How to graft and transplant a wild apple tree
Do not despair if, after buying an apple tree seedling, after a few years you realize that you have a wild game. The wild apple tree does not bear large and sweet fruits, but it is a good material for the rootstock, so there is no need to give up on it.
First, prepare the graft for the scion. It should be a young, annual branch with full buds. Remove the leaves completely from the workpiece. Remember that it is necessary to carry out the procedure, regardless of its type, in the spring.
Wild apple trees can be the basis for a good orchard
Here are some vaccination options:
- cleavage. Prune the wild tree so that only a 60 cm high trunk remains. Split the top of the tree and quickly insert a branch into it. Wrap everything with cling film;
- for the bark. Cut the game and make several 1 cm cuts on its bark. Insert cuttings into the cuts and tape them. Treat open areas with garden pitch;
- lateral incision. The method is similar to the previous one, only the incision is made not on the bark, but on the trunk;
- copulation. Pick up scion and rootstock branches of the same size. Cut off their edges, align and fix;
- kidney vaccination. In this case, a kidney is used instead of a cutting. Step back 10 cm from the root collar, make an incision about 1 cm deep and secure the bud in it.
You can choose any method you like. They are all equally effective.
How to transplant a wild apple tree
When transplanting wildfowl, follow the instructions:
- Prepare the pit. It should be 1,5 times larger than the estimated earthen lump with rhizome. Thoroughly clean the weed pit.
- Fill the pit with limestone, and if the soil is acidic, then also organic matter.
- Dig up an apple tree with an earthen ball. Remember, the volume of the rhizome should be about half the size of the crown. Wrap a soft cloth around the trunk before digging to avoid damaging the bark.
- Wrap the earthen ball with netting or matting. If you have long-distance transportation, sheathe the lump with wooden planks. Bend large branches to the trunk before transporting.
- Move the tree to a new place, set it in a hole, crush it with earth, tamp it well and water it.
- Support the tree with stakes. There must be at least three of them.
If the fall is cold and dry, then transplant in the spring. In other cases, it is better to transplant in the fall.
An inexperienced gardener may find the process of transplanting and grafting an apple tree difficult. However, over time, you will get the hang of it and understand that this is not difficult.