For your information: Cuttings (scions) are segments or entire annual shoots that grew during the growing season, became woody and entered the winter. They are cut, stored, and then used for grafting.
The development of a fruit tree depends on the condition of the rootstock and scion. Therefore, appropriate requirements are imposed on the scion, as well as on the rootstock. The cutting (scion) taken for grafting from a healthy tree not damaged by diseases and pests must be strong and well-ripened.
On a note: Ripened shoots should be taken from the outer parts of the crown of mature trees, well illuminated by the sun. Such shoots are characterized by short internodes (gaps between the buds) and highly developed eyes in the leaf axils. They have a high ability to assimilate and perceive organic substances, which the cutting needs for its rapid fusion with the rootstock and the formation of new shoots.
Cuttings for cuttings are taken from fruit-bearing trees that have been tested for yield and grade.
On a note: You should not cut cuttings short, 8-10 cm; thin, crooked, damaged ones, from overgrown branches, as well as from “tops” are also not suitable.
You should not cut off the scion and shoots that have grown in dense areas and on the north side, or parts of the crown of which are woven into a neighboring tree, as well as from trees of unknown varieties.
Timely preparation of cuttings for grafting has great importance. Cuttings should be taken only from pure-quality mother plantings and from trees characterized by high productivity and stability. The cuttings should be 30-40 cm long, with well-developed growth buds. Thin, poorly formed shoots with underdeveloped buds are not suitable for grafting. In this case, it is better to use cuttings from the previous year’s growth, which has growth buds.
For winter and spring grafting, cuttings are prepared in the fall, after leaf fall, but before the onset of severe frosts. After frost-free winters, they can be harvested in the spring, before the buds swell.
On a note: Cuttings with open buds are not suitable for grafting.
For your information: cuttings are mainly prepared; It is not advisable to prepare cuttings for grafting stone fruit crops. Almost every year, annual shoots of stone fruit crops freeze. Cuttings from shoots with frozen (darkened) wood take root poorly or not at all. Therefore, cuttings of stone fruit crops should be harvested at the beginning of winter.
In grafting, the rootstock is important. Through root system The rootstock provides nutrition and water supply from the soil to the tree, and the scion supplies the rootstock with assimilation products produced by the leaves of the tree. This leads to mutual influence of the rootstock and scion.
Important: The stability of the tree, its durability, and general development, attitude to the soil and even productivity. Therefore, the rootstocks must be frost-resistant, resistant to excess and insufficient moisture, well adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of the area and firmly grow together with the varieties grafted to them (compatibility).
In gardening practice, there are many examples where some fruit varieties have poor fusion () with certain rootstocks and break off from them even during the fruiting period. To eliminate this drawback, trees are first grafted with those varieties that grow well on these rootstocks, and another variety is grafted onto them above the first graft.
To obtain rootstocks, local seed material is used. Rootstocks must reproduce well by seeds or vegetatively, have a strong root system, grow well with the varieties grafted to them and ensure the successful development of plants.
Based on the strength of growth of the varieties grafted on them, rootstocks are divided into vigorous and weak-growing (semi-dwarf, dwarf), according to the method of reproduction into seed and vegetative, and according to origin into wild and cultivated forms.
Not just certain breeds fruit trees, but sometimes even their varieties require certain rootstocks. For apple trees, the best rootstocks are from cultivars are seedlings of Antonovka, Anise and local resistant varieties.
To obtain rootstocks, you can use wild forest apple trees and seedlings of some local semi-cultivated apple trees. Grafted trees are well accepted on them, and as a result, productive, long-lasting trees are obtained.
A good rootstock for an apple tree is Chinese or plum-leaved apple (selected forms with a non-falling cup on the fruit). The Chinese plant has high frost resistance. Its seedlings do not need picking and develop a rich root system.
When growing dwarf fruit trees, a weak-growing paradise apple tree is used for rootstocks, which is propagated by layering. Trees grafted on them are characterized by short stature, begin to bear fruit early and produce bountiful harvests fruits with high taste and good appearance. Semi-dwarf trees can be obtained by using dusens with stronger growth.
For pears, the best rootstocks are wild pear seedlings. Trees on these rootstocks are characterized by winter hardiness and longevity. An ordinary rowan can also serve as a rootstock for a pear. In early spring You can find young red rowan trees in the forest, dig them up without damaging the roots before the leaves bloom and plant them in a five-liter bottle. Within a month, the tree will take root and it will be possible to vaccinate.
For rowan, rootstocks are seedlings of common rowan.
Seedlings of local varieties and forms or root shoots from them are considered good rootstocks for stone fruit crops.
On a note: You can use cherry plum as a rootstock for plums. The rootstock for dwarf plums is sloe, which has the greatest winter hardiness.
Material prepared by: horticulture specialist Buinovsky O.I.
The main indicator of this is discarded foliage. Therefore, it is advisable to make preparations for spring grafting no earlier than November. It’s possible even at the beginning of winter. Light frosts will not be a hindrance.
The point of such preparation is that the annual shoots, which are used for cutting cuttings, will not die in winter if severe frosts. Also, for good survival, the scion must be in a “dormant” state until grafting. And in the rootstock tree at the time of the procedure there should be active movement of sap. This can be achieved by preparing cuttings in advance.
Cuttings or scions are sections of one-year woody shoots. They need to be taken from varietal trees and shrubs tested for fertility. Then we will clearly know what to expect from the grafted plant. It is advisable to take cuttings for pinching from trees that undergo anti-aging pruning in a timely manner. They have stronger shoots and better developed growth buds.
It is advisable to cut scions from one-year-old branches. But if this is not possible, you can start with two-year-olds.
First of all, pay attention to the diameter of the shoot. It should be at least 6-7mm. This corresponds to the thickness a simple pencil. The length of the branch from which scions can be taken must be at least 40-50cm. If there is damage or stains on the shoot, it is better not to use it.
Our advice:
Spruce cuttings should be taken from a young tree with a small crown; it is better to choose branches that you plan to trim in the spring.
Another important nuance is the timing of cutting cuttings for different crops. First of all, we prepare scions from plants less resistant to frost - cherries, peach, apricot. This can be done as long as frost does not exceed 5-8°C. But cuttings from apple, cherry, plum, pear, quince, and rowan trees can be harvested at lower temperatures (up to 15°C). Therefore, the first preparations are carried out from the second ten days of November to mid-December (if severe frosts do not hit). For frost-resistant plants The whole of December will do, and even the beginning of January. An additional bonus will be the natural disinfection of the cuts. Since frosts will destroy mushrooms and many microorganisms.
If you have decided where to get the scions, and November has already shown its harsh character, it’s time to get down to business.
Before sending the cuttings for storage, you need to sort them, tie them in bunches and attach labels with the name of the variety. It is advisable to prepare more grafting material than you need.
There are several proven ways to store scions.
“To preserve the cuttings until spring, the bud must be in a dormant state,” explains Pavel Nikolaevich Naumenko, agronomist of the private enterprise "Agrosvit" in the Kyiv region. – To do this, you need to place the cuttings in a room where the air temperature is not higher than 5-7 °C. This could be a cellar, basement, or even a refrigerator, but not a freezer.
Wrap the cuttings in a damp cloth or burlap and cellophane. Tie well to prevent moisture from evaporating. Check from time to time to see if mold has appeared. If yes, rinse them cold water and replace the fabric.
You can also store the scions in a cool room, dipping the cuts into sand, which must be periodically moistened.
These methods are more suitable for seed crops and grapes. For stone fruit plants they are not always successful. Since the air temperature in the cellar or basement gradually increases, the bud may awaken in the scions ahead of time. Such cuttings take root poorly.
Scions of stone fruit plants need to be stored at an air temperature of minus 2-3°C. To create the appropriate conditions, you can use sawdust. It is recommended to place the tied bunches of cuttings in some container and cover them with wet sawdust in a layer of 10-15 cm. After this, freeze them. They place such a homemade “refrigerator” in the shade behind the house or barn, where they cannot penetrate Sun rays. The top is covered with dry sawdust to a depth of 40-50 cm and covered with cellophane, which will keep them from getting wet. This device will keep the cuttings in a “dormant” state until grafting. A few days before the procedure, the pile needs to be raked and the container with scions transferred to warm room for defrosting.
You can store the cuttings in a trench, the depth of which is 30-40 cm. Spruce branches are placed on the bottom, then scions wrapped in film or cellophane, and again a layer of spruce branches. The top of the hole is covered with earth, then with fallen leaves, straw or sawdust. When the snow falls, you can shovel it into the storage area.
In addition to protection from freezing and drying out, the cuttings need to be protected from the ubiquitous rodents. Fiberglass or fine mesh, which must be used to wrap the scions over cellophane, will help us with this. Experienced gardeners claim that no less effective protection Old nylon tights or stockings can serve.
In March-April, when the trees begin to awaken, you can begin grafting. The main conditions for this are the beginning of the movement of sap in the tree and the dormant bud of the scion.
Oksana SHAPOVAL
Photos depositphotos
Almost every gardener is faced with the need to graft fruit crops. And if you consider that the most popular tree in our gardens is the apple tree, then this particular crop is grafted most often.
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 the right tree, this is the most important task for a beginning summer resident.
So, let’s find out together how to properly prepare apple tree cuttings for grafting in the spring.
How to prepare cuttings? If you have a desire to try to withdraw yourself 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 summer residents:
Usually, the best side culture is considered to be the one located in the south side. The fact is that such sprouts have well-formed internodes.
Important! The best cuttings are obtained from branches located in the middle tier. If you take cuttings from the top 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 weak and with little growth.
It is also worth noting that if you plan to take cuttings from a cherry crop, it is important to take into account that you choose only annual sprouts that have fewer buds.
The main question that interests many summer residents without experience is what a good cutting looks like. And it’s easy to identify:
If you choose a cutting taking into account all the characteristics described above, then you will definitely get excellent material.
When planning to prepare such material, take note of a few recommendations from experienced summer residents, namely:
Important! It is advisable to excise material from crops that are regularly pruned. As a rule, such trees always produce very powerful growth.
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, the extra supply will save you.
Branches for scion are harvested for future use three times a year, namely:
It is worth noting that experienced summer residents prefer November harvesting. It is carried out as soon as the first frosts arrive on the ground, after which you can begin this procedure. The fact is that at this time the crops enter the sleep phase, and accordingly the sprouts received hardening, and at the same time went through the process of disinfection.
Pros in autumn harvesting there is simply a mass of material, namely:
So, we have figured out the benefits of this time of year for harvesting grafting material; let’s find out what advantages there are in spring harvesting.
If you were unable to cut the material before winter, do not be discouraged; you can prepare apple tree cuttings for spring grafting closer to the onset of spring. To do this, you will need to stock up on the following available tools:
If your region of residence has a harsh climate, you should check whether the sprouts from which the material for further grafting is excised are frozen. Only after making sure that the branches are completely intact, start cutting. In this case, the cuttings will be harvested healthy and strong.
Well, if your region of residence has relatively moderate winters, then this procedure can be performed any day. Generally, a couple of branches are enough material for pruning.
Tell me in summer time Is this procedure not possible? Complete nonsense, during this period of time cuttings are also prepared for grafting apple trees. The only difference is that you need to take fresh cuttings immediately before grafting. Because in this hot period of the year, we can say that every minute is important.
Well, here we come to the most important question, how such a procedure as preparation 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:
Important! When pruning, try to do it in such a way that the cut is 2 cm lower from the growth neck. If you do not take this point into account, the cutting 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 vaccinate several varieties at once; by attaching an identification mark to them, you will never get confused.
In addition, the collected shoots are stored, in a slightly damp cloth napkin, with the cuts down in the cellar or in any other place that is suitable for the so-called temporary residence of the sprouts.
Well, the branches have been 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 moistened soil, and then sent to be stored in a barn or cellar.
Typically in the bottom row refrigeration chamber, the cuttings feel great and are completely preserved without spoilage.
It is worth noting that there are several options for preserving cuttings, namely:
Important! You can save cuttings almost anywhere, the main thing is to maintain a temperature of +2. You can use a balcony, veranda or even a tree.
The only thing is, if you store the material outside, do not forget to insulate it with a layer of snow, sawdust, leaves, and earth.
It is worth noting that some gardeners store the material on a different substrate, in other words, in the ground, before spring grafting. In this case, the place where the material will be stored should be thoroughly 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.
So, the material has been saved and the time for such manipulation is getting closer. In this case, it is very important to choose the right time for vaccination, since survival 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. But for good growth of the cuttings, it is important that the scion is still in a state of sleep, but the rootstock, on the contrary, has managed to activate its vital activity by this time.
Important! In trees belonging to the stone fruit variety, the movement of sap begins earlier; for this reason, they try to graft such varieties earlier than others.
Keeping the material in a cool place until the day of vaccination will help you achieve such a contrast, they should sleep.
How to determine that the cuttings are completely suitable for grafting? In this case
there is nothing complicated if you know what damaged material looks like, namely:
Well, you and I have figured out how to prepare cuttings for future use. It remains to add that collecting and storing material is not difficult if you strictly follow all the recommendations given above.
Experiment and achieve best result, and proper vaccination will help you with this. And you will definitely grow a generous fruit garden.
Every gardener, whether professional or amateur, has encountered grafting fruit branches at least once in his life. Since the most common fruit tree in our gardens is the apple tree, its grafting is carried out most often. In order to carry out everything successfully, it is necessary to strictly follow all the rules. In most cases, a favorable outcome depends on properly prepared apple tree cuttings for grafting.
Apple tree cuttings for grafting can begin to be prepared in different time.
Most often, preparation is carried out in autumn time(end of November). The most suitable time for harvesting is the period after the sap flow in the tree has stopped. This period begins after the apple tree has completely shed its leaves and entered a dormant state.
Some gardeners claim that harvesting can be done at the beginning of winter. For winter preparation The period from early winter to mid-January is suitable for cuttings. After January, thaws may occur, and this will significantly worsen the survival rate of the cutting (it may not take root at all) that was cut during this period. There is an explanation for this phenomenon. It is believed that in this case there is a movement of plastic substances to the tops of the shoot when the sun warms up. They move into the branches. Cutting such a branch and grafting it onto the rootstock will be ineffective due to the fact that it no longer contains nutrients, which are necessary for the fusion of grafting elements and callus growth. Also for winter period Freezing of young shoots may occur.
Other gardeners argue that for effective grafting, apple tree cuttings can be harvested in December or February, as well as in March. But in in this case should be considered weather. The air temperature at the time of cutting should not be lower than -10 degrees Celsius. It is this temperature that contributes to the best hardening of annual shoots. If harvesting is carried out at the beginning of winter, then it should be done after the first frost. If the winter was not very frosty, and the wood on the apple tree is not damaged, then the cuttings can be harvested at the end of February or at the beginning of March.
The scion can also be prepared in the spring. In this case, young shoots are cut off before bud break. If the buds on the shoot have already blossomed, then they are not used for grafting. In some cases, harvesting can be done during March pruning of the apple tree.
Some gardeners suggest preparing a cutting just before you start grafting it.
Grafting of apple tree cuttings can be carried out both in winter and. The time of harvesting the scion directly depends on its timing. If the vaccination is carried out in winter, then the scion, accordingly, is prepared at the beginning of winter, and if in the spring, then either at the beginning of winter or in early spring.
For winter-hardy varieties Apple trees are equally suitable for preparing a scion in the fall and in winter.
Of all the harvesting periods listed above, 100% of the grafting results are obtained by harvesting cuttings at the beginning of winter.
A video showing spring or winter scion harvesting can be found below.
In order for the grafting to go as expected, it is necessary to choose the right time for harvesting, as well as to carry out the harvesting itself efficiently.
To do this, you must adhere to the following instructions:
After the scion has been cut, it must be collected into bunches according to variety (if several trees will be grafted at once different varieties). Before this, in order for the cuttings to be stored for a long time and after grafting they were given good harvest, they need to be wiped damp cloth and sort by size. Then the bunches need to be tied with wire and be sure to hang a tag on which to indicate the variety, time of cutting and the place where these cuttings will be grafted in the spring (tree type).
All stages of cutting cuttings can be additionally viewed on video.
After the shoots have been cut and tied, they should be stored. To do this, they are placed in a clean plastic bag and placed on the north side of your house or shed.
The following methods of scion storage are distinguished:
Sometimes, when cuttings need to be preserved until spring grafting, they are buried in the ground in the garden. The depth of the hole is one spade bayonet. The top is covered with spruce paws to prevent moles, and then they are covered with plant debris and a mark is left (for example, a peg).
By following the above requirements and instructions, you can achieve successful grafting, and the scion will bear a lot of fruit.
