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Grafting, by definition, is a method of propagating fruit trees and shrubs. Thanks to this simple event, you can significantly rejuvenate plants, expand the range of fruit crops in your garden. But most importantly, grafting is a creative process that allows you to endlessly experiment even in small summer cottages.
For professionals, grafting does not cause much difficulty. But for beginner gardeners, grafting apple trees in the spring can cause a lot of questions. But it is important to know that vaccination, although a simple event, still requires adherence to clearly established deadlines and recommendations.
Goals and benefits of vaccination
Thanks to this simple, in general, process, more than 10 new varieties of apple trees have already been bred. To this day, both experienced breeders and simple amateur gardeners do not stop experimenting on the creation of new subspecies.
Through grafting, breeders achieve the following goals:
- Breeding of new varieties;
- Improvement of such characteristics as frost resistance, taste of apples, increase in productivity, adjustment of ripening terms, acclimatization of a variety in a strictly defined region, height and size of the crown of trees;
- Increasing the resistance of apple trees to common diseases and pests;
- Simplification of conditions for growing and harvesting fruits.
And often professionals achieve their goals, and gardeners use the results of their work, growing high-yielding varieties of apple trees on their plots.
The benefits of vaccination are as follows:
- It is not always possible to buy seedlings of the variety you like. And thanks to the grafting of an apple tree in the spring, you can significantly expand the range of fruit crops in your garden.
- Grafting is the only method by which it is possible to zone apple varieties intended for cultivation in other climatic conditions;
- Low yield, unimportant taste of fruits, one-sided crown – these shortcomings can be corrected by grafting.
- Old, diseased trees can always be revived by grafting.
- Thanks to this uncomplicated procedure, up to five varieties of apple trees with different tastes and different ripening periods can be combined on one tree, which helps save space in a limited space.
- Vaccination is a limitless field of activity for those who like to experiment.
Planting an apple tree in spring is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. It is important to remember that many gardeners equate this process with a surgical operation. That is why you need to follow the recommended deadlines and tips to get an excellent result.
To the question of why it is worth learning to plant fruit crops, the author of the video will answer you:
When to Plant: Spring or Fall
In most cases, experienced gardeners graft apple trees in the spring. And this is due to the peculiarities of the development and growth of trees during this period. With the onset of a thaw, all nature awakens, buds swell, and active sap flow begins in the trunks and branches of trees.
Grafting an apple tree in spring is more justified for the reason that during the summer a weak seedling has enough time to get stronger and gain strength, adapt to local climatic conditions, and then calmly endure the winter cold.
Another advantage of the spring grafting of apple trees is the ability to evaluate the results of your work as soon as possible. After all, literally after 2-3 weeks it will be clearly visible whether the scion has taken root. When grafting cuttings at other times of the year, you will have to wait several months.
The timing of grafting apple trees in the spring is ambiguous. The climatic conditions of each region are different. First of all, you need to focus on the condition of the kidneys. It is advisable to finish all work in the garden before the buds open.
On average, active sap flow is gaining momentum by mid-late April. In the southern regions, the optimal time for grafting an apple tree comes a little earlier – in late March – early April. And sometimes gardeners have only a few days in which they need to have time to prepare the cuttings, stock, tools, and graft the apple tree in the spring.
Preparation of tools and materials
Before you properly plant an apple tree in the spring, you need to take care of the tools and material in advance. After all, the time for grafting is very limited. And in the spring, all summer residents have a lot of work.
In order to carry out this procedure as quickly as possible, and reduce the risk of possible failures, prepare the following tools and materials in advance:
- Secateurs, garden knife, saw (if you are going to graft on old apple trees or thick branches). All tools must be sharp and sharp. They must be treated with an alcohol solution immediately before vaccination.
- Insulating material for fixation. The material must be dense, waterproof. Ideal for this purpose is electrical tape, or polyethylene and twine cut into strips.
- Garden pitch for processing cuts and combinations.
- You can’t do without a good scion and a suitable stock.
Before vaccinating an apple tree in the spring, be sure to wash and disinfect your hands.
Scion preparation
Scion – a cutting from an apple tree, the variety of which you would like to have on your site. For successful grafting, it is important to choose and cut the grafts correctly.
It is advisable to cut the cuttings just before planting the apple tree, that is, in the spring. The optimal amount of harvested material is very easy to calculate. How many cuttings you have time to plant within 3-4 hours, so much should be prepared.
You need to cut the material only from a healthy, fruitful apple tree. Sick, damaged branches are not suitable for grafting.
It is undesirable to use the so-called tops – empty shoots as a scion. It is very easy to distinguish them from ordinary shoots – the buds on tops are small and located less often than on branches that are guaranteed to yield a crop.
On average, the length of apple cuttings should vary between 15 – 25 cm, and their thickness is 0,8 – 1,3 cm. When preparing suitable material, please note that each shoot should have at least 3-5 healthy, well-developed buds.
One shoot can be divided into several cuttings, the main thing is that they have the required number of buds. Immediately after cutting, put the shoots in honey water. Dilute honey in water in a ratio of 0,5 tsp. for 0,5 cups of water. This will help save the cuttings and increase the chances of survival.
It is very good when the apple tree with which you want to cut the cuttings is nearby. But what if the original tree is far away, or there is no way to cut and immediately plant a shoot? In this case, you can store the shoots in a plastic bag in a refrigerator or basement, at a temperature of – 1˚C to + 5˚C.
The author of the video will tell you how to prepare cuttings for the subsequent spring grafting of apple trees:
Stock preparation
Stock – a seedling, stump or tree, to which the prepared cutting is grafted. A suitable stock must be taken care of in advance.
The deadlines for spring work are very short, so the basis for future fruit crops is selected in advance, in summer or autumn, and in the spring only grafting is carried out.
The ideal rootstock for apple trees are young, 2 or 3 year old seedlings. You can also use a wild game as a stock – a young shoot of apple trees growing in the wild. Such seedlings have grown in local climatic conditions, and are highly resistant to diseases and pests.
You can grow rootstock yourself. Plant apple seeds and in a couple of years you will have many seedlings suitable for grafting.
Long-term practice has shown that old trees can also be used as a stock. It is important to remember that only healthy trees, without signs of disease and signs of decay, are suitable for grafting apple trees in spring. It is also undesirable to plant on an apple tree that is damaged by insects.
In the absence of a suitable stock, apple trees can be grafted onto third-party crops – pear, quince, viburnum, mountain ash or hawthorn. But in this case, cases of poor survival of the scion are not uncommon, as well as a gradual decrease in yield, the fruits eventually become small and lose their taste.
In order to be 100% sure of the result and consistently get a good harvest of apples in the future, preference should be given to apple rootstocks.
Which way to choose
At the moment, there are many ways to graft an apple tree in the spring. However, most of them are difficult to perform or require experience. Therefore, at the moment there are three methods that are so simple to perform that even a novice gardener can handle them:
- Copulation;
- Grafting for the bark;
- Inoculation in the cleavage.
The most common and easiest way to graft an apple tree in spring is copulation. Shoots are grafted with this method if the scion and stock are approximately the same in thickness. If the diameter of the seedling and the cutting are very different, then it is better to graft “by the bark” or “in the split”.
It is necessary to plant apple trees in the spring in cloudy, but not rainy weather. If spring indulges in warm days, then postpone the vaccination for the morning or evening.
And do not forget that in no case should you touch open cuts with your hands. All actions must be quick and clear.
Whichever method you prefer, it’s time to learn how to graft an apple tree in the spring. A video for beginner gardeners will help you familiarize yourself with several methods of grafting, learn the lessons, and put them into practice.
Copulation
Copulation is deservedly considered the most versatile grafting method, because it is so simple that it allows gardeners to graft apple trees not only in spring, but also in summer, and even in autumn.
The whole point of this method of grafting apple trees is that on the young shoots of the scion and rootstock, identical sections must be made, which are then combined into one branch and fixed. The more tightly both parts are connected, the higher the likelihood that the shoot will take root.
It is customary to graft an apple tree in the spring using the copulation method if both the scion and the stock are approximately the same in diameter. The maximum thickness of the shoots is 2-2,5 cm. Apple trees are mainly grafted in the spring on seedlings at the age of 1-2 years, or on a young game.
There are two types of copulation – simple and improved (for the tongue). The execution technique in both cases is the same, only the cut differs. With improved copulation on both cuttings – rootstock and scion – you need to make a zigzag cut or a shallow split in order to connect the cuttings as tightly as possible.
A step-by-step description of grafting an apple tree in spring using the copulation method:
- On the stock and on the scion, you need to make even, oblique cuts 3-4 cm long. You need to cut the cuttings in one motion “toward yourself” so that the cut is perfectly even.
- Both shoots must be connected together, pressing against each other as tightly as possible.
- Wrap the connection tightly with insulating tape or film, and fix it well.
- Open wounds that did not fall under the electrical tape should be immediately treated with garden pitch.
The results of grafting an apple tree will be noticeable in 1,5-2 weeks. If the “operation” was successful, the buds will soon swell, and the first green leaves will appear on the shoots.
Grafting secateurs are gaining more and more popularity among experienced summer residents. Sharp blades and several interchangeable blades allow you to make perfect cuts. Thanks to grafting pruners, the process of spring grafting of apple trees is simplified several times.
The author of the video will tell and show step by step how to plant an apple tree in the spring using the copulation method “by the tongue”:
“for the bark”
By grafting “by the bark” you can rejuvenate old apple trees or even out the crown of one-sided trees. You can graft an apple tree in the spring both to a small stump and to a skeletal branch. Also, with this method, several different varieties of apple trees can be combined on one tree.
When vaccinating, three conditions must be met:
- The free length of the rootstock should be at least 40-60 cm.
- The bark should peel off easily.
- The scion should not show signs of disease or damage.
To properly plant an apple tree, novice gardeners need to follow the following algorithm of actions step by step:
- Cut the skeletal branches or stump at a distance of 40-60 cm from the trunk (ground).
- The saw cut must be carefully cleaned with a garden knife to a perfectly even state.
- Now it is important to correctly make incisions on the bark. If you are grafting an apple tree in the spring on a skeletal branch, then you need to cut the bark in the upper part, otherwise the branch will subsequently break off under the weight of its weight or fruits. The length of the cut is no more than 4-6 cm. Please note that only the bark needs to be cut, without touching the wood.
- Pry off the bark and push it to the sides at a distance of 3-4 mm from the trunk. It is better to do this with the blunt side of the knife so as not to injure the rootstock.
- On the scion, make an even, oblique cut. Cut length – at least 3 cm.
- Now you need to carefully insert the scion behind the bark, pressing it against the trunk with an open cut. 2-3 mm of the cut on the scion should “peep out” above the cut.
- Fix the grafting site well with insulating material and treat open areas with garden pitch.
This method of grafting apple trees in spring is very easy to perform and does not require special skills or experience. The most important thing is to follow the recommendations of experts. And young apple trees will soon thank you with a generous harvest of fragrant and tasty apples.
A visual lesson on how to plant an apple tree in the spring using the “by the bark” method will be given to you by the author of the video
“In the split”
Grafting of apple trees in the spring using the “split” method is carried out if the stock and scion differ significantly in thickness. Often this method is used in cases where it is necessary to renew, level, or increase the crown of trees, as well as to grow several varieties of apples on one apple tree.
As a stock, the trunks or branches of an apple tree are ideal, the diameter of which varies from 2 cm to 12 cm. that is, at the end of March – mid-April. And until the end of May, you have plenty of time to finish the vaccination without haste.
In order to properly graft an apple tree into a split, you should follow a series of simple steps:
- Cut off the trunk or skeletal branch of the apple tree and carefully clean it with a knife. The saw cut should be perfectly even, without chips and roughness.
- With a screwdriver or a knife treated with alcohol, carefully split the stock lengthwise. Don’t make the gap too deep. For convenience, insert a screwdriver into the crevice.
- At the lower end of the scion, you need to make oblique cuts on both sides, the length of which is 3,5-4 cm. As a result, you should get a wedge.
- Insert the scion into the split on the branch so that the cuts hide in the crevice.
- Remove the screwdriver and wrap the branch with electrical tape.
- Treat all open wounds with garden pitch.
The author of the video will tell you how to plant an apple tree in spring in a split:
Aftercare for fruit trees
Apple trees grafted in spring, regardless of age and method of grafting, need attention and care. Grafted seedlings should be inspected weekly.
The condition of the kidneys will tell you that the grafting of the apple tree in the spring was successful, and the grafts took root. After 1,5-2 weeks they should swell. And soon the first leaves will appear on the shoots.
If, after 3-4 weeks, the kidneys remained in the same state, did not swell, but, on the contrary, shrunk, then the “operation” ended in failure. In this case, do not despair. The grafting sites must be freed from insulating material, the grafts removed, and the open places covered with garden pitch.
In order to guarantee good results, experienced gardeners plant not one or two, but several seedlings during the spring grafting of an apple tree. If all the shoots are accepted, the weakest ones are removed, leaving only the powerful ones.
If all the scions have taken root, it is undesirable to remove the bandages until next spring. A year later, with the advent of a thaw, the insulating material must be gradually weakened. In spring, young twigs grow not only in height, but also increase in diameter.
For good growth and to ensure the supply of nutrients in sufficient quantities, it is necessary to remove numerous shoots and shoots growing below the graft in a timely manner.
Do not forget about the standard measures for the care of seedlings – watering, fertilizing, loosening, mulching.
Conclusion
In order to grow a young, fruitful tree, it will take several years. Each summer resident wants to have several varieties of apple trees with different ripening periods in one area. The cost of seedlings is only growing every year. Grafting apple trees in the spring is a great opportunity to save money and collect only the best varieties in your garden. It will take only 3-4 years, and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the literal sense.