- Refining: Why grafting and what is it?
- Graining apple trees: the right time
- Graining apple trees: the rootstock
- Refining apple trees: scion and scion
- How to graft an apple tree?
- Graining apple trees: The procedure
- Care for apple tree after grafting
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By grafting an apple you can bring a new variety into the garden. We explain what grafting an apple tree and grafting an apple tree means.
You have discovered a new favorite apple and want to harvest it from the apple tree in your own garden? What could be more obvious than keeping a few seeds and skillfully sowing them? Actually nothing - if the apple (Malus domestica) were not a cross-pollinator. In order for the blossoms of an apple tree to produce fruit, the pollen of a different variety has to hit the stigma of the blossom. As a result, the genetic material at its core is a hybrid of the mother and father trees. As a result, there will be a colorful mix of different traits in the next generation that develops from the seeded seeds. However, in order to multiply the desired variety quickly and true to the variety, the grafting method is used.
Refining: Why grafting and what is it?
Breeding is about propagating a specific variety. Proper propagation is of primary interest. True to the variety means that the propagated offspring corresponds exactly to the same variety as the mother variety to be propagated. Unfortunately, since the apple is a cross-pollinator, this cannot be achieved by seed propagation. In effect, grafting creates a clone of the mother plant - just like propagation through cuttings or offshoots. The variety with the desired fruit characteristics - the so-called noble variety - is combined with another plant with specific growth characteristics - the rootstock. Put simply, the cultivar grows with the rootstock to combine the characteristics of these two varieties. There are different techniques for this and a lot can go wrong and it is not uncommon for the rootstock and the noble variety not to grow together. This can either be due to the fact that rootstock and noble variety do not go well together genetically or simply lack of practice in grafting.
So why all the trouble and risk, so in the end it's all forthe cat is? Unfortunately, other propagation methods are not suitable for true-to-variety propagation (sowing) or lead to inferior results (cuttings, offshoots). In addition, by refining the noble variety, you can help to achieve certain growth characteristics: short stature in trees for plantations, stability in trees for orchards - these characteristics are determined by the rootstock. In addition, apple trees propagated by grafting flower and bear fruit much earlier than plants propagated by seed - with the latter you can sometimes wait 12 years for the first productive harvest period.
Benefits of grafting apple trees at a glance:
- Propagation true to variety
- Good growth characteristics of the rootstock can be combined with good fruit characteristics of the noble variety
- Reduced time from propagation to first flowering and harvesting of apples
Tip: Of course it's not just the rootstock that influences how he althy and productive an apple tree is. The location and especially the soil also has a major influence. You can use a soil fertilizer such as the Plantura organic soil activator to revive less fertile soil and to give the apple tree the best conditions for growing or continuing to grow after grafting.
Graining apple trees: the right time
There are two different times of the year for grafting apple trees. A distinction is made between the winter grafts (December to March/April) and the summer grafts (July/August). Grafting techniques that require bark loosening can be used in summer, which is not possible in winter. However, the physiological principle is the same: The cambium - this is the tissue capable of dividing, from which the vascular systems of the tree are formed - of the two varieties is connected with the respective technique in such a way that they grow together.
Graining apple trees: the rootstock
In order to refine, you need an underlay - or better a few more if you need several attempts due to lack of practice. The rootstock is an apple variety that has been bred only with regard to its growth habit, its rooting and its resilience or even resistance to diseases and pathogens. It is not relevant which fruits, flowers or leaves the rootstock would bear. After all, the pad will never become itselfBear fruit - only the noble variety that has grown together with it. Nevertheless, the underlay has at least two important tasks:
- The vigor of the rootstock also influences the growth of the noble variety: slow-growing rootstocks lead to smaller fruit trees overall, which are easier to care for and harvest. On the other hand, these fruit trees are less stable, so they may need a tree tie. Fast-growing rootstocks lead to large fruit trees, which have many advantages, for example, on extensive orchards and meadow orchards and are both stable and robust.
- The rootstock determines how well the fruit tree can cope with the existing soil conditions. Some rootstocks are predestined for wet, heavy or light, sandy soils. Other rootstocks are particularly good at repelling soil-borne diseases or pests.
In summary, the following properties of a grafted apple tree can be influenced by the rootstock:
- Growth habit and vigor (weak/strong-growing)
- Stability of the tree
- Location Claims
- Main shape: Depending on the height at which the base is cut off for grafting
- Resistances in particular to soil-borne diseases
- Fruit Quality
Since the rootstocks are of particular interest to commercial horticulture, they often have rather technical names. You won't find descriptive terms like 'Golden Delicious' or 'Goldparmäne'. Here is a small selection of recommended documents:
- ′M 9': weak to medium strong growth; medium-sized trees for the home garden
- ′M 25': Fast growing; Half trunks/tall trunks for the meadow
- ′M7′: Medium growth; medium-sized trees for the home garden
- ′M 27': slow-growing; small trees/pot trees for small gardens or intensive plantation cultivation
Refining apple trees: scion and scion
The parts of the plant that come from the apple variety whose excellent fruits you want to propagate are called "sweet rice" or "sweet lye". A scion is an approximately 10 cm long section of a shoot of the noble variety. A noble eye, on the other hand, is a single vegetative bud that can be taken from a scion. Depending on the refining method used, you have to choose Edelreis or Edelauge. Since scion in theusually contain several buds, more grafts can be carried out by propagating with buds than with scions.
Only fully mature one-year shoots with short bud spacing can be used as scions. You will find these shoots in the outer, well-sunned area of the crown. In the case of winter grafting, the scions are collected as early as December or January and initially stored in a cool and dark place. If a greenhouse with heating is available, grafting can also take place directly. In the case of summer grafting between July and August, the scions are harvested as soon as possible before grafting. Well-ripened one-year shoots are also harvested here. Logically, these are currently leafy. With the exception of a small piece of the leaf stalk, the leaves are removed with rose scissors and the small stipules are also plucked off by hand. Now the scions are ready for summer grafting and can even be stored in a cool and dark place for a short time - but if possible no longer than three days.
How to graft an apple tree?
How to graft an apple tree depends on several conditions:
- When should be grafted?
- What is the diameter of rootstock and scion?
- How much plant material of the noble variety is available for grafting?
Of course you also need a number of special tools for such a special job as refining:
- Very sharp knife, preferably a special grafting knife
- Rose Scissors
- Refining gums to connect the grafting area
- If necessary, wax to spread the finishing area
Graining apple trees: The procedure
When grafting an apple tree - regardless of the method - make sure that the two grafting partners lie perfectly on top of each other and that there are no gaps. This increases the likelihood that the vascular vessels and dividing cambium of both grafting partners will grow together well and quickly. In addition, the risk of infestation with diseases or pests via the grafting site can be minimized. To avoid unnecessary contamination of the interfaces, avoid touching the areas with your fingers if possible. The exact procedure for grafting apple trees dependsOf course, this essentially depends on which finishing method you choose. We take a closer look at the different methods.
Tip: Both scion and rootstock are damaged during grafting and form wound tissue at this point, so-called callus. It arises exactly where the plants will later grow together: at the cambium. Callus production creates high pressure between the assembled elements. It is therefore very important that the grafting area is always pressed very firmly with grafting gums or wound closures!
Winter Finishings
Winter grafts are only performed on rootstocks that grow in pots. This allows the compound plant to grow together in peace after the intervention - for example in a bright hallway or cool conservatory.
Copulation
During copulation, the rootstock and scion are each cut at an angle with the same diameter, so that the cut surfaces fit together perfectly. The cut should be about five inches long. The diagonal cut increases the contact surface, so that the rootstock and the noble variety can grow together over a larger area and are therefore more stable. The method can be carried out very well in winter, since at this time no leaves have to be removed from the scion.
- Select rootstock and scion with the same diameter.
- Make an oblique cut about 5 cm long on the rootstock and scion.
- Join the underlay and scion at the cut surfaces and connect very firmly with raffia or a grafting gum.
- Fill the grafting area with a grafting wax.
Bullfoot Method
The goat's foot method is very suitable if you only have a base with a significantly larger diameter than the scion. A wedge-shaped piece is cut out of the beheaded base like a cake. It is important to ensure that the cut tapers from top to bottom. The scion is pointed on one side to match the wedge shape of the base.
- Root pad about twice the diameter of the scion.
- Cut on the base:
Two diagonal cuts from top to bottom so that a 3 - 4 cm long wedge (buck's foot) is cut out. - Cutting the scion:
Shape the scion with two diagonal cuts to form a counter wedge of the goat's foot,so that the scion wedge fits snugly into the pad wedge. - Make sure that the cambium (green layer of the rind) of the scion lies on the cambium of the rootstock and that there are no gaps.
- Fix the connection point between the base and scion with raffia and spread with finishing wax.
Graft (Gap)
In the case of split grafting, a significantly thinner scion is grafted into a thick base. To do this, a vertical, approximately five centimeter long cut is made in the edge area of the graft head that has just been cut off, across the entire surface of the graft head. This creates a tongue on the base that can be carefully loosened to create a gap. The thin scion is cut on both sides to a length that corresponds to the gap in the base. The wedge-shaped scion can simply be inserted into the gap in the base, whereby this must be done at the outer edge so that the cambiae and vascular vessels of the base and scion can grow together at all.
- Incision Rootstock: Vertical incision about 5 cm long over the entire surface of the grafting head; an advantage if you don't cut in the middle but rather in the edge area.
- Cutting scion: Point to an even wedge on both sides in the length of the rootstock cut.
- Merge the base and scion, connect with raffia and spread with finishing wax.
Tip: A scion can also be grafted on both marginal sides of the split cut on the grafting head of the rootstock. Then one speaks of "double gap plugs". On the one hand you can create a kind of branching, on the other hand it is theoretically possible to combine two different noble varieties on one rootstock.
Summer Finishings
The special thing about summer grafts is that at this time the bark is soft and flexible, so some grafting methods are only possible at this time.
Okulation: noble eye instead of scion
In the case of oculation, only a noble eye is placed on the base. The name - derived from the Latin "oculus" for "eye" - says it all. Because the thinly cut noble eyes have to be pushed under the bark of the substratethe bark of the apple tree "loosens". This is the case from around the end of July to the end of August.
- Prepare noble rice as described above: Approx. 1 cm in diameter, annual and well developed; Cut off the leaves and use them immediately.
- Put the buds out flat under the vegetative bud from the scion to a length of about 3 cm; light greenish cambium must be included and exposed (remove wooden parts if necessary).
- Make a 1 - 2 cm long horizontal cut in the base; make a vertical cut down the middle the length of the precious eye; this T-cut should only be made relatively superficially in the bark so that the light green cambium of the rootstock is not damaged.
- Inserting the eye: It is better not to touch the noble eye from the inside to avoid contaminating it. Using a knife, carefully lift the bark beneath the T-cut and insert the eye as deeply as possible. The noble eye should be in the middle. Fix the area above and below with finishing gum, but the eye must remain free. You can also use a special rubber occlusion closure (Flechthauer quick-action occlusion closure).
Chip Finishing
In principle, chip processing or "chip budding" is a modification of oculation. A noble eye is also used instead of a noble rice. However, the bark is not removed during the chip refinement, but a relatively flat piece corresponding to the precious eye is cut out of the base. The method is therefore independent of the loosening of the bark and could also be carried out in the winter months.
- Cut a uniform chip of scion and rootstock. In scion, the chip consists of the bud and the surrounding bark; in contrast to budding, the part of the underlying wood is not detached.
- Inserting the chip: The chip is inserted into the appropriately cut notch of the base. Fix the spot with finishing gum and then coat it with melted finishing wax. Attention: The bud must also be exposed here.
Graft behind the bark
As a winter graft we have grafting in theAlready met gap. Alternatively, scion can also be grafted behind the bark. Since the bark has to come off for this, this grafting method is carried out in summer. The method is suitable for rootstocks and scions with significantly different diameters.
- Cutting scion: The scion is prepared as usual for summer grafts. An oblique copulatory incision about 5 cm long is made to graft it onto the rootstock.
- Cut rootstock: The rootstock tree is decapitated and a straight graft head is created. The bark of the rootstock is carefully loosened with a downward vertical cut starting from the graft head - in the corresponding length of the surface of the copulation cut of the scion.
- The scion is carefully pushed under the bark of the rootstock so that the cut surface just ends with the cambium of the rootstock.
- Connect grafting area with grafting gum and spread with melted grafting wax.
Tip: As with the split grafting, several scions can be grafted onto a rootstock at the same time by detaching the bark of the rootstock in several places. However, you should not make more than two or three cuts in order not to put too much strain on the base.
Care for apple tree after grafting
Even if it appears to have been grafted well, that still doesn't guarantee that the two plants will grow together. Even after grafting, an apple tree still needs attention and care. Overwinter the grafts carried out in winter in a bright, frost-free room. Grafting done in summer should be protected from excessive sunlight and should be watered sufficiently. It is not uncommon for not only the noble variety to sprout again, but also the rootstock. However, this is wasted energy and also promotes the rootstock repelling the noble variety: Therefore, always cut off all shoots that sprout below the grafting point.
Shoots out the noble variety, the intergrowth has come about for the time being but is not yet stable. If the special grafting rubber does not come off by itself after a whole year due to the sun's rays, you have to cut it open to avoid constricting the tree.
Tip: If you have grafted your noble variety on a potted rootstock in the winter, next May will surely end thewinter frosts on the planting. When planting apple trees, it is an advantage to offer the young tree fertile soil, such as our Plantura organic universal soil, to promote he althy growth in the early years - after all, the small tree cannot take root that deep and is less able to take care of itself .
In general, it is important to prune the apple tree regularly and skilfully in order to give it a stately crown. You can find out how to properly prune an apple tree in our dedicated special article.