Harvesting plum cuttings for grafting in the spring. How to harvest apple cuttings for grafting - important rules and valuable expert advice

Any cutting fruit tree- not just a piece of twig, but a real shoot with several buds, which has a truly amazing ability to grow into a full-fledged tree. But in order to achieve such a result, you should know certain nuances associated with the choice and proper preparation of cuttings. Further details on how to choose and implement the harvesting of apple cuttings for grafting in the spring (detailed photo and video instructions are attached).

Since we are talking about creating a full-fledged tree, it is necessary to approach the issue of choosing a suitable cutting very seriously. It is important to observe one simple condition: the mother tree must be productive and steadily fruiting. It is worth choosing annual shoots (it is important that they ripen well) from that part of the crown that is located on outside and actively heated by the sun.

Advice. Shoots located with south side tree. Such cuttings are distinguished by the presence of small internodes and well-developed eyes in the leaf axils.

Try to cut cuttings from the middle tier of the crown, as the upper ones will be too thick and massive for grafting, and the lower ones will not give the desired growth.

As for the timing of the correct harvesting of apple cuttings for the spring scion, the opinions of gardeners differ. So, some believe that the preparatory process is carried out at the beginning of winter, and always before mid-January: shoots cut later are unlikely to take root well.

Other gardeners believe that the end of winter and even the beginning of spring can be safely considered the optimal period for cutting cuttings from an apple tree. It is important to take into account weather: so, the air temperature should not be lower than -10 degrees. This is - optimal conditions for hardening annual shoots.

You can also prepare young shoots almost before grafting, but at the same time, the plant should not yet have blossomed buds. According to reviews experienced gardeners, the best result is achieved when using cuttings harvested at the beginning of winter.

A cutting that is optimally suitable for harvesting as a scion must have the following external characteristics:

  • shoot length should be within 30-40 cm;
  • internodes should be short;
  • the thickness of the shoot should be about 6-7 mm (like a simple pencil);
  • the kidneys should not bloom, but at the same time they should be pronounced;
  • for cutting cuttings, it is better to use a fruit-bearing young tree, whose age does not exceed 10 years.

If you're new to gardening and want to try grafting a new plant from an apple cutting, you might want to take note of a few useful tips from experienced gardeners:

  1. Shoots should be cut so as to capture a piece of two-year-old wood (at least a couple of centimeters). This will help preserve the cuttings and improve their survival rate.
  2. If you plan to cut cuttings with young tree, whose crown is not yet sufficiently developed, it is best to cut the shoots from the upper branches, which will be removed in the spring (thus, you minimize harm to the tree).
  3. When choosing suitable tree for pruning cuttings, it is better to give preference to one that is regularly pruned. The fact is that such trees give very strong and healthy shoots with good buds.
  4. Too thin shoots with underdeveloped buds should not be used for grafting. In the absence of others, it is better to use last year's "stocks", or refrain from growing a new tree for the current season.
  5. Immediately after cutting, treat the cut points at the shoots with garden pitch. Thus, you will increase their safety.

Rules for storing cuttings for spring vaccination

Some gardeners do not understand: why is it necessary to make cuttings so early and store them for a long time? And this is necessary in order to be able to right time wake up the kidneys left in a state of "rest" on the shoots. That is why you should know certain subtleties in order for the cuttings to remain viable by the time of spring vaccination.

To your attention the most simple and at the same time effective ways storage of cuttings until spring:

  • In the snow. snow pile - great option for residents of those regions in which winters are very snowy and long. Dig a small trench (depth no more than 35 cm) on a flat, flood-free area, lay it out with spruce branches and put the cuttings on top. From above, cover them with spruce branches, and then with foliage, earth or sawdust. Cover the entire structure from above with a solid layer of snow and make sure that its level does not fall below 0.5 m until spring.

Advice. So that rodents do not get used to your “good”, wrap the twigs metal mesh, nylon stockings or plastic mesh.

  • In sawdust (on the street). In those regions where winter thaws are normal, and snow is often wet, this method of storing cuttings is quite suitable. Prepare sawdust in advance (wet it thoroughly and lay it on the north side of the yard). Put the cutting bundles on the sawdust and cover them with the same top (the sawdust layer should be about 20 cm). Leave the prepared “wintering” place in the cold. When the sawdust is frozen, sprinkle more sawdust on top with a layer of about half a meter. Finished construction cover with plastic wrap to keep it from getting wet. A few days before the start of grafting the cuttings, it will be enough just to bring the sawdust structure into the house.
  • In the cellar. cold cellar - good place for storage, which was used by our grandfathers. You can place the cuttings in burlap, sawdust, peat, sand, etc. The substrate in which the cuttings will be stored must be periodically moistened.
  • In the fridge. In the refrigerator, the cuttings will feel quite comfortable. All you have to do is tie them up, sign them and place them in plastic bag(maybe two). The storage temperature must be strictly regulated (it should not be higher than 2 degrees Celsius). And remember that a refrigerator and a freezer are not the same thing. The cuttings should be chilled, not frozen.

Well, and finally, one piece of advice that should be taken into account by those who plan to store cuttings in a moist substrate. Novice gardeners often have a question about the optimal moisture content of the substrate for storing cuttings. Checking this is quite simple: you need to pick up a little substrate with your hand and squeeze it in your fist. If you feel moisture, but the water does not flow, then the humidity is optimal.

That's all the subtleties that you should know in order to plant healthy and fully viable apple cuttings in the spring. Good luck!

Harvesting apple cuttings: video

Almost every gardener has faced the need to plant fruit crops. And given that the most popular tree in our gardens is an apple tree, then the grafting of this particular crop is most often performed.

But in order to successfully carry out this procedure, you must strictly adhere to several rules, which we will discuss below. And it is also important to choose the right escape with desired tree, this is the most important task for a novice summer resident.

So, how to properly harvest apple cuttings for grafting in the spring, let's find out together.

A few words about the harvesting process

How to prepare cuttings? If you have a desire to personally try to withdraw new variety apple trees, which means that the preparation of the material should be taken very seriously and responsibly.

So let's find out what they advise experienced gardeners:

  • cuttings need to be cut from trees that are characterized by good resistance to defects and a high yield;
  • to obtain such material, only well-ripened annual branches are selected;
  • it is best to cut sprouts from the outer part of trees and shrubs, which are most strongly illuminated by the rays of the sun.

Usually, better side culture is considered to be the one that is located on the south side. The fact is that such sprouts have well-formed internodes.

Important! The best cuttings are obtained from the branches located in the middle tier. If you take the cuttings from the upper part, they will turn out to be too powerful for the scion, and from the lower part of the crown, the cuttings will turn out to be weak and with a small increase.

It is also worth noting that if you plan to cut cuttings from a cherry crop, then it is important to consider choosing only annual sprouts that have fewer buds.

What does a quality cutting look like?

Main question, which interests many summer residents without experience, what a good cutting looks like. And it's easy to spot:

  • a high-quality blank for a scion has a length of 35 cm;
  • the thickness of such a fragment should not exceed the diameter of an ordinary pencil;
  • internodes should be short;
  • the kidneys should be clearly visible;
  • the number of kidneys must be at least 4;
  • a high-quality cutting can only be from a young and well-bearing crop, as a rule, the tree should not be more than 7 years old.

If you choose a cutting taking into account all the above characteristics, then you will definitely get great material.

When planning to prepare such material, take note of a few recommendations from experienced summer residents, namely:

  • strong annual branches are used as material;
  • if you are cutting fragments from young crops in which the crown has not yet been fully formed, then you can use those branches that you plan to remove in the spring;
  • for future grafting manipulation, sprouts with defective buds, or those that are not sufficiently developed, are not suitable;
  • cut material is stored much better if it is treated with pitch or clay mash.

Important! It is desirable to excise material from those crops that are regularly cut. As a rule, such trees always give very powerful growths.

And lastly, it is best to cut a little more fragments for future use than you need. Even if partial damage to the material occurs, an extra supply will save you.

When the workpiece is done

Twigs for scion are harvested for future use three times a year, namely:

  • in late autumn, early December;
  • in the last days of February;
  • in June.

It is worth noting that experienced summer residents prefer the November harvest. It is performed as soon as the first frosts come to the ground, after which you can proceed to this procedure. The fact is that cultures at this time enter the sleep phase, and, accordingly, the sprouts were hardened, and in parallel they went through the process of disinfection.

The advantages of autumn harvesting for the future

There are simply a lot of pluses in the autumn harvesting of material, namely:

  • as described above, cuttings taken from a fruit crop closer to the winter period will no longer freeze, which means you will not be left without a grafting fragment;
  • at grafting material taken at this time, there will be a state of complete rest, until the time of such a manipulation, which is very important because this procedure requires a sleeping cutting;
  • such material is much better preserved if collected in late autumn and early winter, which means that the risks of its deterioration are minimized.

So, we figured out the benefits of this time of year for harvesting grafting material, let's find out what advantages there are in spring harvesting.

Pros of spring harvesting cuttings

If you were unable to cut the material before winter, do not worry, you can harvest apple cuttings for spring grafting even closer to the onset of spring. To do this, you will need to stock up on the following improvised means:

In the case when your region of residence is characterized by a harsh climate, you should check if the sprouts are frozen, from which the material is excised for further grafting. Only after making sure that the branches are completely intact, proceed to cutting. In this case, the cuttings will be able to collect healthy and strong.

Well, if your region of residence is characterized by relatively mild winters, then you can perform this procedure on any day. Basically, enough material from a couple of branches is enough for pruning.

During the summer

Say in summer time Can't this procedure be done? Complete nonsense, during this period of time cuttings are also harvested for grafting apple trees. The only difference is that you need to take fresh cuttings just before grafting. Since in this hot period of the year, it can be said that every minute is important.

How the workpiece is made

Well, here we come to the very important issue how a procedure such as a workpiece is performed. For everything to go right, you should choose not only high-quality branches, but also time.

Therefore, we act strictly according to the instructions:

  • we select fruit crops in advance, from which we will get a good scion;
  • do not forget that for a good cutting it is desirable to choose young and healthy trees;
  • we start cutting only before bud break or after the full completion of the fruitful period;
  • branches growing vertically are not suitable for grafting material;
  • towards the end of summer, we pinch the pagon from which it was decided to make the cutting;
  • crooked, damaged or too thin branches are not suitable for taking such material;
  • do not make the graft unnecessarily long or short.

Important! When pruning, try to do it in such a way that the cut is 2 cm lower from the growth neck. If this point is not taken into account, the stalk may deteriorate.

After you collect the material, you need to sort them into bunches and attach to each a small tag with the name of the tree from which the cutting was collected. This is necessary in the case when you plan to graft several varieties at once, attaching an identification mark to them, you will never get confused.

In addition, the collected shoots are stored, in a slightly damp cloth, laid cut down in the cellar or in any other place that is suitable for the so-called temporary residence of the shoots.

How to store?

Well, the branches are collected and sorted, now you can start preparing them for storage. For this purpose, the material is first placed in plastic bags and sprinkled with slightly moist soil, and then sent to be stored in a barn or cellar.

Usually on the bottom row refrigerator compartment, the cuttings feel great and are completely preserved without spoilage.

It is worth noting that there are several options for saving cuttings, namely:

  1. Formed bunches, some gardeners successfully leave for storage on the street. To do this, the site is cleared of snow, the cuttings are laid and again sprinkled with snow, and the top is tightly tamped. It is also recommended to make a small trench in the selected place.
  2. The second way is to store in the refrigerator. But before sending them to such conditions, it is necessary to remove the condensate, then wrap the cuttings well in burlap, and on top in parchment paper, which will protect the material from drying out.
  3. The third way, storage in a moist substrate. To do this, take moistened sand, sawdust that is not wet or peat. This method of storage provides for temperature control at a level of up to +5. Only storage will also require a refrigerator, if available.

Important! You can save cuttings almost anywhere, the main thing is to keep the temperature from +2. You can use a balcony, porch or even a tree.

The only thing if you store material on the street, do not forget to insulate it with a layer of snow, sawdust, foliage, earth.

It is worth noting that some gardeners store the material in a different substrate, in other words, in the ground until the spring vaccination. In this case, the place where the material will be stored should be well covered with spruce branches, so that the moles do not get to the cuttings before you, and at the same time, the cuttings can breathe.

Time to get vaccinated

So, the material is saved and the time for such a manipulation is getting closer. At the same time, it is very important to choose the right time for vaccination, since the survival rate largely depends on this detail. As a rule, this manipulation begins in April or May.

Today there are different ways vaccinations. But, it is necessary to perform this procedure as soon as sap flow begins in the culture. And for a good growth of the cutting, it is important that the scion is still in a state of sleep, but the stock, on the contrary, has managed to activate its vital activity by this time.

Important! In stone fruit trees, the movement of juice begins earlier, for this reason they try to graft such varieties before anyone else.

To achieve this contrast, keeping the material in a cool place until the day of vaccination will help you, they should sleep.

Checking the safety of cuttings

How to determine that the cuttings are all fully suitable for grafting? In this case
there is nothing difficult if you know what the damaged material looks like, namely:

  1. The bark of chopped sticks should be smooth, if it has wrinkles or is too dry, such material is not suitable for grafting.
  2. If the branch crunches when bent or a break occurs, it means that it did not survive the winter.
  3. If you make a transverse cut, then the wood should have a juicy greenish tint. In the case when you observe brown wood, it means that the material has died.
  4. The buds should be firmly planted on the sprout.
  5. The scales located on the kidney should be elastic and smooth.

Well, you and I figured out how to prepare cuttings for future use. It remains to be added that it is not difficult to collect and preserve the material if all the recommendations given above are strictly observed.

Experiment and achieve best result, and the right vaccination will help you with this. And you will definitely grow a generous orchard.

Greetings, dear readers! Many, probably, are interested not only in, if they did not have time with their planting this year, but also in the preparation and storage of cuttings. AT last years the warming trend is becoming more and more noticeable, and therefore, due to the long warm period and sharply onset cold snaps, there is a high probability of wood freezing, especially growth current year. Therefore, it is recommended to those gardeners who begin to seriously master the technique of grafting in general, and also in winter in particular, not to be late with the preparation of cuttings for this work.

It is possible to harvest cuttings during the entire dormant period of trees, which occurs after the end of leaf fall.

When and how to prepare

The handle should be as thick as a pencil. If it is thinner, it will completely dry out before the fusion of the cambial layers of the scion and rootstock occurs. Therefore, for harvesting cuttings, use a strong one-year growth of at least 40-50 cm in length. skeletal branch strong rejuvenating pruning.

In the area where fruit crops are at risk of frost damage in winter every year, it is better to cut cuttings late autumn, in the second half of November, or at the beginning of winter, before the onset severe frosts. First of all (before the onset of frosts below 15 degrees), harvest cuttings of less winter-hardy stone fruits - peach, apricot, sweet cherry. Cuttings of more winter-hardy crops (cherries, plums) and pome crops (apple, pear, quince, mountain ash) should preferably be prepared before the onset of frost -20 - -25 degrees.

How to store

The biggest difficulty is to keep the cuttings in good condition during the winter and early spring period before grafting. This is especially true for cuttings of stone fruit crops. Optimum temperature for storage of cuttings - minus 2-4 degrees. It is usually recommended to store cuttings in snow piles under a layer of snow of 50-70 cm. This method is good in areas where there is a lot of snow, and during winter period there are no thaws.

But in southern regions, where thaws are not uncommon in winter, during which snow long time remains wet, in such heaps the bark and cambium of apricot and peach cuttings often get underheated. Sometimes water collects under the snow, and then the cuttings can get wet altogether. In such areas, it is recommended, after harvesting the cuttings, to hang labels on them, tie them into a common bundle, cover it with wet sawdust and put it in the cold.

After freezing a layer of sawdust 15-20 cm thick, lay this bale on the ground in the shade of the house on the north side so that it does not fall Sun rays, and cover with dry sawdust with a layer of 30-40 cm. Cover the whole pile polyethylene film, which will keep the sawdust from getting wet.

sawdust have excellent thermal insulation properties, and the cuttings remain frozen until grafting. A few days before it, scatter a bunch, transfer the frozen bale with cuttings to warm room, where it will gradually melt over several days, freeing the cuttings.

Some amateur gardeners store cuttings in the basement in damp sand. This method is acceptable for cuttings of pome crops and grapes, but usually gives poor results in stone fruits. The temperature in the cellars is positive throughout the winter period and gradually rises towards spring.

Therefore, in the cuttings of cherries and sweet cherries, already in February, buds begin to swell and bloom, and such cuttings practically do not take root. In apricot and peach cuttings, bark and cambium are supported, only plum cuttings tolerate warm storage conditions satisfactorily.

If there are few cuttings, they can be stored in a home refrigerator (in the coldest place). Place the cuttings in a plastic bag, wrap tightly around the bundle and tie with twine. Then put another bag on top from the other end of the bundle and tie in the same way. No need to wrap the cuttings in damp cloth or paper before placing them in the bag. It is undesirable to store cuttings in freezer refrigerator, as this may damage them.

Be sure to ensure that when storing the cuttings there is no excessive moisture. Its abundance at a positive temperature contributes to the early exit of the cuttings from the dormant state, premature budding and death of the bark and cambium due to a lack of oxygen in the conditions of the onset of vital activity (warming). Cuttings with cambium undergrowth and open buds are completely unsuitable for grafting. Even the lack of moisture and drying are less dangerous than the abundance of moisture and underheating.

If, during storage, the cuttings happened to dry out and the bark on them wrinkled, soak them for three days in clean water in a cold room, after updating the cuts. If there were no severe frosts in winter, cuttings can be harvested in the spring, in March, before the buds swell. In this case, all the problems associated with storage disappear. And yet, in order not to be left without cuttings, harvest them at the specified time and ensure proper storage cuttings.

The day before vaccination, renew the lower sections on the cuttings and place them in a cool room with their lower ends in clean water so that all fabrics are saturated with moisture. This will significantly increase the survival rate of the cuttings.

See you soon!

With all respect, Andrew!

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cuttings for winter vaccinations can be harvested at the beginning of winter, when the frosts are not great and there is little snow.
During this period, it is better to start cutting cuttings for grafting, in such delicate trees as plum, pear.

Their branches are easily affected by frost, and if cut off in frost for grafting, they will die by spring. On the branches, it is a completely different matter, the resumption of sap flow restores them by spring. And so you decided to shoot for vaccination. Do it on a healthy and strong tree, on the south side of the crown, cut off a pair of upper shoots 15-40 cm long.

If the winter is not very frosty, and the wood of the trees is not damaged, the harvesting of shoots can be carried out in late February or early March. This is especially good for harvesting cuttings of apple trees.

After you cut the shoots, collect them in bunches by variety, tie them with wire and hang a tag with the name so that it will be easier to figure it out later in the spring.

Choose the north side of your house, clear small plot from the snow and put your cuttings in burlap there, sprinkle with snow on top and lightly tamp. On this side of the house, the snow will melt last and more moisture will be preserved. And if there is not enough snow in winter, throw additional snow on the stored cuttings and cover with fresh sawdust. This can also be done in early spring.

If you want to store the cuttings in the refrigerator, you need to wrap them in damp burlap, then in paper, and then in plastic. Be sure to look at the cuttings during storage. It should be remembered that drying out and mold can damage the stalk.

Getting Started with Winter Vaccination

Practice in your garden grafting and pruning trees in late autumn or winter. This does not affect fruiting in any way, but the time savings in the spring are decent.

Before undertaking pruning, we always decide what and why it is necessary. The approach to each tree should be individual, taking into account its age, size and varietal characteristics.

In young, non-fruiting trees, we form a crown by pruning. The main goal is to create a stable frame, evenly distribute overgrown shoots, and not delay the transition to fruiting. Goes at a young age strong growth branches (up to 30-40 cm or more). Shortening by 1/3, we translate them into fruit formations.

With the onset of fruiting, try not to overload the trees with young shoots. Pruning helps maintain good lighting within the crown. By shortening the shoots by a third, we stimulate the formation of fruit twigs and annelids.

If on an adult tree(15-20 years) growth is less than 15 cm, then such a tree needs to be rejuvenated and thinned out well. Strong pruning for perennial wood (branches older than 4 years) causes the growth of shoots to resume again up to 30-40 cm. From fattening top shoots growing vertically upwards, you can form a new crown of an aging tree, especially if it is a valuable variety. We protect the cuts with a garden knife and cover them with garden pitch or oil paint.

Cuttings of apples and pears for winter grafting harvested at the end of November or later, during pruning. On young trees or branches we graft into the butt or into the side cut. On older ones - in a split. So that the cuttings do not break off under the weight of the snow and the birds do not break them, we tie branches bent in an arc to them, for example, willow.

And if the cuttings need to be preserved until the spring vaccination, we bury them in the ground, right in the garden, after tying them into a bundle to the depth of the spade bayonet and covering them with spruce paws from moles. From above, we throw the soil with plant debris and put a mark - a peg.

Details about the winter grafting of apple and pear trees

One way to get good apple and pear seedlings

Seedlings, as well as cuttings or rooted cuttings of vegetatively propagated rootstocks intended for winter grafting, are dug up before the soil freezes. They must have a well developed urinary root system and the diameter of the bole at the root collar is at least 7 mm.

If there are no such rootstocks, they can be replaced with segments of the roots of an apple or pear tree 15-20 cm long and at least a pencil thick, the segments of the roots are tied into a bundle and the upper ends must be marked into which the graft will be made. Rootstocks or root segments are placed in a box or bucket, layered with wet sand and stored at a temperature of +3 degrees until grafting.

You should also prepare boxes and sawdust for storing vaccinations in advance. Vaccination is carried out in winter by the method of improved copulation - in the butt with a tongue. Finish it a month before planting vaccinations. On the day of vaccination, rootstocks and cuttings cultivars they bring it into the room, thoroughly wash the rootstocks and remove the broken and rotten parts of the roots from them. On seedlings, cuttings of cultivated varieties are grafted into the root neck - instead of the transition of the stem into the root, on segments of the roots - into their upper ends. The cutting is taken with three buds.

With a sharp grafting knife on the handle and stock, make identical even oblique cuts 3 cm long. At a distance of one third from the upper edge, the cut is carefully split with a knife. The sections of the grafting components are combined so that the tongue on the cut of the cutting enters the gap on the cut of the rootstock.

If the diameter of the rootstock is greater than the diameter of the cutting, then after combining the grafting components on one side, the protruding part of the rootstock is cut off. The fusion of the grafting components begins with the formation of a callus from the side of the rootstock, so it is very important that the bark of the lower end of the cutting coincides with the bark of the rootstock.

The junction of the stock with the scion is tied with a narrow tape of PVC or polyethylene film.

You can also use thin paper twine for trimming, after straightening it into a ribbon. The twine quickly rots in the soil and therefore does not require removal of the straps.

When tying, the stock is held left hand, and with the right twine and film tightly tie the vaccination site clockwise. After applying the strapping, all open places of the cuts are covered with garden pitch.

The vaccinations are placed in a box lined with foil, sprinkling them with wet, steamed sawdust. Previously, pieces of bark are carefully selected from them in order to prevent sawdust from rotting, otherwise the accretion of the grafting components decreases.

Sawdust should be constantly kept moist, but not waterlogged. In order to remove excess moisture, gaps are desired in the bottom of the box and the film lining it is cut in several places. To preserve moisture in sawdust, especially fast-drying top layer, the box is covered with foil.

Vaccinations are placed so that the rootstocks do not come into contact with the walls of the box. This prevents them from drying out and improves callus formation. The temperature in sawdust should not fall below +20 degrees.

It takes 8-10 days to form a good callus at the junction of the grafting components and on the upper cut of the cutting. When in 90% of the grafts, after a trial removal of the strapping, the stalk does not come off the stock with a slight twitch, the box with the grafts is transferred to the basement or snow pile. At the same time, the buds on the handle begin to bloom before a good callus has formed, the box with vaccinations is transferred to a room with a temperature of + 10- + 12 degrees and kept here for 7-10 days until the vaccination components grow together.

In the spring, vaccinations are planted on a well-prepared site with fertile structural soil () so that the junction of the scion with the stock is at soil level.

With a deep planting, it is difficult to remove the film strapping, on heavy soil, in addition, numerous shoots form at the rootstock, which complicates the care of plants. Immediately after planting, the graft is sprinkled with earth, leaving the upper bud open on the handle.

From planting to the start of intensive growth of vaccinations, 30-40 days pass. During this period, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. When a sign of cutting of the strapping material from the film appears, the grafts are unraveled and the strapping is removed. Further care for vaccinations is no different for seedlings obtained by spring grafting with cuttings.