Instructions for gardeners: grafting an apple tree in the summer with fresh branches in stages in different ways

The apple tree is one of the most unpretentious fruit and berry plants. It has a long lifespan and bears fruit abundantly for several decades. Apple cuttings are easily grafted onto different trees and quickly begin to bear fruit.

Grafting work can be carried out from early spring to late autumn. Many gardeners prefer to do this in the summer. Summer grafting of fruit trees has many advantages and is characterized by high survival rate.

Why graft an apple tree with fresh branches in summer?

It is not necessary to graft an apple tree. This hardy crop is capable of growing in almost all regions of our country.

She is not afraid of winter frosts, spring frosts, temperature changes, prolonged precipitation and scorching sun. Fruits for a long time, reproduces well cuttings.

Despite the plant's hardiness, many gardeners graft apple trees.

This procedure serves the following purposes:

1. Increased stamina. Grafting makes it possible to grow non-registered varieties, for example, heat-loving plants in the central region. A correctly selected rootstock increases resistance to negative environmental factors and the immunity of the scion.
2. Saving space on site. If the garden is not large enough and you want to grow several varieties of apple trees, you can graft several different branches onto one plant.
3. Aesthetics. Different varieties and even crops can be grafted onto one tree. In this case, apples of different colors will grow on one plant, at the same time rowan and apples, pears and apples, etc. Such a neighborhood looks very unusual.
4. Save time. The grafted branch begins to bear fruit 2 times faster than a rooted plant propagated by vegetative or generative methods.
5. Renewing old trees. Instead of uprooting old, weakly fruiting trees, experienced gardeners recommend trim them and graft new branches onto them.
6. Opportunity to practice. Apple grafts take root much better than many other fruit and berry plants. At the same time, many crops do require mandatory vaccination. Therefore, novice gardeners are advised to practice on apple trees before moving on to more capricious plants.

Benefits of summer vaccination

Many gardeners prefer to graft apple trees in the summer with fresh branches.

Carrying out the procedure during this period has a number of advantages:

1. Speed. With summer grafting, the new branch takes root, begins to grow and begins to bear fruit a year earlier than with autumn grafting. Already in the fall you will be able to see the positive results of the work carried out.
2. No need for preliminary preparation of grafting material. To graft an apple tree in the spring, cuttings are carried out in the fall. In summer, the tree is grafted with freshly cut cuttings.
3. Ability to verify the quality of the grafting material. In the spring, a novice gardener may not be able to distinguish branches frozen in winter, and by summer, low-quality grafting material dies off on its own.
4. High chances of success. In summer, new cells are actively formed, and the parts grafted to each other firmly grow together. Summer vaccinations do not require constant and careful care.
5. Using everything you cut planting material. Some of the cuttings that were harvested in the fall do not survive until spring. In the case of summer grafting, all rootstocks are used.
6. A neat place for tissue fusion. During summer grafting, no large influxes are formed at the junction of the scion and the rootstock, due to which the combination ring is practically invisible.

Summer vaccination is also practiced if spring work does not bring positive results.

Timing of the procedure in summer

The timing of summer grafting of fruit trees depends on the climate of a particular region and weather.

Work must be completed no later than 2 weeks before the temperature drops below +15°C.

Grafting work is recommended to be carried out in the second half of summer, when annual shoots have already stopped actively growing. June is not a suitable time, since during this period active tissue growth continues, and pruning harms the tree. In the northern regions, return frosts are possible at the beginning of summer.

The optimal time for the vaccination procedure is the second half of summer.

When choosing a time frame, it is important to take into account the climate of a particular region:

1. Northern (Ural, Siberia). The procedure is carried out from July 12 to August 5. Scions take root best from July 12 to July 25.
2. Central regions (Kaliningrad, Moscow, Kaluga, Leningrad regions). The vaccination is done from mid-July to mid-August.
3. Southern. The best results are achieved by grafting the apple tree in the first half of August, but the procedure can be continued from mid-July to the end of August.

Preparing the rootstock and branches

In order for the graft to take root, it is important to choose a suitable scion and rootstock.

It is low-quality grafting material that causes negative results of the work performed.

Scion

As a scion, select apple trees that have been actively growing and bearing fruit over the past years and have not suffered from viral infections. It is important to ensure that there are no signs of disease and pests on the plant.

To choose a suitable branch, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

1. Kidneys. Unripe shoots are not suitable for grafting. The apical bud must be fully formed. Another sign of maturity is an increase in the distance between internodes at the top of the branch.
2. Condition of the cortex. A shallow incision is made on the bark of the selected shoot. They pry it up with a fingernail and try to separate it from the wood. If the bark comes off easily, it means the shoot is ripe.
3. Growth and flower buds. For grafting, select the part on which there are more growth buds - flattened and elongated. Flowering specimens are more round and voluminous.
4. Location of branches. Shoots located inside the crown are not suitable because they are dominated by flower buds and are weak due to shading. The branches located outside the crown are strewn with growth buds and are considered an ideal option for grafting.
5. Appearance. For grafting, shoots that are already lignified but still green from the current year are taken. They should be smooth to the touch, without bends or flaws.
6. Size. The length of the rootstocks is at least 30 cm, and the diameter is 5-6 cm. There must be at least 4 buds on the cuttings.

Green cuttings are cut in the morning from 4 to 10 o'clock on the day of grafting. At this time, the sun is not active, the trees will not get burned and will experience less stress.The day before cuttings, the mother plant is abundantly watered.

If the cuttings are grafted within 2-3 hours after cutting, there is no need to put them in water. If preparation takes longer, the grafting material is placed in a bucket of water or wrapped in a damp cloth.

Before use, all leaves are removed from the cuttings, leaving petioles up to 10 mm long. Stipules also need to be removed.

Note! The maturation times of the rootstock and scion must coincide.

Rootstock

When choosing a rootstock for an apple tree, it is important to pay attention to crop compatibility. Cultivated varieties of apple trees and wild ones, grown with your own hands from seeds or dug up in the forest, are best suited.

You can graft an apple tree onto other crops. Among them:

1. Rowan. Apple tree branches take root worse on chokeberry than on red rowan. If an apple tree is adjacent to a rowan tree, the fruits will become smaller.
2. Pear. It takes root much better as a scion, but apple tree branches do not always take root on it.
3. Quince. The chances that apple tree branches will take root on quince are low. Often the fruits on such branches become smaller.
4. Viburnum and hawthorn. The apple tree takes root well on such rootstocks, but its fruits become smaller.

It is best to grow an apple tree onto an apple tree. In this case, the variety will gain frost resistance, and the quality of the fruit will not deteriorate. Such vaccinations are the strongest.

The tree that will become the rootstock must be checked for signs of diseases and pests. For these purposes, zoned varieties are chosen.

It is advisable to choose not the oldest trees. For summer vaccination in spring trimmed all dry and unnecessary branches, so that the plant spends energy not on them, but on the scion.

How to properly graft an apple tree with a fresh branch

For grafting apple trees in the summer, fresh branches of the current year are used. For the procedure to be successful, you need to prepare tools and materials, as well as choose the appropriate method.

Required materials and tools

For vaccination you need to prepare a number of tools. Among them:

1. Hacksaw. For cutting branches onto rootstock.
2. Secateurs. For preparing cuttings.
3. Scalpel or sharp garden knife. They are given the desired shape to the ends of the shoots.
4. Electrical tape, garden tape, or plumber's tape. Used for strapping.
5. Film.
6. Garden var.

Before grafting an apple tree in July, you need to make sure that the tool is well sharpened and that the hacksaw is in good working order and does not have broken or bent teeth. A low-quality tool makes the cuts uneven, which reduces the tightness of the sections of the rootstock and scion, reducing the likelihood of tissue fusion.

This is interesting! Some gardeners use a drill to make a hole for the rootstock on the scion.

Procedure Guide

There are different ways to get vaccinated. Each of them has its own subtleties and technology.

Into the cleft

Many gardeners consider splitting technology to be the easiest method of grafting. In this case, simply make cuts on the scion and rootstock that coincide with each other.

Step-by-step instructions for cleft grafting:

1. Select a tree 3-6 years old, which will become the rootstock. The split is grafted into a standard or skeletal branch. The selected area is cut off by at least a third, removing excess shoots.
2. A split 3-6 cm deep is made in the center of the scion. It should be slightly deeper than the length of the wedge on the rootstock.
3. The lower end of the rootstock is sharpened on both sides with a flat wedge 3-5 cm long.
4. A scion wedge is inserted into the split of the rootstock so that the bark and layers of elements coincide on at least one side.If the diameter of the rootstock is large, several scions can be inserted into it.
5. The split area on the scion is tightly wrapped with garden tape. In this case, the electrical tape should transfer from the scion to the rootstock.
6. All cuts on the scion are covered with garden varnish.

For the bark

Bark grafting is another simple way to carry out the procedure.

There are instructions to help beginning gardeners:

1. The scion (this can be a trunk or a thick skeletal branch) is cut at least in half. From the cut site, a longitudinal cut of at least 3 cm in length is made down the bark. The bark is pryed with a fingernail and lifted.
2. A flat wedge is made at the bottom of the scion. Its length will be slightly less than the cut on the rootstock bark. Some gardeners cut the wood at the bottom so that on one side there is a protruding thin piece of bark.
3. The scion wedge is inserted under the bark, covering it with cut flaps.
4. The junction is tightly tied with electrical tape. The saw cuts are covered with garden varnish.

Budding

When budding, a bud with part of the bark is used. This method is difficult to implement, but gives good results. Many gardeners prefer to use it.

Step-by-step instructions for budding:

1. The grafting bud is cut from the central part of the shoot along with a flat section of bark and wood 1.5-2 cm long. The leaves are removed from it along with the petiole.
2. A T-shaped cut is made on the rootstock bark. The chances of survival will increase if you select a site with a kidney for these purposes.
3. The bark flaps on the rootstock are pushed apart. The scion bud is inserted into the resulting pocket.
4. The bark flaps are retracted. The junction is wrapped with electrical tape so that only the kidney remains open.

By the bridge

This method is suitable for trees with damaged bark.

It is usually not used for healthy plants:

1. On the scion, at the site of damage to the bark, 2 annular cuts are made. The area of ​​bark between them is removed.
2. The exposed area is wiped with a clean cloth. Longitudinal sections are made on the top and bottom of the bark; the top and bottom should be located opposite each other. The number of cuts should be equal to the number of grafted cuttings.
3. The cuttings are sharpened with a flat wedge from the upper and lower ends.
4. The lower end of the scions is inserted into the lower cuts on the bark of the rootstock. When all the cuttings are inserted, the junction at the bottom is tightly wrapped with electrical tape.
5. The cuttings are bent into a bridge and the upper wedge is inserted into the upper cuts in the bark on the rootstock. They make a winding.
6. The bare area on the rootstock is covered with garden pitch.

Copulation

Copulation is the latest popular grafting method, which is used if the diameters of the scion and rootstock are the same.

The technology is simple:

1. The rootstock and scion in the lower part are cut at an acute angle.
2. The cuts must completely coincide and fit tightly to each other.
3. They make a winding. To increase the strength of the structure, you can insert a stick into the winding.
4. The top cut of the scion is covered with garden varnish.

Common mistakes to avoid

Beginner gardeners often make mistakes that reduce the chances of successful grafting:

1. Grafting to the edge of a branch or tree. In this case, the scion receives few nutrients and develops slowly. Correctly graft an apple tree to the base.
2. Lack of enhanced care after vaccination. The tree to which the apple tree has been grafted needs increased care, frequent watering and feeding.
3. The winding is too strong. It pinches the tissue, disrupting sap flow, and the cutting receives few nutrients.The winding should be tight, but not pressing.
4. Using polyethylene for winding. It creates a greenhouse effect, which leads to tissue decay.

Care after vaccination

It is important to look after the tree after grafting.

Below are the basic rules of care:

1. All young growth that forms on the scion and next to the graft is removed. It draws most of the nutrients, reducing the chances of survival.
2. It is important to keep birds away from the graft, as they can break it.
3. 3-4 weeks after the procedure, the winding is removed.
4. 3 weeks after grafting, the tree is fed.
5. The grafted apple tree is watered as the soil dries.

Tips on the topic

Some tips will help simplify the vaccination procedure:

1. The electrical tape is wrapped around the junction of the fabrics with the sticky layer facing outward so that when removing the winding it does not damage the fabric. Instead of electrical tape and garden tape, you can use a regular rag.
2. In cold weather, the varnish hardens, and when it gets on clothes, it leaves greasy stains that are difficult to wash off. Whitewash, which can be used as a substitute for garden varnish, does not have such disadvantages.
3. To make identical sections, use a grafting gun. It makes the procedure easier.

Conclusion

The apple tree is one of the most unpretentious, hardy and easy to graft fruit trees. Its scions easily take root on suitable rootstocks and rarely die off, so novice gardeners are recommended to begin their grafting experience with apple trees.

Despite the apparent complexity, vaccination is simple to perform. The main thing is to choose the appropriate method and comply with the basic conditions.