To rejuvenate the apple tree, create new varieties, gardeners carry out the procedure of grafting a tree. This is one of the crucial events that requires a summer resident maximum skills and certain knowledge. Vaccination of apple trees in the spring allows you to increase productivity, increase plant resistance to adverse climatic conditions. How to perform this work will be discussed in detail below.
Why is the procedure performed?
Vaccination of apple trees in the spring in the Urals or in the southern regions of our country is a mandatory procedure, which has several advantages. It allows you to increase the life expectancy and abundant fertility of the plant. On such a tree, fruits of different varieties can ripen in a different period. This will allow you to have a crop for a long period.
Of particular interest is the grafting of fruit trees of summer residents, who have a very limited area. In order not to plant several trees of different varieties, you can attach several different cuttings to one trunk. They will grow over time, will produce crops. It is even possible to vaccinate a pear on an apple tree in spring. In this case, you must strictly adhere to the rules of agricultural technology. This will create an interesting, original tree with several varieties of fruits.
Vaccination also allows you to rejuvenate an old tree. At the same time, apple trees can be propagated in this way. It is the spring vaccine that has several advantages. The ripening process of apples is accelerated, and new varieties are also being bred. Vaccination can increase the plant's resistance to adverse environmental factors. This is especially important for the northern regions of our country. The tree becomes resistant to frost, drafts, etc.
Another advantage of spring vaccination is rejuvenation, renewal of the crown of the apple tree. Moreover, all the species qualities of the grafted plant are preserved in full. This technique is used everywhere. It allows you to solve many problems when growing fruit trees. At the same time, it is possible to get a good harvest for everyone to envy.
To perform the vaccine, you will need to familiarize yourself with the features of such a procedure. Only when all the rules are followed can a high result be achieved.
When do they get vaccinated?
When to vaccinate an apple tree in spring? This question is often asked by novice gardeners. Indeed, it is very important to choose the right time for such work. The fact is that you can perform such a procedure at almost any time of the year. In the cold period, vaccination is performed indoors. However, in the spring the probability of obtaining a high result will be higher.
Also experienced summer residents argue that the procedure can be carried out in the summer, in case of failure in the previous period. Therefore, in the spring it is more correct to vaccinate. This greatly increases the chances of a successful outcome of the operation.
The best time to start grafting the apple tree is the period of active movement of the juices in the tree trunk. At this time, night temperatures no longer fall below zero. The timing of apple grafting in spring may vary depending on the region and the climate. In the southern regions, this procedure is performed in March or early April. In the middle climatic zone of Russia, this process begins to be carried out only in mid-April. Sometimes the vaccine needs to be performed no earlier than in early May.
Next, you can watch a video about grafting an apple tree in spring, timing and time.
It is worth considering that small and infrequent frosts can not harm plants. Grafted cuttings can withstand such effects. Experts say that doing this kind of work is best before the buds begin to bloom on the trees. Otherwise, a liquid will appear on the trunk and cuttings, which reduces the plant's resistance to low temperatures. In this case, the tree will not be able to develop harmoniously. It is best to carry out work in dry weather. However, it is best that the street is overcast.
General recommendations
How to vaccinate an apple tree on an apple tree in spring? This process does not cause much difficulty. Experienced gardeners recommend getting acquainted with the features of vaccination. Otherwise, you can make a mistake. First you need to prepare the necessary materials and tools.
First you need to properly prepare the cuttings. They will need to be cut correctly and stored for some time under certain conditions. You will also need a knife to work. His blade will need to be sanitized. The knife must be very sharp.
Next, prepare the material for tying the vaccination site. This can be electrical tape, as well as strips of lavsan or polyethylene. Their width should be 1 cm and length 25 cm. You should also purchase a thin hand saw, a small and sharp ax. To put wounds on a tree, a garden var is used. It is also worthwhile to prepare the vaccination pruner in advance. If several seedlings will be grafted at the same time, they must be labeled.
All cutting tools must be sanitized. Otherwise, an infection can get into the wound of the tree. Cuttings will not be able to take root. It is also worth choosing the right place to instill a new variety. This procedure can be carried out in different parts of the trunk. If you need to vaccinate the wild game of apple trees in spring, to replace the entire variety of stock you need to install cuttings at a height of 30 cm from the soil surface. To replace just a few branches, the new material is grafted at a sufficient height. In this case, you need to remove all branches that interfere with the development of the plant, blocking sunlight.
Harvesting cuttings
There are several recommendations on how to prepare apple cuttings for vaccination in spring. This procedure should be treated very responsibly. If you make a mistake, the graft will not be able to take root on the stock. This procedure will be a waste of time.
It is necessary to procure material for vaccination in early December. Several pieces of branches are cut from a tree. Next, they need to be tied together. After this, bundles of cuttings are stored in a basement or other cold room.
If several different varieties of branches are cut, they will be marked. For this, a tag with the name of the apple tree is fixed on each stalk. To properly collect the material for vaccination, you need to follow the advice of specialists. Cuttings are cut only from young and healthy trees. The apple trees that give the grafting material should develop well. Their productivity is also estimated. She must be tall. Only from such trees can one collect material for scion.
Harvesting cuttings of apple trees for vaccination in spring should be carried out according to the rules. They should have 3 healthy kidneys. Optimal for the preparation of cuttings is the shoot, which is no more than 2-3 years old. In this case, the upper boundary of the oblique slice should fall on the extreme kidney.
Keep cuttings need all winter. They are immersed in raw sand. If there is no cellar or other suitable room, you can store cuttings in a large snowdrift. Snow will also keep the vaccination material safe. Some gardeners store cuttings in the refrigerator. However, this is not the most effective way.
Standard procedure
Simplicity is characterized by the standard instruction for grafting apple trees in spring for beginners. This procedure is suitable for a young tree. In this case, the graft and stock should be of equal thickness.
The tree to which the cuttings will be grafted must be at the age of one or two years. Its thickness should not exceed 1.5 cm. The graft should be the same. It is important to make the cut correctly. Standard copying requires that it be made at the same angle for both the scion and the stock. You need to make one clear, strong movement. Therefore, it is better to practice before carrying out the procedure on other branches.
To master a slice is the most difficult moment in the presented method. If the gardener has mastered this technique, the rest of the process is straightforward.
The presented method is used from April to early June. Inoculation of apple cuttings in the spring in this case involves a series of simple steps. You will need to wipe the trunk in the place where the cut will be made. Toward yourself, you need to make a clear motion with a knife on the tree. As a result, a slice appears, the slope of which will be sharp.
Next, under the lower kidney on the handle, you need to create the same incision. After this, the parts of the scion and stock are combined. Their cambial membranes must match. After that, in the place of their connection you need to fix the selected material. Each turn of the dressing should be overlapped. The upper cut of the handle needs to be protected. For this, garden var.
Splitting
One of the most popular methods for carrying out the presented process is grafting an apple tree in spring. It is characterized by a high percentage of plant survival. This method is used if the tree is already quite old. New cuttings allow you to rejuvenate the apple tree or grow new varieties of it.
A similar procedure has been carried out since mid-April. Vaccination is not difficult. It is used by beginner gardeners. At the same time, even with small mistakes by the summer resident, one can expect good plant survival rates.
In order to vaccinate in the split, you will need to cut one branch on the apple tree. Its diameter should be at least 5 cm. With a sharp and disinfected media knife, carefully clean it. Get a smooth stump. It will require a split. To do this, a sharp object (for example, an hatchet) is cut into the wood in the center. The result is a cutout in the form of the letter V.
Next, the scion is cleaned. It should fit in the hole created. Before installing the cuttings in the cleft, it must be treated with garden var. The same composition is used to treat a recess on a hemp. After this, the cuttings are inserted into the cleavage. The junction is firmly wound with the selected material at hand. This method will correctly rejuvenate the old tree.
Budding
Considering vaccinations of apple trees in spring, beginners need to pay attention to another possible way to conduct this process. It is called budding. In this case, only one bud from another apple tree is grafted onto the tree. For scion suitable material collected in autumn or winter last year.
It is best to carry out this procedure in mid-April. However, one must take into account the climate. In some regions, this procedure needs to be done sooner or later. At this time, the bark will peel well. Also, the survival rate of the handle will be higher. The cambium will grow intensively, contributing to the healing of tree wounds.
A number of procedures need to be performed. First, prepare the tree trunk, wipe it. In the prepared handle, you need to cut off the kidney with the base. For rootstock, the bark must be cut in the form of the letter T. This is done in the area of the internode. The edges of the cortex must be bent. A kidney with a base needs to be driven into the resulting space.
The junction is treated with garden var. Then it is tightened with twine or appropriate material. This technique will be advisable only when establishing stable warm weather. There should be no frost at this time.
Side cut
There is another way to vaccinate an apple tree on an apple tree in spring. It involves the installation of the handle in a lateral incision on the tree bark. This method demonstrates the rapid survival of cuttings and wound healing on the apple tree.
This technique is used to rejuvenate the crown. It becomes thicker, more beautiful. The plant in this case can be cultured. Also, this method allows the cultivation of wild varieties of fruit trees. You need to perform such a vaccination before the active sap flow begins in the trunk. This can be easily verified by paying attention to the kidneys. They should not swell yet. Most often, this process falls in mid-April.
It is necessary to adhere to a clear sequence of actions. First, at the bottom of the previously prepared handle, you need to make a wedge-shaped cut. To do this, it is cut at an acute angle from two sides. At the place where the scion will be installed, you need to prepare a place for the installation of the handle. To do this, make a sharp cut. Its length should correspond to the surface of the scion. At the same time, it is necessary that the cut affects not only the bark, but also a little wood.
After carrying out the necessary preparatory steps, you need to install the handle on the stock. The junction is treated with a special compound. The junction of the scion and stock is wrapped in plastic wrap. You can use electrical tape for this purpose. The stalk needs to be shortened after that. It is cut off above the second kidney. The slice is covered with garden var. This method is often used to instill the desired apple variety in the game.
other methods
Vaccination of apple trees in the spring can be carried out in other ways. In some cases, a garden pruner is used. This is a simple and effective way. It is better to perform the vaccination procedure in late April.
With this tool, a cut is made on the apple tree. Also secateurs make a cut on the prepared cuttings. The shape of the scion and stock should be inverse to each other. After this, the stalk is applied to the apple tree and smeared with the var. Next, you also need to tighten the stalk with a film or twine.
You can also apply the ablution method. This method allows you to save a tree that has been damaged mechanically or by pests. Also, ablution can be used if other methods have not given the desired result. In this case, you do not need to cut. The handle is simply attached to the stock. This vaccination is performed in May. It grows together for 3 months. On the stock you need to make a cut. A stalk is applied to it. The cambial layer should coincide. After 3 months, you will need to remove the winding, remove the shoot from the branch.
Common mistakes
Vaccination of apple trees in the spring for a beginner can be a real challenge. However, following the advice of specialists, performing exactly the sequence of steps during the procedure, you can achieve high results. It is also important to study the common mistakes that gardeners make during the vaccination process.
Experts say that budding on the south side of the tree does not allow the cuttings to take root on the stock well. Also, do not perform a similar procedure during the rainy season. It also negates the efforts of the gardener.
Also, only prepared petioles should be used. If they were recently cut, they will not take root well on the tree. For carrying out such work, material that is at rest is suitable.
After the vaccination, the tree must also be provided with proper care. The voids that form between the cuttings and the cleft must be filled with var. The tree is periodically watered. You can also apply bait to the soil. A year later, a new shoot is shortened.
The winding must be removed in a timely manner. It can inhibit the further development of the cuttings. If shoots begin to appear below the vaccination site, they all need to be removed. Under the scion there should be an even trunk. Also, shoots that develop above the junction of the cuttings with the apple tree must be restrained in growth. This is done until the substances necessary for life begin to enter the new branch.
Having examined in detail the technologies that allow vaccination of apple trees in the spring, one can achieve high results in this matter.