Plant grafting. Reasons and benefits of vaccination

Grafting plants is one of the ways to get exactly the type of tree that you need on your site, without buying a seedling, but owning just a cutting. When grafting, the cutting or bud of one plant takes root on another. In this case, it is not necessary that the varieties or species of plants coincide. A plant grown from a grafted cutting or bud retains all the characteristics of the mother plant from which they are taken.

The tree on which we graft the desired variety is called the rootstock. For example, a seedling grown from a seed. A scion is a cutting, branch or bud cultivar which we want to have in our garden.

Grafting plants solves a lot of problems in the garden:

• Promotes varietal diversity small plot by inoculation different varieties on one tree.
• It helps to quickly replace unfavorable varieties with new ones.
• Provides the opportunity to grow the necessary planting material on various bases.
• It makes it possible to form the desired crown skeleton, resistant to frost and other influences of nature.
• Plant grafting is a way to preserve a variety after bole damage.

Besides what it is useful procedure for the plant, it is also fascinating and simple process for the amateur gardener. The main thing is to know the structure of the plant and the processes taking place in it, as well as to have a “firm” hand.

Grafting plants: a little theory

To begin with, let's take a closer look at the structure of plants using the example of a tree. A tree consists of a root, trunk (branches, shoots), leaves and flowers. The place where the root meets the trunk is called the root collar. Between the root collar and the first branches there is a tree trunk, and after the first branches and before the base of the growth of the previous year there is a central conductor. The trunk ends with the apical growth of the last year.

The largest branches are the skeleton of the crown, this is the first order of branching, semi-skeletal branches extend almost horizontally from them, then branches of the following orders follow.

All branches of the tree are united by one name - the crown.

To understand how the cutting takes place during grafting, consider its internal structure. A cross-section of a branch shows that it consists of three parts: bark, wood and pith.

The bark performs a protective function and consists of four layers: cork tissue, namely the bark, bast and cambium. During the growth, thickening or damage of the branch, the cambium cells divide and due to this, the bark grows. Cambium is a very important branch tissue.

Wood is the basis of the trunk and branches of a tree. It contains wood fibers that give strength to the tree. Wood cells are capable of dividing, but not as intensively as cambial cells.

The core is the basis of the branches, which carries nutrition for the crown. It is also a kind of food storage.

Foliage is the most active plant organ. The main function of leaves is to create organic elements in the process of photosynthesis. Along the way, this is the respiration of the plant and the evaporation of moisture.

Now let's look at the methods and methods of vaccination. The process itself consists in implanting a bud or cutting into the trunk or branch of another plant. The implanted elements are called scion, and the plant on which implantation is carried out is called rootstock. How to choose the right stock and where to cut the scion will be discussed in the next article, and the choice of scion depends on the method of grafting. There are the following methods of grafting: budding and grafting plants with cuttings.

Budding

Budding of trees can be carried out twice a year during intensive sap flow: in early spring and late summer (early August). A clear sign that the plant is ready to accept a graft is the easily lagging bark from the wood. This means that active cell division of the cambium has begun both into scion and rootstock. At this time, they are able to connect with each other.

In spring, trees are budded with a “growing” eye, since after grafting it quickly germinates. In summer, budding is carried out with a “sleeping” eye, since it will germinate only in the spring of next year. The peephole is an unhatched bud from last year's annual shoot for spring budding. For summer budding, a bud from this year's shoot is suitable.

For convenience, shoots are cut off on the day of tree budding. To begin with, a kidney is cut from the selected shoot with a sharp blade or budding knife, capturing 2-3 mm of wood and 12-13 mm of bark. The cut is carried out parallel to the axis of the cutting. Now the cut eye is called a shield.

The grafting site on the rootstock is selected depending on the plant. For example, fruit trees are grafted at a distance of 7-8 cm from the root collar, the rose is grafted into the root collar, and columnar varieties are grafted 12-15 cm from the root collar. In a chosen place on the north side of the rootstock, cleaned of dirt and dust, a T-shaped incision is made or simply cut off about the same size area of ​​​​the bark as the shield. With a simple cut, the shield is simply applied tightly to it. And in the T-shaped incision, the bark rises and a shield is inserted there. After that, the bark is pressed with fingers over the shield and immediately tied with a ribbon of woven strong material 2 cm wide.

When tying, the kidney itself does not close. The tying is obligatory and is done in order for the cells of the cambium of the scion and the rootstock to be tightly combined, and as soon as possible, an intermediate tissue, the callus, begins to form, instead of which common conducting vessels will then form.

Budding is best done in cloudy weather or during cool sun hours. After the end of the process on hot days, it is necessary to cover the vaccination site with earth by 3-5 cm.

The most common methods of grafting of this type are split, under the bark and side cut. They, as well as budding, are produced during sap flow. The secret of successful engraftment of the scion lies in the correctly made oblique cut of the cutting.

Attention! The length of the cut should be 3-3.5 times the diameter of the cutting. The cut should be a straight and clean wedge. Technically, such a cut is made in the same way as sausage is cut. That is, putting the stalk on a support, sharp knife make a cut so that the cut off part is on the side. We make such cuts on both sides to make a flat wedge. Then we shorten the lower sharp cut by 2 mm for ease of insertion into the stock. Cuttings for all methods are prepared in the same way.

The method of grafting under the bark is used if the stock is much thicker than the scion. This grafting of plants is done only at the time of bud break on the rootstock. In this case, the stalk is prepared on the same day. If leaves have already blossomed on the rootstock, then the stalk must be taken in advance prepared (more on this in the next article). Now we cut down the stock so that the cut is even, especially the bark ring.

If the trunk is wide, then up to 5 cuttings can be grafted. The number of scions depends on the desire of the gardener. In any case, the grafts should be placed closer to the south. On the prepared stock in the intended place, we make a vertical incision in the bark 3-4 cm long. The incision should also capture part of the wood. Now we separate the bark a little near the cut to the rootstock and insert the prepared cutting into the cut so that the cut is not visible. Then we cut off the stalk, leaving 3-4 buds.

To regraft a thin tree, split grafting is used. The stock in this case is cut in half to the length of the scion wedge. The finished cutting is inserted into the incision and the operation is completed.

Branches are grafted into the lateral cut, not trunks. To do this, with a sharp knife blade at an angle of 30 ° to the axis of the branch, a cut is made that cuts through the bark and a little - wood. It turns out buried in a branch. After a successful incision, the branch above is cut down exactly above it. Now the prepared cutting is inserted into the cut.

The junctions of the stock and scion are tightly wrapped, and the open places of the cuts are smeared with garden pitch.

In order to propagate and cultivate plants, many methods have been invented. The most popular is vaccination. essence this method is the engraftment of the desired plant on another, mostly non-decorative and wild. Thus, for example, gardening climbing rose, grafted onto the trunk of a Scottish wild rose, otherwise - ( wild Rose) will eventually give small flowers, hanging down from branches resembling willow branches.

Grafting is used for plants that are difficult to root. These include:,. Through this manipulation, it turns out to grow a standard form of a rose, a weeping form or a dwarf plant.

A rootstock is the plant on which it is grafted. Scion is one of the parts of the ornamental plant that you want to get in the end.

The grafted plant looks like this: top part he has a decorative one; Bottom part from a wild plant.

The lower part plays the main role for good growth and nutrition of the plant, and it also protects the plant from diseases. Grafting is done in order to rejuvenate the plant and regulate flowering and yield.

When the plant adapts to new conditions, it will also not interfere with grafting. For example, a cactus that has become infected with pathogenic microbes due to waterlogging can, with the help of its upper part, be grafted onto an already adapted cactus and in this way save it.

For successful vaccination houseplant There are several key factors to take into account:

• Selection of a healthy plant in scion and rootstock.
• Proper grafting technique.
• Availability necessary tools and materials.
• Choice of time of year.

This manipulation is best done in the first spring months, using special literature or practical advice professionals. There is an opinion that for successful grafting, the scion and rootstock must be from the same species or subspecies. However, oddly enough, such a vaccination very often leads to a negative result. A strong and healthy plant is obtained from different species, but belonging to the same family.

Grafting is done on that part of the plant that serves as a supplier useful substances. This is usually a trunk or branch. So there is a cycle between the old plant and the new one, as a result, they form a single whole, and the main plant receives a new feature or property. The stalk is cut before the start of vaccination and not before. Next, the leaves are removed and placed in water in anticipation of grafting.

There are hundreds of ways to graft a plant. The most commonly used methods are:

• Budding (kidney grafting)- the kidney is cut off a small amount bark and inserted into the incision of the rootstock trunk.
• Grafting with a cutting occurs in the same way as in the method described above, only instead of a kidney, a cutting is taken.
• In split- an incision is made horizontally and vertically on the stock, then split. Several cuttings of the scion, previously cut with a wedge, are inserted into the gap formed. Next, the grafted place is wrapped with a gauze bandage, and on top with adhesive tape. Such grafting is used for plants such as cactus and conifer tree or shrub.
• oblique graft- both plants (scion and rootstock) of identical size are cut obliquely at the same angle. Then they are closely pressed against each other and pulled together with something tight.

A plant grafted in one of the above ways is placed in a warm, sufficiently lit place. Watering should be moderate, but constant. It is not recommended to hit the active sun on a newly grafted plant. If the vaccination was successful, then the scion and stock will grow together within two weeks.

Grafting citrus (video)

One way to reproduce woody plants- vaccinations. They are widely used for the propagation of many fruit crops and ornamental trees, deciduous shrubs and conifers, to obtain weeping and standard forms. Learning how to vaccinate yourself is not difficult at all - you just need to follow certain rules and gain practical skills.

Why vaccinations are needed

Grafting is understood as the fusion of the vegetative parts of two different plants. The plant that is grafted onto is called a rootstock, and the plant that is grafted onto is called a scion. When both parts of two different plants grow together, a single organism is formed that functions as one.

What are vaccines used for? First of all, for mass reproduction of fruit trees and some shrubs. Numerous varieties of apple trees, pears, plums, cherries, mountain ash cannot be propagated using seeds. They also poorly propagate by cuttings, do not give shoots and layering. Therefore, vaccinations are widely used so that all varietal qualities are fully transmitted. fruit plants. Such vaccinations are made on 1-2-year-old rootstocks (specially grown from wild game seeds of the corresponding crops).

Vaccinations allow not only to obtain the desired variety of fruit plants, but also to enhance such qualities of plants as frost resistance, fast growth and early fruiting. By grafting onto dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks, it is possible to create trees with limited growth and a smaller crown size, as well as earlier fruiting. With the help of vaccinations, planting material is obtained for columnar apple and pear trees, as well as standard forms of shrubs.

Sometimes grafting is used to regraft young and mature trees that have their own crown. In this case, several different varieties one type, which saves space in the garden. Having only two apple trees with grafted winter and summer varieties on the site, you can harvest from mid-summer to late autumn.

Finally, grafting is done to heal damaged varieties and large tree branches if large cracks or damage to the bark have formed on them over a large area.

Vaccines are widely used for vegetative propagation ornamental plants to preserve varietal qualities and forms. This is especially true for variegated, purple, yellow-leaved, with beautiful shape plant leaves. Weeping forms of mountain ash, decorative Chinese, bird cherry, mountain ash are grafted onto high boles (1-3 m). Globular, purple, white-edged forms of Norway maple, elm, and willow are also grafted onto boles.

Some conifers do not reproduce well by cuttings (pine species), and seed propagation rare forms is impossible, so vaccinations are often used. With their help, interesting standard forms are created from coniferous plants- pines, firs, junipers (ball or cone on a high and low trunk), as well as weeping forms (Inverse spruce, larch, hemlock, creeping forms of junipers).

Many groups of roses propagate only with the help of grafting to give them greater frost resistance and stability in our conditions. This applies primarily to large-flowered hybrids - groups of grandiflora, hybrid tea, floribunda. standard roses also obtained as a result of grafting on a wild cultivar.

Types and methods of vaccinations

More than a hundred methods of plant grafting are known. The most famous and common of them are cuttings and budding with an eye. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

Grafting cuttings consists in the fact that a stalk with several buds is taken as a scion, which is grafted onto a stock of the same or larger diameter. These vaccinations are done in early spring, in the first decade of May, when the plants are sap flowing. Cuttings for grafting are harvested at the beginning or end of winter, and before grafting they are stored in the snow or in a cold cellar.

cleft vaccinations are used when the stock is much thicker than the cutting. The top of the stock is cut off perpendicular to the axis of the shoot, and a longitudinal split is made through the core. The scion is taken about 5 cm high, with well-developed buds. A two-sided wedge-shaped cut 2.5-3 cm long is made in its lower part. The prepared cutting is inserted into the split of the stock. At the same time, it is important that the wedge completely enters the split and the cambial layers (bark zones) of the scion and rootstock are combined. Then the grafting site is tied with a strip of polyethylene 1.5 cm wide, the upper cut part of the stock is covered with garden pitch.

Vaccinations on the stump under the bark also do if the stock is thicker than the scion. The top of the rootstock is cut perpendicular to the axis of the shoot and on one side the bark is cut 2-3 cm vertically to the wood. A scion cutting with an oblique cut (2.5-3 cm) is inserted, spreading the bark of the rootstock on the cut, tied tightly, lubricating all open cuts (the tops of the cutting and rootstock) with garden pitch.

It is used if the cut diameters of the scion and rootstock are the same. They make oblique sections 3 cm long, apply the sections to each other, make a strapping - this is a simple copulation. For better bonding of the scion and rootstock, small longitudinal sections (0.5 cm) are made on each of them, stepping back a third from the beginning of the cut of the scion and rootstock. The tongues of the scion and rootstock are inserted into the formed incisions, a strapping is applied (improved copulation).

Budding- a method of grafting with a bud (eye), in which a separate bud is grafted with an adjacent piece of bark or wood (shield) during the period of active sap flow in spring or early August. Eye budding is performed at the root collar of 1-2-year-old rootstocks, which are cleaned of thorns and side shoots a few days before grafting (budding is often used for grafting roses) to a height of 25 cm. Scion cuttings are harvested before grafting, the leaves are cut off from them, leaving small petiole. A peephole with a small shield of wood is separated from the scion. On the rootstock, a T-shaped incision of the bark is made closer to the ground, the bark is carefully separated from the wood, an eye is inserted under the bark, a tight strap is made, leaving the bud of the scion free. After the graft and rootstock grow together (next year), the top of the stock is cut off to the grafting site and coated with garden pitch.

For successful vaccination, you must adhere to the following rules:

• comply with the deadlines for harvesting cuttings and the timing of vaccinations;
• do not touch the cuts with your hands, wipe the grafting knife and hands with alcohol;
• make cuts with a sharp knife, strictly in the required planes (not concave or convex);
• do the vaccination quickly, without overdrying the sections;
• remove the harness in time, for spring vaccinations - at the end of summer;
• if necessary, temporarily shade the graft with a paper bag;
• pre-training to do vaccinations at home.

Text and photo: Natalya Yurtaeva, landscape designer

Grafting of house and garden trees

In the spring, before the start of active sap flow, not only garden trees, but also crops growing at home. The choice of the method of carrying out the procedure depends on the purpose:

• crossing fruit species trees;
• improvement of varietal qualities;
• rejuvenation of old trees with young scions;
• grafting wild for harvest.

A rootstock is a tree that will be grafted. A scion is a cutting of a new species or variety used to improve palatability fruits, or plant characteristics.

Grafting citrus and exotic house trees

heat-loving citrus fruits and exotic plants it is almost impossible to grow on the territory of Russia because of the unsuitable climate for them. But this can easily be done in an apartment.

When growing crops such as mandarin, lemon, mango or pomegranate at home, you must remember that wild plants grown from the stone will produce inedible fruits, or will not bloom at all. That is why the vaccination procedure is mandatory for them.

Grafting home crops with cuttings

This method is the most effective due to the high survival rate and the complete preservation of the genetic material. Cuttings are most often grafted by copulation or splitting, but for domestic citrus fruits, it is better to graft over the bark.

Grafting material can be borrowed from friends or in the nearest botanical garden. It is very risky to order cuttings by mail, because during the shipment they may die, and you will not be able to find out from which tree they were cut.

Grafting citrus buds

You can also use the method of budding - budding. You can get grafting material from a young tree without cutting off a whole cutting. Home cultures tolerate the procedure quite well if it is carried out correctly. For more information on citrus budding methods, see the Lemon Grafting article.

Sharon persimmon graft

If there is a desire to grow a persimmon from a purchased fruit by planting a seed in a pot, the plant will also need to be grafted, otherwise it will grow wild and will not bear fruit in 80% of cases. Vaccination is carried out by any convenient way, including grafting pruner.

Compatible plants that can be grafted

Many gardeners are interested in the question: what crops are compatible for grafting, what can be used for rootstock and scion? You can always use the same types of plants, but different varieties. This is done to obtain, modify or improve varietal characteristics.

You will certainly be interested in an article on the grafting of apple trees and other fruit trees, which describes in detail the procedure, the tool used, and the means for processing.

Experiment with various types fruit trees are also possible, but it should be noted that some plants react rather aggressively to the engraftment of any cuttings, while others are able to take on even a different look.

Most often, grafting fruit crops in the garden is used to rejuvenate a variety or replace it with a more valuable one. If you want to get a completely different plant in as soon as possible, you can use a scion of a different type. For example, a pear or cotoneaster will take root well in place of an apple tree, and chokeberry will easily accept red mountain ash.

For grafting fruit trees in the garden, cuttings are used. If the rootstock is young and its diameter coincides with the scion, then it is better to use improved copulation (with a gap). When the tree is old enough, grafting into the split or behind the bark will do.

And how can an ordinary gardener be able to vaccinate? First of all, it is our freedom and independence! How nice it is to realize that you can start in your garden not only those fruit varieties that you “got” with seedlings, but those whose fruits you have tried and personally seen how they grow successfully in our area - for example, from friends, neighbors or advanced hobbyists.

A common situation that we summer residents often face is regrading. They bought a seedling, planted it, looked after it according to all the rules, a tree grew up, gave the first fruits - but the variety is not the same! And it’s okay if it’s tasty, otherwise it’s sour meat ... Oh, how insulting! And time is lost, and the seller has nothing to prove. But, as practical Americans say, “if fate slipped you a lemon, make lemonade out of it!”. It is absolutely not necessary to uproot the "loser" and spend a few more years growing a new seedling - after all, it can be re-grafted!

Dictionary of the summer resident

The central conductor is the upper part of the trunk above the main branches of the crown. Skeletal branches - the thickest and longest, depart directly from the trunk. They form a kind of tree frame, or "skeleton". Copulation is a method of grafting with a cutting. Budding - grafting with a kidney (eye). A graft is a plant or part of it (bud, cutting, branch) that is grafted. A rootstock is a plant that is grafted onto.

In addition, vaccination is also needed for those who are just planning their own orchard. For example, you can “cheat” nature a little and grow varieties that are not winter hardy enough for your area by grafting them onto a reliable skeleton former. If the tree's stem and base of the skeletal branches, which are subjected to the most severe weather tests, will consist of a completely reliable variety or "wildlife", then there is no need to worry about them. Well, it’s better to plant tasty “sissies” in the crown above 1.5-2 m from the ground - there the temperature drops are not so great. And if they do freeze, it’s easy to replace a branch or two. By the way, some varieties are famous not only as the most reliable, but also as forming the strongest skeleton of a tree with good angles branch departures. Try at the very beginning - then for many years there will be no problems with the tree. Is it bad?

Other reasons are also important. For example, keep in small garden a huge tree, the fruits of which are tasty, but not stored for a long time, is irrational. It is more logical to grow such a variety on one or two branches so that the harvest is not too large. Or, for example, "paradise apples" - Chinese. The jam from it is wonderful, but how much do you need?

Exploratory survey

Let's move on to practice

Let's return to our "patient" - a young 3-7 year old tree that needs to be re-grafted (if your candidate is younger - even better!). First of all, he needs a comprehensive examination of the state of health. For example, is its winter hardiness sufficient? Cut off a couple of branches - last year's and two or three years old. Are there any darkened tissues on the cut? What winters were last years- soft or rather severe?

If everything is ok, move on. Is the plant affected by diseases? What does the skeleton of a tree look like? Are there any damages on the trunk, are the branches moving away from it at too sharp an angle? Is the annual growth good (at least 30-40 cm)? If at least one point of “dispensary examination” has not been passed, this is a serious reason to think about improving the health of the tree before re-grafting, or even about removing it altogether (for example, if the variety is obviously southern and freezes even in mild winters) and replacement with a quality seedling.

Remember - it makes sense to regraft only healthy, actively growing plants and their individual parts. Saving the "suffocators", you need to clearly understand why you are doing this and whether you can eventually grow something worthwhile out of them. Still, you and I, as a rule, grow fruit trees precisely for the sake of their fruits!

You should not go against nature by combining winter and summer varieties on the same tree. Choose those that are close in maturity. Also, do not graft many varieties on one tree at once - later it will be difficult to determine the maturity of the fruit. Yes, and the difference in the development of vaccinations can be significant - you will have to make a lot of efforts to keep the crown harmonious. You should not "cram" more than 3-5 varieties per tree.

Operation plan

Inspect the tree again and mark the grafting sites. As a rule, either the entire central conductor or the strongest skeletal branches are regrafted first. To make it easier to decide - try to imagine what the whole tree, as well as each specific branch or bud, will turn into in the future. For example, you should not vaccinate on a frankly weak, horizontally located branch. Well, it will grow another half a meter, give a dozen fruits. And all? Why did you try? But the neighboring branch, although still small, looks up, is well lit, has enough space for development, gives long growths and in the future, apparently, will turn into a large branch hung with fruits. Quite another matter! Here on it we will plant the variety we need.

By the way, keep in mind that thicker branches are more difficult to work with. Therefore, it is often advisable to cut off the main branch, transferring growth to a well-located thinner branch, and regraft it already. And if there are none, you can grow them! For example, severely prune a tree and direct the growing shoots in the right directions, and regraft them the next year.

In trees up to 3-4 years of age, you can replace all the branches with a new variety at once, and in older ones, it is better to leave a part until next year so as not to upset the balance of the crown and roots too sharply. It’s also a good idea to leave a few thin, horizontally directed, obviously “extra” branches so that their leaf apparatus works for another year or two to feed the grafts, but they do not draw too much juice onto themselves.

Made a plan, "felt" the tree? Mark the places for future vaccinations with ribbons or a marker, write down the number of varieties you need. All this is best done in advance, even before studying the assortment and acquiring cuttings.

From experience, the most appropriate timing of vaccination (for middle lane) - from the beginning of April (about a week before the start of active sap flow, but without the threat of severe frosts and snowfall) to the “green cone” phase (the beginning of bud break) at the rootstock. It is better to start with stone fruits (plums, cherries, sweet cherries) - they start growing faster, and in grafting - more capricious. Apple and pear trees forgive much more mistakes.

"Donor organ"

Getting cuttings for grafting is much easier than seedlings. Remember the apples from which neighbor tree you always envied? Or maybe you have preserved wonderful old varieties in your village, which you can’t find on sale in the afternoon with fire? Surely the neighbors will not refuse to cut you a branch or two. And in nurseries, the price of cuttings is low, and the varieties offered, as a rule, are the most modern.

Better cut annual shoots medium vigor, preferably growing more or less vertically. Cut cuttings are tied into bundles according to varieties, marked, wrapped with a damp cloth, placed in a loosely covered plastic bag and stored until grafting, either in the snow in a shady area, or in a refrigerator at a temperature of about 0 ° C. Nurseries and amateurs who graft in large volumes store material at the beginning of winter in order to preserve varieties and not suffer losses in case of extreme freezing of mother trees. But if the winter was normal, then the cuttings can be taken in the spring: for example, they can be harvested during the annual pruning or even just cut right on the day of vaccination. But pay attention - for the success of the operation, it is necessary that the buds on the handle do not start growing, while the stock can be either “sleeping” or already starting to bloom. The day before the scheduled vaccination, it is recommended to soak the cuttings in cold water. Freshly cut - you can not soak.

Surgical subtleties

Well, it's time to move from plans to their implementation. For vaccination, it is better to choose a cool, quiet day, preferably overcast. While our skills are far from ideal, it is desirable that the cuts do not dry out.

The most common and, dare I say it, the most successful method of grafting is improved copulation. With its help, it is easiest to re-graft one-two-year-old branches, approximately the same diameter as the cutting.

Applying the existing cutting to the rootstock, specify the place of vaccination. Make oblique cuts on the rootstock and scion. It is better to start each cut immediately under the kidney, on the opposite side of it - then the next kidney will not hurt you. Compare the slices with each other - they should be the same. Do not forget to keep track of time: prolonged exposure to open sections in the air dramatically worsens survival.

Stepping back about 1/3 from the upper (sharp) end of the slices, notch and slightly split them along the axis of the handle to a depth of about 1/3 of the length of the slice, too, to make “tongues”. Be careful, please - this is one of the most traumatic operations! To ensure that you do not get hurt during cutting, support the handle from below index finger left hand.

Align the slices, hooking the "tongues" to each other. Pay special attention to the alignment of the cambium, the greenish layer between the bark and the wood. If you missed a little and the thickness of the scion and rootstock are different, try to match at least on one side.

Apply the strapping, tightly tightening the scion and rootstock. Its turns must overlap. Remove the buds on the rootstock, which can fall under the tape, and on the handle carefully go around when tying so that they remain free. Our task is to achieve sufficient strength of the connection (lightly pull on the stalk - does it pull out?) And protect all open cuts from moisture evaporation (otherwise the stalk will dry out before it takes root). Secure the bandage with a slip loop.

Expert comment

Doing spring grafting "from tree to tree" is quite risky. The prospects are much better when the rootstock has already begun active sap flow, and the scion is still at rest. In this case, the stalk receives a "handicap" in one and a half to two weeks before the start of growth. This time is just enough to splice the components. But if both parts are in a similar state, rapidly blooming buds can dry out the ungrown stalk.

How to make the right bevel cut?

Take a cutting in left hand and fix it from below thumb. Position your right hand with the knife so that the blade is on top of the handle, and thumb- from below. The distance between the surface of the finger and cutting edge throughout the work should be 1.5-2 cm - this is important to avoid cuts.

Feel the "rigid construction" of the entire right hand: fingers, wrist and elbow should not dangle during cutting. When making a cut, move the knife away from you, without moving your hands and fingers, but spreading your arms - as if straightening your shoulders. You can imagine that you are cutting a rope folded in half. Remember that a knife is razor sharp? Such a blade easily cuts wood, leaving smooth planes. The length of the cut should be at least three times the diameter of the cutting. Practice in advance on unnecessary branches!

Well last operation- cut the end of the cutting, counting 2-4 buds from the grafting site, and cover the cut with garden pitch. This is necessary, because any excess evaporation of moisture to the cutting is contraindicated. Instead of a pitch, so as not to get your hands dirty, the end of the handle can be wrapped with the same strapping tape. Be sure to tie a label with the name of the variety.

Expert comment

The cut on the rootstock should be slightly slanted, with the scion adjacent to its tip (acute corner). If during the tying process it is not possible to tightly close the entire surface of the wound on a thicker branch (sometimes it is quite difficult), do not be alarmed - the remaining “window” can simply be carefully covered with garden pitch.

Adults Only

Unfortunately, it is not always possible for the stock and scion to match exactly in diameter. It usually happens that the branch on which we are going to graft is noticeably thicker than the cutting, for example, its diameter is 1-2 cm. But improved copulation will help us out in this case too. True, it will have to be done a little differently - for good measure.

There are various measures designed to further reduce the evaporation of moisture from the cutting and, accordingly, improve survival. For example, some gardeners protect the graft from above with a bag of opaque white polyethylene film(transparent or dark will not work!) or white paper or foil rolled up in the form of a bag or cylinder. In my experience, it is advisable to do this for more capricious crops in grafting - cherries, sweet cherries, plums, cherry plums, apricots.

Cut off the rootstock branch at the desired location with pruning shears. Make an oblique cut on the handle. Try it on the rootstock and make a cut of the same size and shape on the side of the branch. Remember that the cambial layer where fusion occurs is under the cortex, so the thickness of the cortex will need to be added to the width of the cut. Try on finally and, if everything is in order, make tongues on both cuts, connect the graft with the rootstock, hooking the tongues to each other, check the coincidence of the cambium again and tightly tie with tape to seal both the grafting knot and the rootstock cut. Process the end of the handle, tie a label. All!

Regrafting of thicker branches (from 2-3 cm) is carried out differently, for example, split, behind the bark or into a side cut. Unfortunately, the volume of this article does not allow us to dwell on the whole variety of methods in more detail.

convalescence period

It will take quite a bit of time, and, I hope, you will see buds blooming on fresh inoculations, and after them - young leaves. Now your task is to help the tree so that neither drought nor lack of nutrition interferes with the growth of shoots. After about a month, when the cuttings begin to thicken, it is necessary to rewind (loosen) the strapping. It will be possible to finally remove it closer to the fall. Make sure that the regrown shoots complete their growth on time, and the wood is ripe - then problems with wintering are unlikely. If growth is delayed - in late August-early September, pinch the tips of the shoots. And the tree is ready for a new long life!