Despite its apparent simplicity, grafting is one of the most complex manipulations carried out with fruit trees. The success of this procedure depends on many factors: the correct selection of scion and rootstock, timing, quality connection of branches and cuttings, etc.
But the most important point in this process is the quality of the prepared grafting material. The success of the grafting depends to the greatest extent on how the cuttings were obtained, how they were processed and stored.
Content:
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Introduction
Graft cuttings
Many gardeners believe that any parts of varietal plants can be used as grafting material, as long as they are healthy and do not have obvious signs of damage. Unfortunately, this is not so.
There are many nuances at each stage of work with scion: from the choice of material to its direct placement on the rootstock. If you make a mistake even in some trifle, good results can not be expected.
The article describes how to properly prepare the grafting material, what you should pay special attention to and what mistakes should be avoided. Despite the relative simplicity of the process, it requires constant attention and concentration, since the gardener will have a second chance in case of errors or deviations from the technology only in the next season.
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Grafting several cuttings on one rootstock
Thanks to the ability for vegetative propagation of plants, gardeners have the opportunity to obtain full-fledged varietal trees and shrubs, having only a small amount of their biological material. In the case of a successful grafting, a strong and healthy plant can be obtained that has all the necessary properties, which will be either difficult or too expensive to obtain in the usual way (for example, by buying a seedling and planting it).
This method is much more efficient than the full cycle of growing plants. Moreover, in some cases, the full cycle is not applicable at all: for example, when the root system of a varietal plant is not adapted to growing in a given climate and it may not only not develop normally, but may not survive at all.
The use of vaccinations allows you to bypass these difficult steps and reduce the time to obtain fruit-bearing plants by several years. (for example, in comparison with methods where varietal trees are propagated by cuttings). But in order to achieve this, a number of requirements must be set for the grafting material.
Cuttings for spring grafting
First of all, they are associated with the choice of cuttings:
- Cuttings should be obtained from stable fruiting trees (or shrubs) that have already confirmed their varietal affiliation and high yield.This will avoid many questions that may arise in the event of an unsuccessful vaccination - the gardener will know exactly what he is grafting onto the rootstock and what indicators he expects.
- For harvesting cuttings, only well-ripened and fully formed annual shoots are used. They should be brown or brown-green in color.
- The outer part of the crown develops faster due to good sunlight. Therefore, the best cuttings should be taken from it.
- It follows from this that the best option for choosing material for cuttings is the south side of the tree crown. New buds are formed on them quite quickly, so the distances from one internode to another are short, in addition, the buds themselves will be more developed
- Cuttings obtained from shoots growing in the middle tier are considered to be of the highest quality. The lower branches will be too hard and thick, the upper ones will grow too fast. It is also not recommended to use tops for cuttings because of their large thickness.
- Despite the misconception that there should be more flower buds on the cuttings for better fruiting, you should not follow it. The first few years for the scion, the main thing will be the formation of new branches, and the flowers will be clearly superfluous. It is recommended for cuttings to choose shoots on which leaf buds predominate.
- Branches with a large number of eyes take root worse, so they are not recommended for use as cuttings.
For the formation of cuttings, annual shoots should be used.
During the season, you should carefully look at the varietal trees in the garden to determine from which specimens and exactly from which place the branches will be cut to form a scion. In some cases, it is even recommended to mark them in some way and monitor their development. Branches that grow too fast, or do not contain flower buds at all, are recommended not to be used for grafting.
The general strategy for obtaining cuttings consists of the following steps:
- selection and cutting of grafting material;
- preliminary formation and processing of cuttings;
- storage until the start of vaccination;
- vaccination directly.
Perhaps, only cuttings harvested in the summer do not need any preliminary preparation and storage, since they go into business immediately after cutting. But the use of such methods is not suitable for all varieties (and sometimes types) of certain crops.
Usually, some time passes between the time of cutting the cutting and the vaccination itself, from several months to six months. During this period, the cuttings must retain all their properties, not deteriorate and not die.
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What should the cuttings look like?
Typical view of cuttings for grafting
Based on the above recommendations, it is possible to draw up approximate requirements for cuttings. They are mandatory to some extent, since each of the requirements in one way or another affects the degree of survival and further development of the scion.
Requirements for cuttings:
- in most stone fruit trees (plums, apricots) and pome crops (apple treeand, pears) length from 30 to 40 cm; for cherries and sweet cherries, cuttings should be cut up to 60 cm long;
- thickness 6-8 mm (the diameter of the branches is approximately the same as that of a simple pencil);
- the bark of the scion should not have cracks or other damage, its surface should be smooth;
- branches should be sufficiently resilient and elastic so that they do not break when slightly bent;
- the length of the internodes is not more than 8 cm (the smaller, the better);
- good condition of growth buds;
- the number of developed kidneys - from 4 or more;
- cuttings should be taken from trees that bear fruit for at least 3, but not more than 10 years.
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Preparation of cuttings for grafting
Graft material can be harvested at any time of the year. But the most effective will be to receive cuttings in advance - in late autumn or early winter or at the very end of winter (early spring). Since the vaccination time falls on the active phase of sap flow, in these cases, the preparation of the cuttings will include a period of their storage. Cuttings obtained in the summer do not need this period.
In addition, you should not combine the procedure for pruning a tree and obtaining cuttings. Despite the apparent similarity of these processes, their essence is completely different. Formative pruning, carried out at the end of autumn, as a rule, affects already adult, two-year-old and older branches, and it is carried out before the onset of frost.
Likewise in the spring sanitary pruning is carried out when the cold period is over and the severe frosts have receded, and the process of sap flow will begin within 1-2 weeks. Cuttings are harvested at the beginning of the year before the onset of a thaw.
harvesting in autumn
Harvesting of cuttings in autumn is carried out after leaf fall and formative pruning.
This method is considered the most promising and rational. Usually, harvesting is carried out some time after leaf fall, when the first frosts occur.
The optimal air temperature is considered to be the range from 0 to -5 ° C, although cutting branches is also allowed at lower temperatures (up to -15 ° C). In these cases, the life processes in the trees slow down significantly, and most importantly, sap flow almost completely stops.
Annual shoots that have survived frosts will definitely not freeze out, therefore, the gardener has certain guarantees of obtaining live grafting material. In addition, a stalk cut at rest will remain in this form until the very beginning of grafting. This corresponds to the correctness of the procedure, since for its successful completion, the graft (unlike the rootstock) must be in a state of "hibernation".
The cutting itself is carried out with a sharp knife or secateurs. Branches suitable for the characteristics are cut at a right angle, leaving 2-3 cm above and below the tap of the located buds.
At this stage, there is no need for specialized grafting equipment (knife or secateurs), it may only be needed directly during vaccination. The main requirement for the instrument is its disinfection.
Proper grafting by copulation - the diameters of the scion and rootstock are the same
The place of the cut on the tree should be treated with oil paint or garden varnish.
There is another recommendation for harvesting cuttings: it consists in choosing branches of different diameters for the grafting material, but lying within the specified limits (from 6 to 8 mm). This is necessary in order to be able to pick up the same size of the stock and scion.
So, for example, copulation of an apple tree in spring is recommended to be carried out exclusively on a stock with a diameter equal to the diameter of the scion. In the case of grafting an apple tree, even the “stock thicker than the scion” option is not recommended, since there will be a mismatch between the cambium and bast layers. In such a situation, there is a high risk that the scion may dry out.
spring harvest
Spring grafting of fruit trees
In the event that for some reason it was not possible to prepare scions in the fall, they can be cut in early spring or at the end of the winter period. Actually, if the winter was not too cold (frosts are not more than -20 ° C), cutting cuttings can be carried out at any time - from December to March.
In the case of a more severe winter, the cuttings during cutting should be checked for compliance with the basic requirements: they should not be damaged, in addition, you need to look if the branches are frozen. The tools used, as well as the cutting requirements, will be similar to those in autumn.
Summer harvest
Tags on the cuttings will help not to get confused with the type and variety of the plant
During summer cuttings, as a rule, they are formed immediately before grafting. In this case, the use of specialized equipment is justified - a grafting knife or secateurs.
Naturally, there is no storage process for such cuttings. In addition, so that the scion does not die and all the juice does not come out of it, the vaccination should be done immediately after the cuttings have been cut - we can say that every minute of delay can be fatal for the scion.
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General issues of storage of cuttings
Tags on the cuttings will help not to get confused with the type and variety of the plant
As already mentioned, by the time of vaccination, the scion should be in a "sleeping" state. That is why it is necessary to provide cuttings with long-term, and most importantly, high-quality storage for several months. In this case, it is necessary not only to maintain a constant temperature in the storage place, but also to fulfill a number of conditions. These conditions should be regularly monitored and, if necessary, certain changes should be made to the storage regime.
In general, the range of tasks that are solved during storage can be described as follows:
- Maintain dormancy until vaccination
- Eliminate the possibility of moisture leaving the cuttings (their drying)
- Do not freeze cuttings
- Protect grafting material from rodents
- Prevent infection of cuttings with fungi, bacteria or their attack by insects
- Avoid mechanical damage to the inoculum
- Do not confuse where the cuttings of certain varieties and types of cuttings are stored
Storage of cuttings
The last point, despite its obviousness, is actually one of the most important, but it is this one that is often forgotten. Theoretically, since most fruit crops are representatives of the Pink family, they are able to grow on any related rootstocks, but, of course, there can be no question of any record harvests. Experienced gardeners sometimes even tie cuttings of different varieties with ropes or tape of different colors and hang appropriate tags on them so as not to get confused when it comes time to graft.
With proper storage, the cuttings by the time of inoculation remain fresh and elastic, retaining their original degree of saturation with liquid. However, it is recommended to soak cuttings of an apple tree (and any other crop) before grafting. To do this, the day before inoculation, the cuttings are removed from the storage place and placed in a nutrient solution. The simplest option is add some sugar to the water.
But even if the cuttings are soaked in a nutrient solution, we should not forget that the hibernation process cannot be interrupted. Therefore, it is recommended to place the container with the solution in the refrigerator for the time of soaking.
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Storage of cuttings
Below are the most common ways of storing grafting material that are currently used. In principle, almost all of them have a common idea, but differ in the features of its implementation - while using different covering materials, as well as protective equipment.
The choice of a gardener in this case depends on the convenience and possibility of implementing one or another method, since there are practically no special differences in the quality of storage.
snow storage
Trench for storing cuttings
The method is applicable in areas where there is a sufficient amount of snow and it lies stably throughout the winter. This is the oldest reliable method that ensures the safety of the cuttings until the right moment. The winter hardiness of cuttings in this case does not play a role, since under a layer of snow they will be at temperatures close to 0 ° C.
In a dry and not flooded place (best of all on a small hill), a small trench is made, no more than 30 cm deep. If there are a lot of cuttings, dig it in length to a distance of 2-3 m.
Its bottom is laid with a layer of needles or coniferous branches. Cuttings are placed on top of the layer of needles and covered with spruce branches. Usually, the cuttings are tightly tied into bunches, 15-20 pieces each. For better preservation, bunches of cuttings can be wrapped in a plastic bag.
Lapnik is sprinkled on top with earth, foliage or sawdust, on top of which a layer of snow is laid.
Graft cuttings
If there is no desire to mess with the trench and look for coniferous needles or spruce branches, you can simply lay the package with the cuttings on the straw, spread in a thin layer on the ground. But at the same time, all the same, the height of the snow cover should be at least 50 cm.
Such a layer will have sufficient heat-insulating properties to protect the cuttings from the cold on the one hand, but also to prevent them from taking root or starting the process of bud break. Cuttings in which this happened ahead of time will become unsuitable for vaccination.
With this method of storage, the temperature of the container with the cuttings will lie within + 1-2 ° C. The best place to store inoculum is on the north side of buildings. The reason for this is that snow in such places can lie much longer.
Also, many gardeners recommend another useful tip: placement of "bookmarks" of cuttings on the northern slopes.
The mesh is used to tie trees for the winter from hares
Storage with sawdust
Storing cuttings in sawdust
If the winter is not too frosty, there are no periods of stable cooling in it, in addition, when it is accompanied by frequent thaws, the previously described storage method may not be suitable. The cuttings can thrive, but often, they will simply be in the water, which can cause them to germinate or die when frost returns.
To make more or less standard storage conditions that are not too dependent on the weather, a kind of “artificial snow” is used - frozen sawdust. In some ways, a similar method is similar to storing root crops in heaps, but ordinary sawdust acts as hay or straw.
Preparation of cuttings in sawdust
The procedure for preparing for storage in a similar way looks like this:
- a layer of sawdust 5-8 cm thick is laid on the ground;
- cuttings are placed on the substrate;
- from above, the cuttings are again covered with a 10-15 cm layer of sawdust;
- water the sawdust with water or moisten it abundantly before laying.
After the wet sawdust is well frozen, a third layer of already dry sawdust is poured over them, 40-50 cm thick. From above, the entire structure must necessarily be covered with some kind of covering material - agrofiber, spunbond, fiberglass or just a plastic film.
Such a method will not only perfectly protect the grafting material from external moisture, but also will not allow a layer of sawdust to be blown away by the wind.
Option for storing cuttings under a layer of snow and sawdust
Cellar storage
Storage of cuttings in the substrate in a cellar
The easiest storage method, quite effective and not requiring too long preparation. This method is more recommended for pome crops. In winter, the temperature in the cellar or basement is in the range from -2°С to +4°С, which is quite acceptable for storing cuttings of fruit trees and shrubs (for example, grapes).
Any of the following materials can be used as a substrate for storing cuttings in the cellar:
- sand;
- sawdust;
- peat;
- sphagnum, etc.
Features of storing grape cuttings in the cellar until spring
Usually, for storage in the cellar, the cuttings are laid horizontally in separate containers or boxes, where they are covered with a substrate. In some cases, you can not use the substrate at all, but store the cuttings in burlap.
Normal storage conditions suggest 65-70% humidity. If it is not enough, you should slightly moisten the substrate itself with water, and in the cellar put a container with 10-12 liters of water on the floor without covering it with a lid. It is not recommended to soak the substrate itself in order to avoid damage to the cuttings by mold.
Cold storage
Storing cuttings in a glacier during warm weather
It is also a common storage method, which has its pros and cons. The advantages of this method include the stability of the storage temperature and the possibility of its regulation. The main disadvantage is the difficulty of recreating the necessary storage conditions (the right amount of substrate and humidity level).
The latter leads to a reduction in shelf life - already in mid-March, the kidneys begin to awaken. This means that this method is applicable only for the southern regions. If there is a need to store the cuttings until later, some time before the end of winter they should be moved to another place (for example, in a cellar, glacier, etc.)
Storage of grafting material in the refrigerator is carried out using plastic containers. Cut branches can be put in a plastic bag; It is advisable to pre-wrap them with a damp cloth.
Preparing cuttings for storage in the refrigerator
For convenience, it is recommended to place the cuttings in plastic bottles with a lid. If there are several such containers, it is recommended to somehow mark them with tags or labels, on which the name of the crop and the start time of storage should be applied.
It is desirable that the bottles are transparent, this will enable visual observation of the cuttings. You should regularly check their status and respond to its change. For example, if excess condensate appears, it should be removed from the walls of the container.
Storing cuttings in a temperature controlled refrigerator
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During storage, even if you try to comply with its conditions, a lot of trouble can happen to the cuttings. This may affect their suitability for vaccination.
Below are the most common causes of damage to cuttings and ways to how to avoid them.
freezing
fruit tree grafting
Occurs when cuttings are exposed to too low temperatures. It is easy to avoid it - you need to snatch the grafting material with a layer of snow of sufficient thickness.
The appearance of mold
Mold on grapevine
Occurs in case of excessive moisture of the cuttings, when condensation forms on them. This is especially true when stored in refrigerator or basement. Condensation should not be allowed under any circumstances - no matter how many days remain until the end of storage.
Condensation should be removed from the shoots regularly. If mold appears, it will need to be removed from the branches, and the cuttings themselves should be washed with a 3% solution of copper sulfate.
soaking out
Preparation of grape cuttings for grafting and storage
Occurs at high humidity or at the stage of soaking after storage. Cuttings can die from a lack of oxygen if they are in water for a long time (more than a day).
Germination or rooting
Propagation of pear cuttings
Occurs when the ambient temperature rises above +5°C. This should not be allowed, since such cuttings are no longer suitable for grafting. The temperature should be constantly monitored.
Drying
pear grafting
In the vast majority of cases, cuttings dry out, affected by fungal infections or those exposed to extremely low temperatures.
To avoid this, only healthy material should be selected for harvesting.
Thematic video: Harvesting cuttings for grafting - when to cut and how to store
Harvesting cuttings for grafting - when to cut and how to store
Harvesting cuttings for grafting trees: basic information about cuttings, when to harvest, storing cuttings in the refrigerator | (Photo & Video) +Reviews
