How to graft trees quickly and correctly?
An important and necessary technique that is used both in agriculture and in individual gardening is grafting and re-grafting trees. Grafting is the most common method of propagation of vegetative types of fruit plants.
Content:
What is tree grafting?
Reproduction in this case occurs as quickly as possible. The vaccine is used if plant propagation by seeds all its varietal characteristics will not be preserved.
Grafting is the transfer of a part of one plant (cutting, bud) to another plant for the purpose of their further fusion. If the fruit tree has been grafted, then it has two parts:
- a scion that belongs to a cultivar
- a rootstock that has been grown from seed or rooted cuttings
The scion includes only the part of the tree that is above the ground. The rootstock is the entire underground part of the plant - the root system along with the base of the stump. When the scion and rootstock grow together, a single organism is formed. These two parts will mutually influence each other in the future.
In progress tree regrafting, the rootstock already includes not only the underground part of the plant, but also everything that is located below the grafting site.Thanks to grafting, it is possible to propagate trees of any variety, while the quality and characteristics will not be lost. It is not always possible to achieve a good result by sowing seeds, and often all the characteristic features and characteristics of the tree are lost.
Grafting time
It is necessary to know not only how to graft trees, but also at what time it is best to do it. The most favorable time for this process is spring and summer.
In autumn and winter, these procedures are practically not performed. Experts do not recommend grafting at all during the cold season, since due to low temperatures the cutting will die before it takes root. This procedure can be carried out in winter, but if special conditions are created for the plant, for example, a greenhouse, or the grafting process will take place indoors, but in no case outdoors.
Depending on which one tree variety you vaccinate, it is necessary to take into account its individual characteristics. For example, some trees are best grafted in the spring, while others, on the contrary, are best grafted in hot summer weather. Therefore, you should always take this factor into account when choosing the time for vaccination.
It is necessary to prepare cuttings for grafting in advance. As a rule, this procedure occurs a year before the tree is grafted. Throughout the entire time, the cuttings must be stored in special conditions so that they do not die or lose their qualities. You can use sawdust or dry sand, and the room itself should have a high level of humidity, a minimum amount of light and a low temperature.
It is worth noting that this procedure is best entrusted to a professional who has experience in this field and who knows all the specifics of this process and the characteristics of trees. The grafting process itself is fraught with a large number of subtleties that are worth considering, therefore. If you do not have sufficient knowledge, then it is best to entrust the vaccination to a knowledgeable person.
Grafting tools
In order to correctly and effectively carry out the tree grafting process. You need to have a certain set of tools:
- a copulating knife that needs to be sharpened sharply. This is necessary for the vaccination itself.
- To cut thick branches, a hacksaw is used
- To cut thin branches, you must use a garden knife, which must be sharpened in advance
- To prepare cuttings, use a pruner or the same garden knife
- buds from the cutting must be removed using a copulating knife
For a novice gardener, it is necessary to note such an important fact as handling garden tools. All movements with knives and other equipment should be made in a direction away from you. When this condition is met, one actually gets straight cuts and there is no threat to the health of the gardener. In the process of trimming branches, when using a garden knife, it is necessary to use your thumb as a stop.
The meaning of rootstock and scion
In the process of grafting trees, special importance is given to the rootstock. The flow of water and necessary nutrients into the tree itself is ensured through the root system of the rootstock. As for the scion, it is necessary to supply the tree with a number of assimilation products that are produced by the foliage of the tree.Thus, the scion and rootstock have a mutual influence on each other.
The longevity of the tree, its resistance to various negative factors and overall development generally depend on the rootstock. In this category, you can add such a characteristic as productivity, if we are talking about a fruit-bearing tree. Therefore, it is important that the rootstock has a high level of resistance to sudden temperature changes, to excessive or insufficient amounts of moisture, and also to be compatible with the grafted tree (growth).
Currently, gardening practice can present a large number of cases where a number of varieties fruit trees have almost complete incompatibility with a certain type of rootstock. There were even cases when they broke off on their own during the grafting process. In order to eliminate this risk, it is initially necessary to graft trees with varieties that will actually be compatible and grow well on rootstocks. And after some time, above the first grafting, you can graft with another plant variety.
Vaccination methods
Today, several methods of tree grafting are known, which are divided into two main groups:
- kidney vaccination
- escape grafting
The choice of one method or another is made depending on the purpose of grafting, as well as on the characteristics of the plant itself. Therefore, it is always necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular plant. It is advisable to study information that already describes the process of grafting a given tree variety and whether the result was positive at the end of this process.
Grafting trees is a rather labor-intensive and responsible process that requires special knowledge.
The best ways to graft trees on video:
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