In recent years, amateur gardening has become increasingly popular among the inhabitants of our country. The consequence of this was a huge demand for seedlings of various fruit trees. Especially beginner gardeners love to buy apple trees. Due to the high demand, seedlings have greatly increased in price, and unscrupulous sellers often sell a completely different variety instead of the required variety. In this case, grafting apple trees in the fall can help a novice gardener. It's not difficult to learn this move, and the benefits it provides can't be overestimated.
Autumn grafting of apple trees
When propagated by seeds, any apple tree usually does not retain the quality of the parent. Hundreds of seedlings need to be planted, and only one or two copies will completely repeat the taste and color of the fruits of the parent tree. That is why the apple tree is usually propagated by grafting. In this case, a two-year-old seedling, which was grown from seeds of winter-hardy varieties or wilds, is usually used as a stock. This approach allows you to get a strong tree that survives the cold season well and gives fruits of the required variety. Grafting apple treesin autumn, it requires the gardener to observe only one basic rule: the apple variety must be placed on the seedling of the same season.
Immediately you need to realize that this process requires some skill, and rarely does anyone manage to do it right the first time, despite the quality and completeness of the information received. That is why you need to practice a little. Ideal objects for this can be annual shoots of willow and poplar. On them you can learn to cut at the right angle, attach the graft to the rootstock and securely tie it without causing unnecessary harm to the plant. Vaccinations performed in this way should simply be placed in a vessel with water and taken out to a well-lit place. After a couple of days, small leaves should bloom on the scion. If this happened, then the gardener did everything right and can proceed to such a procedure as grafting apple trees in the fall. With just a few days of practice, you can develop a skill that will be useful for the rest of your life.
Apple tree grafting dates
When performing this procedure, any gardener should remember that it requires the following conditions:
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timing of apple tree grafting rootstock buds should not be swollen;
- rootstock buds should be in hibernation;
- all tools must be clean;
- cutting knife should be as sharp as possible;
- cambial layers of rootstock and scion must necessarily match;
- tying should be done as tight as possible.
Every gardener should understand that grafting apple trees in the fall is very similar to a surgical operation, and should be treated the same way. Before starting the procedure, boil all the tools and wash the vaccination site with an antiseptic. The sharper the knife with which the operation is performed, the faster the healing of the wounds of the plant will occur. The coincidence of the cambial layer (the so-called zone with young cells, located on the border of the bark and wood) is necessary for successful grafting. The tighter the stock and scion are connected, the more successful their fusion will be. By following these simple rules, any amateur gardener can grow an apple tree of the variety he needs and even try to breed his own.
