy in the middle. ripen on true fruit shoots. False fruit shoots, on the contrary, consist almost exclusively of flower buds, and such a shoot ends with a growth bud.

An ideally formed rounded crown (medium-standard apple tree) with three strong skeletal branches, on which lateral branches are evenly distributed. The entire skeleton of the branches is richly covered with fruit wood. Sunlight freely penetrates into the very center of the crown, which ensures high quality fruits.

Forms of shoots

At the top is a growth shoot with leaf buds. Bottom: shoot with fruit buds on its two-year-old part.

Pear. Above is a biennial part of the shoot: on the left is a shortened shoot with a flower bud, to the right of it is a one-year growth shoot. Small photo: fruit bag. Below: a shoot with flower buds on ringlets and a fruit twig.

At the top is an annual elongated shoot with growth and leaf buds. Below it is a shoot with flower buds and shortened shoots.

Cherry and . The two upper shoots of the Morel shady cherry variety are covered with leaf and flower buds. In the front third, mainly flower buds grow, and behind them are those from which leaves and new shoots grow. At the same time, there are many bare spots, which often happens with the Morel shady variety, which is prone to the formation of long drooping twigs.
Bouquet branches are formed only on two- or three-year-old shoots. In subsequent years, the branches begin to become bare. Therefore, it is important to regularly rejuvenate older shoots.

Bouquet buds are the most important organs for the formation of flowers and fruits in plums and especially in cherries and apricots. They are similar to the ringlets of stone fruits, but together with them, three (or more) buds grow at the top in one bouquet. All round buds are flower buds, but in the center of such a bouquet, on the contrary, there is always one growth bud.

Growth shoots of pome and stone fruits

Growth shoots are called strong annual elongated shoots on which only growth and leaf buds grow. They are very important for the formation of the crown skeleton, that is, the central conductor, skeletal and lateral branches. Among pomaceous plants, only a few varieties can produce flowers on growth shoots. And in stone fruits, in addition to purely growth shoots with growth and leaf buds, annual elongated shoots with growth, leaf and flower buds also grow simultaneously.

1. Competing shoots must be removed both during post-planting pruning and during subsequent crown formation.
2. Once this strong vertical shoot growing into the crown is removed, sunlight can easily penetrate into the center of the crown.

A competitor shoot is a “special” growth shoot that plays an important role in pruning. When the central conductor, skeletal and lateral branches above the bud, from which a new strong shoot should appear, are shortened, then often an equally strong vertical shoot develops from the next bud below it. Only, unlike the first one, it is undesirable, which is why it is called a competitor.

With each pruning, the competing shoot must be removed first, unless, of course, it has developed more strongly and is not better located than the actual continuation branch of the central conductor or the skeletal and lateral branches.

Left: cropped correctly. Middle: There is too much shoot left above the bud, this stump will begin to dry out. Right: the cut is too long and beveled, the axillary bud (eye) dries out.

Types of buds and eyes on trees

There are different types of buds that you must learn to distinguish before you start pruning:

• The growth buds have a conical shape. They mostly sit on annual shoots. With a favorable location and good nutrition, a strong growth shoot often grows from them.
• Flower or fruit buds, on the contrary, are round in shape and larger. Although in stone fruits they can only be reliably recognized in early spring. Flower buds are always formed the previous summer. In apple and pear trees, from flower buds, in addition to flowers, leaves also grow, while stone fruits, on the contrary, only have flowers.
• In their shape, leaf buds occupy a middle position between sharp growth buds and rounded flower buds. They mainly grow on fruiting wood, often in clusters of rosettes.
• Ocelluses, or axillary buds, are the buds in the initial stage of their development in the summer. They are found in the leaf axils of green shoots, that is, where only leaves grow (hence their name “axillary”). In the nursery, such buds are used for budding. This is a type of grafting in which in August the eye is grafted onto the selected rootstock of a rose or any fruit crop. If the eyes in the axils of the leaves have developed well and acquired their final shape, then they are called buds. Although fruit tree pruning courses and other pruning manuals often alternate between these concepts simply to avoid using the same word, here we are strictly speaking talking about buds at different stages of their development.

Unopened eyes are called dormant buds. It is especially important to be able to find them when thinning and rejuvenating pruning of mature trees. Dormant buds are located under a thin layer of wood, so they are not so easy to detect.

Such buds germinate only under severe external irritation, when, for example, strong branches are removed from the crown or carried out. Then, spiny (or fatty) shoots often develop from them. These are very strong, long, vertically growing young shoots with long internodes (the areas of the shoot between two adjacent nodes, the so-called leaf attachment points). Not all tops are useless: weaker top shoots can be converted into fruit branches.

This is how an old tree that has not been cared for before reacts to severe thinning at one time. Many strong growth shoots are formed on the upper parts of the branches. Now you need to remove all the strong, upright shoots and leave a few weaker ones that do not grow quite vertically.

Difference: branches, twigs, shoots

Moreover, all vertically growing shoots on the top of strong branches are also called tops. The same applies to strong annual shoots growing inside the crown. Although such vertical shoots in well-lit parts of the crown are scientifically correctly called “riders”.

In the spring and what grafting methods should be used.

Benefits of apple tree grafting in spring

The importance of grafting in the modern fruit growing industry cannot be underestimated. Cutting allows you to solve a huge number of important problems. The significant advantages of spring tree grafting are as follows:

• Jigging eliminates crop defects, corrects underdeveloped trunks, and restores one-sided crowns.
• Reanimates dying, damaged (for example, by rodents).
• Increases fruiting on low-growing varieties and accelerates fruiting on late-ripening ones.
• Allows you to breed hybrid varieties, as well as propagate unique and rare trees.
• Makes it possible to develop a new fruit crop.
• Increases the tree's resistance to various ailments and.
• Increases frost resistance of “delicate” ones.
• Preserves the taste and external characteristics of the variety.
• Saves space (instead of two trees, you can get by with one on which two different trees are planted).

Did you know?The apple tree can grow up to 12 meters in height. Dwarf plants of this crop (up to 2 meters in height) were bred by breeders for convenience when collecting fruits. Today, sizes vary from the size of a pea to the size of a newborn baby's head.

What trees can an apple tree be grafted onto?

The best rootstocks for cuttings are considered to be seedlings of cultivated varieties or mature trees. Cuttings of seedlings can be carried out on young “wild” ones dug up in the forest or grown from seeds.

There are also several alternative rootstock options:

Some gardeners advise storing apple cuttings in the refrigerator. To do this, wrap the twigs in damp material or plastic wrap and place them on the bottom shelf.

Spring grafting of an apple tree: step-by-step instructions

Spring cutting is a very responsible procedure, often compared to a surgical operation. Therefore, choose the method that is most convenient for you and follow the step-by-step recommendations.

Budding (kidney grafting)

Budding is the simplest method of grafting apple trees in the spring and is excellent for novice breeders. The kidney survival rate is very high.

The procedure will take very little of your time. In addition, you will need a minimum of grafting material: just one cutting of a valuable variety.

Grafting into cleft

Grafting into clefts is carried out in the spring, just before the beginning, when the trees are still dormant. Using this method, an apple tree can be grafted onto an old, but still strong tree.

Important! If you are planting on an inclined branch, the cutting should be on top. Subsequently, the new branch will not break off under the weight of the fruit.

For spring planting of apple trees, when the diameters of the branches and cuttings converge, it is used simple copulation:

1. Make oblique cuts 3-4 cm long on the scion and rootstock.
2. Immediately place fresh slices next to each other.
3. Secure the connection with film or electrical tape.
4. Cover the upper cut on the trunk with garden varnish or paint.

Improved copulation:

Improved copulation is usually used. This method provides a stronger connection between the cuttings of one plant and the trunk of another. This coupling is possible due to the presence of a “tongue” - an additional cut on the cut.

1. Make an oblique cut on the wood of the tree.
2. On the bark of the grafted variety, make 2 oblique longitudinal cuts. Place the scion into this cut, bringing the edges together so that the cambium matches.
3. When the cutting starts to grow, remove its upper part with a grafting knife.
4. Tie the place where the jigging was done with synthetic film, and cover the sections with garden varnish.

Important! Do not under any circumstances use insulating tape for this job. It is quite rough, contains harmful additives, interferes with the development of callus and prevents the rapid fusion of the graft.

For the bark

1. Sawing. Carefully cut down a large branch, this is where the grafting will be done.
2. Clean the cut areas. Clean the cut end of the branch with a sharp knife until smooth. For good survival, the cutting also needs to be cleaned a little.
3. We make a cut. Make the cut of the cutting long and narrow. This will make it easier for it to fit under the scion bark.
4. We introduce the cuttings. It needs to be pushed under the bark so that it fits entirely there. Gardeners sometimes advise making a small shoulder in the upper part of the cutting. This helps limit the promotion of the material used.
5. Wrap everything well with film.

Common mistakes

In the fruit growing industry, grafting is a fundamental process through which you can obtain a unique plant variety, as well as give a second life to aged plants and preserve a rare variety of a particular crop. Grafting is carried out by connecting a bud or cutting of one plant (scion) with the outer or inner part of the root, stem, branch, trunk of another plant (stock). In the article we will tell you how to graft an apple tree in the spring, what grafting methods can be used.

Why vaccination is needed: the importance of vaccination and its benefits

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of grafting in the modern breeding and horticulture industry, since with the help of grafting a cultivar and rootstock, a huge number of the following important problems can be solved:

• Level out defects, correct underdeveloped trunks, restore one-sided crowns.
• Revive a dying plant.
• Increase fruiting on low-growing varieties.
• Accelerate fruiting on late-ripening varieties.
• Get hybrid, dwarf plant varieties.
• Propagate rare and unique varieties of crops.
• Increase resistance to pests and diseases.
• Increase winter hardiness.
• Preserve the taste and external characteristics of the culture.
• Create a new plant crop.

Grafting allows you to improve any initial plant material grown in folk selection, which is the main advantage of grafting.

Main types of vaccinations and the right time for them

Vaccination is a general concept for 7 types of vaccinations, which are presented in the table.

Types of vaccinations	Technique and optimal timing
Budding	Vaccination with a sleeping or awakening eye. In spring from May to June, in summer from June to September.
Copulation	Grafting with cuttings. Spring from March to April (before the start of sap flow)
Grafting into cleft	Grafting with cuttings. Spring. For stone fruit trees - March, for pome trees - April.
Lateral incision grafting	Grafting with cuttings. Spring, summer (during the period of bud swelling)
Vaccination for bark	Grafting with cuttings. Spring – from April to May during the period of sap flow.
Bridge grafting	Grafting with cuttings. Spring - from May to June during the period of intense sap flow.
Ablactation	Grafting by bringing together two branches located nearby. From May to October.

In the practical industry of fruit growing, it is noted that grafting should be carried out only between related crops. Read also the article: → "". There are known experimental graftings in which they tried to cross an apple tree and a pear tree. The grafting was a success, but in the first year of fruiting the pear scion fell off. It was found that crops tend to reject any grafted unrelated crops.

Popular apple tree rootstocks

The main rootstock of the apple crop is considered to be an apple seedling propagated by seeds, known in horticulture as “wild”. According to the results of numerous studies, the best seedlings are wild game varieties such as

• "Antonovka";
• "Bittenfelder"
• "Grammo Jubilee".

These varieties are distinguished by abundant fruiting, as well as resistance to frost, drought, diseases and pests. Moreover, seedlings of the above varieties form smooth and strong shoots and respond well to grafting. Rootstocks are usually grown in specialized nurseries, under the strict supervision of professionals. But, despite this, gardeners practice growing wildflowers from apple seeds and in garden plots.

When choosing a rootstock for an apple tree, you need to soberly assess your strengths and capabilities.

Tip #1. Healthy, full-fledged wild apples can be grown from apple seeds if the seeds are stratified and kept for 12 weeks in moist sand at a temperature of 3° C up to 5° C. The resulting seedlings are planted in the spring.

Let's look at the main types of apple rootstocks that are grown in nurseries and in garden plots. The table shows the most suitable types of rootstocks for amateur gardeners to grow apple trees.

Types of rootstocks	Features of the rootstock
Rootstock A2	Vigorous, fertile rootstock. Suitable for growing on heavy and light soils. Frost-resistant.
Broadleaf paradise rootstock type M -1	Vigorous rootstock, produces a huge number of shoots. Suitable for growing on heavy and light soils. Non-frost-resistant rootstock, suitable for growing in warm regions.
Rootstock of true Dusin English type M-2	Medium-sized rootstock with early fruiting. The fruits are large. Low resistance to frost, suitable for growing in warm regions. Resistant rootstock to late blight and aphids.
Rootstock of Holstein dusin yellow, type M-4	A universal rootstock for amateur gardeners. It is used for grafting weak and vigorous varieties. Average resistance to severe frosts and pests.
Rootstock type M-7	Medium-sized rootstock for heavy and moist soils with early fruiting. Resistant to late blight. Susceptible to root canker.
Rootstock of green Dusen Prakhtsky type M-11	Vigorous rootstock, produces a huge number of shoots. High resistance to frost. It is valued as a rootstock for high-standard apple crops.

Copulation as the easiest way to graft

Copulation is grafting with cuttings, carried out during the period of vegetative dormancy of the crop, namely before the start of sap flow. If the cuttings are grafted after the buds awaken, then only a small amount of cambium is formed at the cut site, which is responsible for the fusion of the rootstock and scion.

It is important to know! Copulation is carried out if the cuttings (rootstock) and the cultivated plant (scion) have the same thickness. Copulation is essentially a way to fuse 2 halves, so any “trimming” of the grafting material is unacceptable.

The picture shows the grafting procedure using the copulation method: 1-cut on the rootstock; 2-cut on scion; 3-connected rootstock and scion; 4- if the cut on the handle is slightly longer, the direction of the winding does not matter; 5 – if the cutting is thinner than the rootstock, then the winding goes to the left. 6 – tied grafting area; 7 - the cut area and the top of the cutting are greased with wood putty.

Copulation is divided into two types:

1. simple copulation;
2. improved copulation with reeds.

Simple copying, instructions:

• Preparation for copulation begins with processing the rootstock. The area to be cut is wiped with a clean wet rag, after which an oblique cut of about 5 cm is made.
• Cutting technique on the rootstock: the rootstock is grasped with the left hand just below the intended cut. The knife in the right hand is turned with the blade towards you. The knife blade is applied to the rootstock, and the cut is made with a gentle movement of the blade towards you and upward.
• Scion preparation. The stalk is held with the tip away from you in the left hand so that the lower bud touches the palm. The knife in the right hand is positioned with the sharp side facing you. The blade is installed above the 3rd bud, and with a smooth movement of the blade, an oblique cut is made towards itself.
• The cutting is connected to the rootstock so that their cambial layers coincide along the length of the cuts, after which the grafted parts are tightly wrapped with grafting tape in one layer in the cut area, and the upper cut of the cutting is treated with garden pitch.

Improved copulation with tongues is the simplest but most effective grafting method. To perform grafting, the grafting material is prepared similarly to the simple copulation method. Next, to ensure the strength of the connection, additional longitudinal cuts up to 1.5 cm long are made on the rootstock and scion. An incision is made on the scion with an indentation of one third from the oblique cut.

A longitudinal cut is made on the rootstock with an indentation from the upper end. The scion and the rootstock are connected so that the scion tongue goes behind the rootstock tongue. The junction is tied with transparent adhesive tape, which will allow you to monitor the appearance of callus tissue on the cut surface. The top of the scion on the rootstock is treated with wood putty. Once callus has formed, the adhesive tape is removed.

The picture shows step-by-step instructions for grafting using the improved copulation method: 1.2 – two identical cuts are made on the scion and rootstock; 3, 4 – the cut is made indented from the top edge; 5- connections of two rootstocks and scions of the same diameter; 6- winding with grafting tape onto the knot.

Budding - grafting for propagation of fruit trees

Budding is another common type of grafting. The grafting is carried out by cutting off a bud (eye) from the scion, which is grafted onto the rootstock. A new plant emerges from a grafted eye onto the rootstock. Budding is widely used in nurseries for the propagation of fruit crops.

The optimal time for budding is spring and summer. In spring, budding is carried out from May to June, and in summer - from June to September.

A distinction is made between budding by a dormant and germinating eye.

1. Let's consider the technique of budding with an awakening eye:
2. Using pruning shears, the leaves and part of the petiole are removed from the cuttings, which allows you to see the buds on the cuttings.
3. The awakened bud on the cutting is cut out with a budding knife, moving from bottom to top. The bud should be cut out with a shield.

Next, the bark along with the wood is cut off the rootstock and a shield with an awakened eye is applied. Fix the eye for merging with the rootstock with putty or wrap it with grafting tape.

Tip #2. The grafting sites should be located on the windward side, that is, against the movement of the main wind, so that the wind does not bend the regrown shoot away from the scion.

Grafting an apple tree using the cutting method

Grafting fruit trees using cuttings into clefts is not only the most common method among experienced gardeners, but also the most favorite among amateur gardeners. They love this method for its simplicity in execution, as well as for its versatility, namely for the ability to use it not only with the same diameters of the scion and rootstock, but also with different ones.

Fruit trees are grafted into clefts in the spring, when the trees:

• are in a state of deep rest;
• in anticipation of sap flow;
• during the period of kidney swelling.

Apple trees and other fertile pome-bearing crops begin to be grafted using the cutting method into clefts in early April. Stone fruits - in mid-March. Grafting into a cleft on a young fruit plant is carried out if the age of the tree or branch is no more than 2 years.

Let's look at the cleft grafting procedure step by step:

• Standard preparation and splitting of the rootstock: the selected rootstock is cleaned of dirt, trimmed, and the resulting cut is cleaned with a knife. The young plant is split to a depth of 3-4 cm.
• Preparation of the scion: cuttings are selected with eyes, the number of which should be from 3 to 5 on the scion. A wedge is formed at the end of the cutting. Cut length – 3-4 cm.
• The procedure for connecting the rootstock and scion: the prepared scion is introduced into the rootstock so that the layers of the cambium coincide as much as possible.
• Protect the grafting site: wrap the cut site with grafting tape or cling film. And lubricate the upper part of the cut and the side crevices with garden varnish. It is recommended to cover the grafting site with film until the buds open.

In the upper part of the split, leave 1-1.5 cm of cuttings with a cut strip for better fusion of the cuttings with the rootstock.

Technology and features of side incision grafting

It is advisable to carry out grafting into a lateral cut in cases where it is necessary to graft thin scions onto large rootstocks. Unlike other types of grafting, side split grafting is carried out during the period of active sap flow of plants, since only during this period can the bark be separated from the wood.

Vaccination technique:

1. After removing the foliage from the cutting, 2 oblique cuts are made in its lower part, the length of which should not exceed 3 cm.
2. An oblique cut is made on the rootstock at an angle of 15-20 degrees. The bark is cut through along with the wood. The depth of the cut should correspond to the length of the cultural scion. Cuttings of cultivated varieties for grafting onto rootstocks are chosen that are straight and have 3-4 buds.
3. The finished cutting is inserted into the cut so that the cambium layers coincide. The end part of the cutting is treated with garden varnish. The cuttings with the rootstock in the cut area are wrapped with grafting tape.

Bridge grafting for tree wound healing

For grafting, only those harvested in the fall are chosen as cultivated cuttings; spring cuttings will not take root.

• The diameter of the cuttings depends on the severity and degree of damage to the tree bark. For small lesions, cuttings with a diameter of up to 3-4 mm are chosen, for a heavily damaged area from 5 to 7 mm. The number of buds on the cuttings does not matter, since the buds are removed before grafting so that they do not awaken and begin to grow.
• Preparation of cuttings: Warm autumn cuttings to room temperature and cut off all the eyes on them. Next, oblique cuts are made at the ends of the cuttings.

Preparation of the rootstock: The affected area is wiped and T-shaped cuts are made in the upper and lower parts of the bark. The edges of the cuts are folded back and the ends of the cuttings are installed in them. Afterwards, the cuttings and rootstock are tightly tied with tape.

Bark grafting for fruit trees

1. Grafting with bark is the simplest and most reliable method of all grafting for fruit trees. The appropriate size for a rootstock is up to 3.5 cm. Rootstocks must have strong, healthy bark. Before grafting a cultural scion, the bark of the rootstock is checked to see how easily it separates from the wood.
2. Preparation of the rootstock begins with stripping and creating a flat, smooth surface. To do this, an even cut is made with a hacksaw, and for smoothness, the surface is cleaned with a garden knife.
3. A longitudinal section of the bark is made on the rootstock. Next, use a knife to bend the bark away from the wood.
4. Preparation of the cutting begins with an oblique cut. There should be 3-4 buds on the cuttings. The finished cutting is inserted into the bark of the rootstock with the cut facing the wood. The cut on the cutting is not completely buried; 2-3 mm of the cutting is left open.

Next, the scion and rootstock are tied with tape, and the sections of the rootstock and cuttings are treated with garden varnish. The optimal bark cut on the rootstock is 4-5 cm.

Using the ablation method, only shoots that are located at a short distance from each other are fused. In this case, the scion and rootstock are not cut, but grafted together using the approach method. Grafting technique: slices of bark no more than 5 cm long are formed on the scion and rootstock. The slices must be equal in width and height. The scion and rootstock are brought together so that the cambium layers coincide as much as possible. Afterwards, the close branches are tied with twine, and the cut site is treated with garden varnish.

Tip #3. Only the scion is separated from the fused branches on the mother plant, which continues to develop only from the rootstock.

The table shows the types of vaccinations, as well as their main disadvantages and advantages:

Type of vaccination	Advantages	Flaws
Copulation	Increasing the overlap area of ​​the cambium layers, as well as reliable union of the rootstock and scion. High survival rate.	Complicated splitting procedure.
Budding	All fruit crops are grafted using the eye. Fast fusion. A low percentage of damage to game birds is observed. Minimum consumption of scion material.	Rootstocks with a trunk diameter of no more than 2 cm are suitable for eye grafting.
Grafting into cleft	A universal method, equally good for the same and different diameters of the rootstock and scion. Used for propagating young plants and saving fruit trees. High survival rate.
Into the side cut	Inoculate sensitive and difficult to take root scions. Used to change the crown of trees, rejuvenate the plant, correct the skeleton of trees.	It is difficult to track the period of sap flow.
Bridge grafting	Used to heal wounds for any damage. You can use cuttings from another plant.	It is necessary to prepare cuttings in the fall.
Vaccination for bark	Used for propagating young plants and saving fruit trees. Reliable union of rootstock and scion. High survival rate.	Not suitable for stone fruit trees. For the rootstock, only branches with a diameter of no more than 3-3.5 cm are used.
Ablactation	Apply to trees affected by pests. For grafting varieties that are difficult to take root with other grafting.	Not used for regrafting fruit trees.

Apple tree care plan after grafting by day

Vaccinations that have taken root well require additional care. Typically, cultivated scions are overgrown with a layer of cambium and shoots within 3 weeks.

Let's consider the basic rules of care:

1. Timely removal of shoots that block the nutrition of the grafted shoot. Read also the article: → "".
2. Remove leaves that may shade the graft.
3. Regularly inspect the strapping; if the shoot grows intensively, the strapping should be loosened so that constrictions do not form.
4. If the graft is actively growing, its growth should be stopped by pinching the top.

Common mistakes gardeners make when grafting apple trees

Experienced gardeners identify several common mistakes that amateur gardeners often make when grafting apple trees:

1. Cuttings for grafting into a side split contain 1-2 eyes.
2. Fruit trees are propagated by grafting an awakened eye
3. Vaccination is carried out using contaminated instruments.

Frequently asked questions from amateur gardeners

Question No. 1. How many buds should there be on a cutting when grafting an apple tree using the improved copulation method?

Question No. 2. What tape is best to use for wrapping at the junction of the scion and rootstock?

You can purchase transparent vaccination tape in specialty stores. This tape disappears under the influence of sunlight after 2-3 months. You can use ordinary transparent electrical tape to monitor the formation of callus at the junction and remove the tape as it is no longer needed. The advantage of a self-destructing tape is that it does not allow constrictions in the area of ​​budding buds.

Question No. 3. What branches are best used for spring grafting of an apple tree?

On branches with a diameter of no more than 2 cm, 1-2 years old. Branches of different thicknesses are also allowed for grafting; in such cases, the rootstock must be thicker than the scion. The main condition for any grafting is to achieve maximum coincidence of the cambium layers of the scion with the rootstock.

Question No. 4. Is it possible to graft cuttings using the improved budding method in the summer?

When grafting cuttings in the summer season, the shoots that appear will not have time to ripen and will most likely die. In summer, it is better to graft using the dormant bud method, which will begin to ripen the following year in the spring.

Question No. 5. When to expect a harvest when grafting into the crown of an adult apple tree?

Under favorable conditions, fruiting of young apple tree branches will begin in the 3rd year.

Do you want to be a good gardener and get a big harvest every year? Then this article is for you. After all, a real gardener must know all the secrets of proper tree care.

Do you want to get delicious fruit from your fruit trees? Then it is necessary to budding fruit trees in the summer. This procedure is quite easy and even a novice gardener can cope with it.

What is budding?

Budding of fruit trees is often called grafting. This is the process of transferring one part of a plant to another. Over time, the transferred part fuses with the tree. Experts distinguish several methods of vaccination:

• Copulation.
• Ablactation.
• Budding.

In copulation, a cutting is used. To carry out this procedure, annual shoots with 3-4 buds are used.

Ablation - grafting with a plant. This method is rarely used and is considered difficult.

Budding is the grafting of a plant by vegetative means - by bud. It is cut from an annual shoot with bark and a small piece of wood.

Budding is considered easier to perform. This method of grafting promotes better fusion with the rootstock, which means that the grafted variety will take root faster.

Why graft a plant?

Fruit trees are often budding if plants of the desired variety are not available for sale. Why is this procedure so popular not only among amateurs, but also among specialists in their field?

• Increasing the frost resistance of the grafted tree.
• Promotes quick harvesting.
• Promotes the emergence of high-quality and valuable varieties.
• Possibility of creating the necessary varieties.

An undeniable advantage of budding fruit trees is the preservation of more space. After all, experienced gardeners often graft several varieties onto one plant. Thus, not only space is saved, but also new taste qualities of the fruit are created.

Benefits of budding

The advantages of budding fruit trees are obvious. But you should understand the merits of this process.

Many experts claim that from almost any formed bud of the selected plant you can get a healthy fruit tree with all the advantages of the selected variety. The budding process itself is quite simple and can be handled by a novice gardener. The procedure is completed quite quickly.

Due to the small grafting area, the integrity of the rootstock is practically not damaged, and the branch is not injured. If for one reason or another you were unable to complete the procedure correctly the first time, you can re-graft on the same rootstock.

The advantage of budding is the fact that for grafting it is necessary to use a minimum of rootstock material. This is especially important if the gardener has only a few cuttings.

Variety of vaccinations

There are several ways to graft fruit trees. They differ in the type of scion.

According to the technique of implementation, vaccinations are distinguished:

• Wedge.
• In the butt.
• In schism.
• Dudka.
• In the side cut.
• For the bark.
• Budding into a T-shaped shield.
• Improved or direct copulation.
• Budding in the butt.

These methods are the most popular. But in practice, many gardeners use only 5 of them.

Vaccinations are also distinguished according to the location of the scion. They can be performed on the following part of the plant:

• Root.
• Crown branches.
• Trunk.
• Stump.

In addition, the scion can be located either from above or from the side. Grafting from above requires cutting off the top of the plant. This way a new variety will form at the top of the tree. A lateral graft is formed from the side of the trunk, without cutting off the top of the rootstock.

Time of vaccination

The timing of fruit tree budding varies. This procedure can be performed in spring, summer and winter.

Vaccination in spring is carried out during a period of intense sap flow. In this case, the scion is harvested at the end of autumn or at the very beginning of spring, when it is still in dormant mode. Spring vaccination is carried out in April or May. Make sure that the buds have not yet had time to swell.

In the summer, vaccination should be done from July. Dates for summer budding of fruit trees: from July 20 to August 31. Shoots and buds that have been well developed throughout the year are used as a scion.

Winter vaccination is carried out indoors. It is during the winter months that the seedlings grow together. And in the spring, already grafted plants are planted in the ground. Vaccination can be done in winter. The main thing is that the air temperature should not be below +2°C.

The most productive vaccinations are considered to be summer and autumn. Indeed, during this period, the tree bark moves well away from the trunk, and the cambium, in turn, divides well. Therefore, the procedure is greatly simplified, which ensures good kidney survival.

When is it better: spring or summer?

The time when this procedure can be performed has already been agreed upon. But what is the time frame for budding fruit trees? And when is the best time to vaccinate?

They begin to perform this procedure in early August. Gardeners are actively working for the next 4 weeks. First of all, stone fruit varieties (plum, cherry, cherry plum) are grafted, and then pome varieties (pear, apple).

Pay attention to the fact that the bud and the wild bird are of the required development. The buds and eyes that appear on the shoots must finally form. How can we determine this? Experienced gardeners bend the selected shoot. If you hear a crunch, then the rootstocks are ready. At the same time, we remember that the bark should come off well.

Budding is carried out before the end of summer, when the plant’s growing season continues.

Grafting carried out at an earlier date threatens that the cuttings may germinate. And at the first frost, unable to withstand the temperature, they die. Conversely, vaccination carried out at a later date often does not have time to take root.

Budding rules

Experienced gardeners know that this procedure is quite simple, but requires compliance with certain rules. Do you want the new variety to take root well? The following rules should be followed:

• Only related plants are grafted. Stone fruits - to stone fruits, seeds - to seed fruits.
• Make sure that the layer between the wood and the bark (cambium) of the cutting fits well to the selected shoot.

Inoculation"

One of the common methods of budding fruit trees is eye grafting. In this case, a single bud acts as a scion. In the spring, the bud formed last summer is grafted. Gardeners prepare scion from cuttings collected in autumn or winter. This grafting method has an advantage due to which it is often chosen by gardeners. After all, already this season the grafted bud will begin to grow.

Summer budding occurs from a bud that has matured this season. A new shoot will form from it only next spring.

Features of scion and rootstock

When choosing plants for summer budding of fruit trees (grafting) with buds, you should carefully examine the elements.

First of all, the shoots must be small. Their diameter is no more than 15 mm. The rootstock should have elastic, young bark, which can later be easily cut with a knife.

Inspect the internodes for budding. They should be free of knots and swellings. The surface should be smooth and even.

A bud for budding must be selected that is fully mature and well developed.

Choosing a cutting

Remember that all cuttings used for grafting should be taken from standard fruit trees. Particular attention should be paid to intravarietal selection of cuttings for grafting.

Cuttings from old trees affected by diseases should not be used. You also can’t use young varieties that haven’t yet bear fruit, because you don’t know exactly what kind of harvest you can get from this tree.

Advantages and disadvantages

Many processes in our lives have their pros and cons, including vaccination. Budding of fruit trees has its own characteristics; for some it is not suitable. For example, evergreen trees cannot be grafted. So, let's talk about the advantages of this procedure:

1. An ideal option for propagating various fruit plants that cannot divide vegetatively.
2. Helps improve branching.
3. Promotes more active tree growth.
4. Cuttings are cut at the place of fruiting.
5. Grafted plants begin to bloom and bear fruit earlier.
6. High reproduction rate.

Vaccination also has its disadvantages:

1. Large expenditures of effort and time for care;
2. Grafting shortens the life of some plants. For example, red-flowering chestnuts gradually die after such a procedure.
3. Sometimes physiological incompatibility occurs.
4. The quality of planting material often deteriorates in ornamental plants.
5. Plant growth slows down.

Despite many disadvantages, it should be remembered that summer budding of fruit trees is important. Sometimes this is the only way for plants to reproduce.

How to vaccinate correctly?

Budding fruit trees in the summer is difficult alone. Therefore, many novice gardeners need to find an assistant. One person will graft, and the other will tie the element with the kidney with tissue.

It is important to prepare a good, sharp, clean knife and a cloth made from natural materials. This can be cotton cloth or gauze.

A week before the procedure, you should prepare the game. Near the neck of the root you need to rake away the soil. At the same time, you should check the separation of the bark of the rootstock. Is the bark coming off well? You can carry out the procedure.

If the bark on the rootstock does not separate well, you should water the plant well. This way, before budding, plant growth is activated and the bark will come off well. Remember that the bud will not take root on wild birds whose bark does not shed well.

Experts have prepared some tips for gardeners. Budding of fruit trees will be successful if all recommendations are followed.

Vaccination is performed in sunny, windless weather.

Before performing the procedure, wipe the barrel with a wet cloth. We use only mature buds for grafting. It is not recommended to use the lower and apical eyes, because they are not sufficiently developed.

A cutting with wood and bark is cut from the tree. They form a shield.

To obtain a shield, make a 1.5-2 cm incision on the trunk slightly below the bud. They begin to cut off the shield 2 cm above the kidney. The knife is driven downwards, touching the bark, cambium and sapwood.

The resulting shield is wedged into the cut in the bark and bandaged, securely covering everything except the kidney.

A positive result largely depends on the experience of the gardener, the cleanliness of the knife, speed and high-quality dressing. Almost 99% of grafting of pome varieties is successful, which cannot be said about stone fruit varieties.

Examination

The fusion of the bud with the trunk occurs quickly. After 2-2.5 weeks it is necessary to check the survival process.

A positive result is indicated by:

• Freshness of the bud in appearance.
• Delicate green shade of the scutellum bark.
• Quick petiole separation.

If the result is negative, then the eye becomes dull and dry. Over time, it shrinks and dies.

After the kidney has taken root, cultivation should be performed. This process will make the bud less dense.

In autumn, the tree is well watered and hilled.

Conclusion

Budding is an effective way to make your tree more fertile and healthy. This inexpensive and simple method can be mastered by a novice amateur gardener.

Do you want to get a good and tasty harvest? Then pay attention to proper care of the plant. And the main thing is to choose good and suitable cuttings for budding.

Every gardener should know this grafting method.