Slips for grafting fruit treeslargely determine the success of grafting trees. Therefore, it is worth knowingwhen it is best to collect slips for vaccination , how to store them and how to prepare them for the transplantation procedure. Here's everything you need to know about grafting scions for fruit trees.
Fruit tree inoculated with scion Photo.depositphotos.com
Which trees are slips for grafting?
Grafting fruit trees with scion is most often used for transplanting pome trees - apple and pear trees, less often for grafting stone trees, such as cherries, cherries or plums, because the scions of pome species take on much more difficult (in the case of these species, it is better to budding of fruit trees).
Remember!Zrazy is harvested from he althy trees that yield abundantly and give good, tasty fruit.
Topical vaccination is performed in spring- from April to May, and slips for this procedure are taken before or just before winter.
When to take slips for vaccination?
Zrazy for grafting fruit treescan be collected on two dates - in late autumn or at the end of winter.
Deadline 1 - Late Fall
The scions should be taken from one-year old shoots and due to the risk of freezing of such shoots during the cold winter, it is recommended to take the scions in late autumn, after the first strong frosts but before the severe frosts arrive. Usually this date is late November or early December.
Deadline 2 - at the end of winter
The collection of scions in the fall requires appropriate storage conditions for the winter, and probably mainly for fear that the scions will not preserve well, most gardeners and amateur gardeners decide tocollect scions for vaccinationat the end of winter.This is usually done in the second half of February or early March. This term is also supported by the fact that it is a good time for winter pruning of fruit trees and it is easier to take slips when cutting trees.
However, this is a good time to take scions only if the winter has been mild. In the case of severe winters, there is a high risk that one-year-old shoots (and only from such shoots are taken) could freeze. Unfortunately, at the time of picking the scions, we are not able to say whether the shoots are slightly frosty. We will find out about it only when it turns out that the vaccinated slips are dry.
How to take slips for vaccination?
The decisive element for the possibility of further storage of scions and the chances of their acceptance after vaccination is properly performedscion collection for graftingScions are cut with a sharp pruner or knife, leaving short ones on the trees 5 -mesh suppositories to obtain increments in the following year. Correctly taken scion for grafting should be a section of a one-year-old, he althy, well-wooded shoot with a diameter of approx. 5-6 mm, cut from the noble variety. The slips should be of such length that there are 4 to 5 buds on each of them. Shoots for slips are cut from the top or outer part of the tree's crown, which is well insolated.
"Note!Strong, long shoots growing from the trunk, the so-called wolves. The grafts for grafting must not be taken from trees that were sick. "
Zrazy is taken from the middle part of the shoot with well-developed buds. The lower and apical parts of the shoot with less developed buds should be discarded. Usually it is possible to obtain from 1 to 3 scions for grafting from one shoot.
How to store slips for vaccination?
Takenslips for grafting fruit treesshould be bundled and labeled so that it is clear what variety they come from. Storage of scions for graftingis so complicated that it requires maintaining constant, appropriate air humidity and temperature in the place of storage. If it is too wet, the slips will become moldy, and if it is too dry, they will dry out and wrinkle. In turn, a suitable temperature, close to 0 ° C, is needed to keep the buds completely dormant. In order to ensure appropriate conditions, there are3 ways of storing grafting scions
Storage in the basement
Slips for grafting can be stored in a cold and moist cellar, making sure that the storage temperature does not deviate too much from 0 ° C. It is best to put bunches with scions in containers or cans, placing each bunch vertically and covering them with sand up to 1/3 of the scion height. The sand should be kept slightly damp but not wet.
Zrazy for grafting fruit trees Photo.depositphotos.com
Suffering in the garden
The slips for grafting can also be pitted, preferably from the northern side of the gazebo or house, in a place protected against flooding with rainwater. For this purpose, a shallow hole is dug and a layer of moist sand a few centimeters is placed at its bottom. Put bunches with scions on it, cover the bottoms with a layer of moist sand and fill the rest with soil. When the ground freezes slightly, cover the place with mulch material - peat, dry leaves or sawdust, and on top we put coniferous twigs, that is, tune.
Refrigerated storage
A small amount of scions for grafting can be stored in the refrigerator, in a vegetable container, where it is undoubtedly easiest to ensure a constant storage temperature, between 0 and 2 ° C. However, it is worse with providing the scions with adequate moisture. To do this, the roulades to be stored in the refrigerator should first be wrapped in a damp cloth and then placed in an airtight foil bag.Every 2-3 hours we have to check if the slips do not become moldy or dry.
How to recognize if a scion is suitable for vaccination?
On slices that have been properly stored, the bark is fresh, firm, without wrinkles and cracks. The buds should be dormant or slightly swollen. Such slips are suitable for vaccination. On the other hand, slips that have become moldy, have dried (wrinkled bark) or have already started to develop buds on them should be discarded.
How to facilitate the vaccination procedure?
When grafting trees and shrubsthe most difficult moment is to properly prepare the rootstock and scions so that they join wellIt is difficult to properly trim the grafting surfaces. This activity takes a lot of time and requires experience. Usuallyyou need to get multiple vaccinations before finally getting into practice
However, this taskbecomes much easier if we use a special secateurs for vaccinations Thanks to its use, the incision on the scion and the rootstock will fit together perfectly. The pruning is also done very quickly, like a regular pruning shears.A special blade in the grafting pruner is responsible for shaping the trimmed surface.I highly recommend this device if you want to avoid failure in grafting plants!
