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For constant care and proper care, the trees in the garden will repay with interest. Apricot is one of the trees that is sensitive to care errors and reacts sharply to the lack of mineral fertilizers. One of the fundamentals of a generous, high-quality and regular harvest is grafting. However, many gardeners, not knowing how to plant an apricot, are afraid to carry out this operation at all. Nevertheless, you can master the technology of apricot grafting on your own.
Rootstock selection
Any fruit trees should be grafted on 4-5 year old rootstocks. When the thickness of the trunk is at least 4-12 cm. If the apricot is grafted on a weakened, diseased, underdeveloped tree, it can be carried out at a later age. However, it should be borne in mind that the older the tree, the worse the survival rate is and the more difficult it is technically to perform this procedure correctly. It is possible to graft apricot on a large number of stone fruit crops, and at the same time get a guaranteed positive result.
Many studies indicate that grafting on the same tree varieties is especially successful. Therefore, preference should be given to apricot grafting, in this case the risk of incompatibility of the components is minimal, the cutting will take root much faster. The grafted plant, as a result, will be drought-resistant, winter-hardy, without shoots, and the fruits will be sweet, large, with bright colors. Apricot is often grafted onto a peach. However, it is more suitable for the southern regions, since the peach does not tolerate frost well, the probability of death of the cuttings is very high. Also, plum, cherry, cherry plum, blackthorn are used as a stock.
Apricot grafting on a plum
Plum is most often used as a rootstock, this combination of components shows a high survival rate and good yields in the future. In addition, almost no build-up is formed at the site of grafting, which indicates a high compatibility of breeds. The most suitable varieties for grafting are semi-wild plums. Apricot stalk, which is grown on plum frost-resistant rootstock, develops well and is also resistant to cold weather and sudden changes in temperature.
The video attached at the end of the article shows a plum graft.
Vaccination for cherry plum
It is also widespread among modern gardeners. This is due to several factors. One of which is high and fast survival, higher yields later and a significant improvement in the taste characteristics of the fruit. In addition, today it is cherry plum that is the most fertile and strong stock for many stone fruit varieties.
When to get vaccinated
Vaccination is best done in the spring. The weather should already be warm, but not dry and hot; there should be no rain a few days before the day of the vaccination. In the spring period, the circulation of tree sap is high, which ensures good survival of the scion. The procedure is carried out with the onset of a stable, positive temperature, in the second part of April or early March, but not later.
If the time for spring vaccination is missed, for whatever reason, it can be done in the summer. In this case, the cuttings will also have time to take root, successfully winter and give the first ovaries the next year. They should be removed so that the branch first develops well and gets stronger.
There is also an autumn vaccination, but it is used more often in southern latitudes, where autumn is mild and late, and winters are not so severe. In autumn, apricots should be grafted until mid-October. It should be borne in mind that a significant drop in temperature will be detrimental to the cuttings, and for the winter, if they have taken root, they must be covered with a tight bag.
Vaccination methods
In practice, several methods of grafting are used. But in view of the individual characteristics of the apricot, not all are suitable for it. Depending on the desired goals, the age of the tree, the size and thickness of the branches, choose the most suitable method for this.
When the diameter of the cutting branch is several times smaller than the rootstock, split grafting is used. At the tree, at the place of grafting, an incision is made, and a split is made in the center to a shallow depth. Gently, without touching the cut with your fingers, insert the cutting into the cut, it must be tightly compressed by the edges of the cut. In cases where the diameters of the rootstock and cutting are almost the same, copulation or grafting with a cutting is used. The stalk prepared in advance is firmly connected to the trunk, the junction is tightly wrapped with a film. The cut points must be treated with a special putty.
Video “Spring grafting of apricot on a plum”
This video highlights what you can graft an apricot on, the technology of grafting on an apricot, all the stages of this procedure are told in turn, and possible mistakes when it is carried out by beginners are revealed.