Cherry is perhaps the most traditional culture in Russian gardens. There are many varieties of it - both old, folk selection, and modern. The times of noble nests and Chekhov's cherry orchards have sunk into oblivion. On small, as a rule, plots of land, a modern gardener should try to fit other fruit trees. And yet there is a way to have a whole collection of cherry varieties - grafting.
Grafting refers to vegetative propagation of plants. Its use can help out if:
- the old variety does not suit, and I want to replace it without wasting time growing from a seedling;
- caught a self-infertile variety - planted cherry blossoms, but does not set fruit;
- some the tree in the garden brokebut a living root remained;
- I want to have several different varieties, but the area of the site is too small.
What can you plant cherries on
Even novice fruit growers have heard the terms "scion" and "rootstock". The stock is a plant, which is being vaccinated. Graft - stalk or the axillary bud of the plant to be grafted.
The procedure always starts with the selection of the rootstock... It is on him that not only the productivity of the tree depends, but also the size and taste of the fruits. The first thing to pay attention to is plant compatibility. A simple rule applies here: the closer the relationship, the better.
Cherry compatibility with various rootstocks
Rootstock | Compatibility degree | Features: |
---|---|---|
Cherry wild | Very high | One of the best rootstock options. It is not difficult to get a seedling of a wild cherry, and the risk of scion rejection is minimal. The plant gets hardiness and adaptability to climatic conditions from the rootstock, but can give root growth. |
Cultivar cherry | Very high | An excellent option for growing several varieties on a common trunk. But in this case, you need to ensure that the flowering dates of the varieties coincide. |
Bird cherry | High | On a bird cherry stock, the scion almost always takes root well. Such manipulation is especially beneficial in the northern regions: bird cherry gives the cherry frost resistance and resistance to diseases. |
Plum | High | It is better to take semi-wild seedlings as a rootstock, but you can also plant cherries on varietal plums growing in the garden. |
The turn | Good | Very good, but a little awkward stock for cherries. The turne throws out a lot of root suckers, and it is quite troublesome to deal with them. |
Cherry plum | Good | Universal rootstock for stone fruits. Good for its exceptional endurance. |
Some experimental fruit growers try themselves in the role of Michurin and try to plant cherries on an apple or pear. Indeed, these plants belong to the same botanical family - Pink. However, the relationship between them is "cousin". Apple trees and pears - from the Apple subfamily (popularly called "seed"), and cherries and cherries - from the Plum subfamily ("Stone fruits"). Therefore, such a transplant will not lead to success.
Cherries, like other stone fruits, do not take root well on perennial wood. Vaccination will be more successful on young trees or branches.
When to vaccinate, in spring or summer?
The optimal time for the operation is dictated by the physiology of the plant.... It is better for inexperienced "transplantologists" to choose the time before the start of sap flow - early spring. This is due to a small nuance: if you are a little late, the juice on the slices will oxidize, which will prevent the cuttings or buds from taking over.
You can plant cherries later. Grafting with green cuttings in summer is quite successfully practiced.... However, firstly, they should be performed very quickly and accurately in order to prevent the formation of an oxide film. It takes sleight of hand and dexterity. Secondly, it is important to choose the right weather and not delay the procedure until the end of summer.
Where to get cuttings for grafting
It is usually advised to harvest cherry cuttings in the fall, after leaf fall, before the arrival of frost. However, keeping them until spring is a daunting task for novice gardeners. It is necessary to ensure such conditions that the branches remain moderately moist, but do not rot; did not freeze, but did not wake up ahead of time... To save yourself from these worries, there are two ways: buy grafting material in a garden center or cut it yourself in the spring.
Nurseries have special rooms where cuttings are kept at the optimum temperature and humidity. Before inoculation, you only need to refresh the sections. An economical option: buy one stalk and remove several eyes from it.
You can cut the material yourself by negotiating with neighbors or relatives. In the experience of many gardeners, grafting with fresh cuttings is often more successful than "autumn" cuttings, even when stored in ideal conditions.
In spring, cherry cuttings are harvested as follows:
- Examine the mother plant and choose a good shoot of last year's growthand. It is easy to distinguish them: the bark on them is reddish, thin, glossy and shiny.
- Check to the shoot had only leafy (pointed) buds... The fact is that cherries most often bear fruit precisely on last year's growths, so flower (rounded) buds can be laid on them.
- Cut the shoot with a pruner, remove the apical bud and cut the "pencils" 25-30 cm long. 3-4 buds should remain on each cutting.
The prepared material can be wrapped in damp gauze so that the cuttings do not dry out.
Overview of the main ways of grafting cherries
Garden "surgeons" have developed a variety of vaccination methods. The simplest and most accessible for beginners - budding, simple copulation and grafting into cleavage.
Cherry budding: procedure
The essence of the method is the transfer of the axillary bud of the cherry to the stock. In this case, the inoculated material is called the "eye". To carry out the operation, you will need a perfectly sharp, clean knife (you can use a clerical one, but it is advisable to have an eyepiece) and PVC tape. It is better to cut the eyes just before the procedure..
- A good bud is chosen on the handle... It must be cut off along with a part of the bark (shield). The length of the shield is about 2 cm. The grafting material is placed on a clean damp cloth so that the cut does not dry out.
- On the selected part of the rootstock a T-shaped incision is made with a knife on the bark.
- The incision flaps gently retract the peephole is inserted and pressed tightly by the flaps from above so that only the kidney looks out.
- The structure is wrapped the back of the tape so that the bark does not break when it is removed.
Some gardeners, fearing recurrent spring frosts, create a greenhouse from plastic bags around the grafting. Here you need to weigh everything well. The risk of "boiling" your vaccine under active sun may be higher than the risk of freezing it.
Budding is the least traumatic method of vaccination. Even if something goes wrong and the peephole does not take root, the plant will quickly heal a small superficial wound.
Cleft grafting
This method is not only uncomplicated, but also gives the highest survival rate. According to the observations of gardeners, out of every ten grafts in the cleft, nine are taken.
Unlike budding, here a whole stalk acts as a grafting material. Of the tools you need pruning shears or garden saw, a sharp clean knife (better copulation, but you can do with the usual one), electrical tape and garden var.
- The cutting is being prepared with 3-4 good kidneys. Its lower end is cut with a knife into a double wedge. The length of the cut should be three times the thickness of the shoot. The handle is wrapped in a damp, clean cloth.
- If the rootstock diameter is large, an even cut is made to the desired height... If the scion and rootstock are of approximately equal thickness, a pruner is used.
- A knife is placed along the line of the diameter of the saw cut, and an incision is made to a depth of 3 or 4 cm... To prevent the split from closing, you can insert a temporary peg spacer into it.
- The stalk is cut into the split to the full depth... If a thick stock is chosen, the cutting should be inserted at the very edge so that the bark coincides with the bark, and the cambium with the cambium. If possible, you can start two scions at once in one split - from two edges.
- The stock is tightly wrapped in a spiral with the reverse side of electrical tape... It is important to ensure a perfect fit of all scion and rootstock tissues.
- The end area of the split is hermetically covered with garden varnish... The tops of the cuttings are also processed.
Today, special grafting waxes and mastics are available in gardening stores. They contain phytohormones that stimulate the fastest growing together, and fungicides to protect the vaccine against fungus.
Simple copulation
This method is suitable when the diameters of the rootstock and scion match. For work, you will need a pruner, a copulating or ordinary sharp knife, electrical tape and a device for correcting the cutting angle. The latter can be easily done by hand. A small diameter metal or plastic tube is cut at an acute angle (about 30⁰) - and you're done. Vaccination is performed according to the scheme:
- The handle is inserted into the tube so that its lower end looks out a little.
- With a knife a cut is made exactly along the cutting line of the tube.
- The stock is shortened with a pruner to the desired height... A tube is put on it and a similar cut is made.
- The stalk is applied to the stock with a cut to the cut... All fabrics must match perfectly.
- The connection is firm wrapped with electrical tape.
Simple copulation is good for its simplicity and a good survival rate. But it has a drawback: insufficient strength at the point of fusion. Cherries have fragile wood, and the strength of the bond with the stock is extremely important when grafting... In this sense, the budding method is much more reliable.
When grafting into the crown of a tree, you need to choose a place closer to the central conductor. This will provide the scion with adequate nutrition and reduce the risk of shoot breakage.
Whether the vaccine was successful or not becomes visible after a week or two. If the buds start to grow, then the material takes root normally.... You do not need to remove the tape. In the coming year, a callus influx will form at the fusion site - a thickening similar to a corn. Next spring it will be possible to remove the remnants of the duct tape and wait for the harvest.
Cherry grafting is an exciting activity, akin to a scientific experiment. It gives a lot of room for creativity and even a novice gardener can do it.