We get a high-quality harvest by grafting cherries

Every experienced gardener knows that thanks to grafting, any desired variety can be multiplied quite quickly. What is important, with this method of reproduction, the varieties will not lose their characteristic properties, which means that you can save your favorite tree and improve its characteristics. The article contains information on how to plant cherries in your summer cottage. When is the best time to start the procedure and what technologies you need to have in order for the cherry grafting to be successful.

Compatibility

Trees, like all life around us, grow, develop and age. And if you are thinking about how to extend the life of your favorite cherry, you can try grafting it onto a younger tree.

Cherry grafting begins with the need to prepare (grow) the stock. And only then to plant the required variety. The plant you will be grafting on must meet certain criteria. It should be healthy, strong and, of course, a young tree. The thickness of its trunk is 3–10 cm. Strong branches of an adult viable tree with a diameter of at least 10 cm are also suitable.

Let's take a closer look at the compatibility issue. In gardening, there is a practice that the most successful and rational fusion will always take place only in individuals of the same species. If grafting is carried out between varieties of the same name, then in this case the cutting will quickly take root.

If you do not have stone fruit trees of this type at your summer cottage, or you have a desire to experiment, then you can try the following options:

Plum grafting

For almost all stone fruits, plum is the most successful and strong rootstock. If you decide to choose it in this capacity, then it is desirable that the seedlings are semi-wild. Usually, such seedlings successfully adapt to the environment in a particular area and, importantly, are resistant to many diseases.

If you plant a felt cherry on a plum, we get a low (up to 3 meters) tree with a fairly wide crown, blooming in spring with many pink-white flowers. And if you do not know about the vaccination, you might think that in front of you is sakura.

Video "Grafting cherries on plums"

This video will show you how to properly graft cherries on a plum.

Cherries

This type of fruit is also successfully used for grafting cherries, because these two berries are very similar to each other. Therefore, the fusion of the cuttings with the stock will take place rather quickly.

Cherry plum

Gardeners often use cherry plum for grafting. And this choice is very reasonable, since it is a fruit tree with a strong root system and high frost resistance. And its seedlings are easy enough to get.

Thorn

Grafting on the thorn (a relative of the plum) is also widespread. As a rule, such an inoculation is in most cases successful and therefore enjoys considerable popularity among amateur gardeners.

Bird cherry

The species is often used for rootstock. It is quite common, and the grafting process has yielded good results.

In most cases, cherries are perfectly grafted onto all of the above fruit trees, but there are exceptions. Remember that the rootstock plays a major role in the grafting process.

When to vaccinate?

Cherries are grafted in spring and summer.

Grafting in the spring is considered the ideal choice.It was at this time that the process of sap flow occurs most actively and the stalk we grafted will easily and quickly take root.

If you have not carried out spring grafting or it was not successful, you still have a second chance and you can do budding in the summer. Usually it is carried out from the second half of July to mid-August. At this time, the second sap flow takes place, and this will allow the grafting to be carried out efficiently and successfully.

Do not vaccinate in the winter. At low temperatures, the tree slows down its metabolic processes and is at rest. The likelihood that your cutting will be able to take root is almost zero. However, there are exceptions when a successful vaccination is also carried out during this period. Usually the rootstock is placed in a room where it is not subject to all those climatic changes that are characteristic of the winter period.

Vaccination methods

There are several ways of spring grafting, these are cleft grafting, bark grafting and improved copulation. Let's consider in what situations each of them is applied.

Into the cleft

If the thickness of the rootstock is much greater than the thickness of the graft you are grafting, then the grafting can be done in the cleft. To do this, the stem of the stock should be cut with a sharp knife and split 3 cm deep. The stalk is cut so as to obtain oblique cuts in the form of a "sharp tongue". This "tongue" must be placed so that their cambial layer and cortex fit tightly. For safety net, 2 clothespin are used and placed (in case one does not take root). The graft site is fixed with a soft film.

Bark grafting

For its implementation, it is recommended to use 3-4 cuttings. The trimmed stem of the rootstock is cleaned, longitudinal cuts 3 cm long are carefully made on the bark with a special knife.Carefully move away from the wood and insert the cuttings with side cuts. The vaccination site is wrapped with foil for reliability. With the help of a garden varnish, it is necessary to coat the grafted plants, while making sure that the buds and upper edges are completely covered with var.

Copulation

If the thickness of the branches used for the scion and rootstock is the same, it is recommended to inoculate with the method of improved copulation. To do this, it is necessary to make oblique cuts 2-3 cm long on the trunk and the handle. We also cut the upper edges of the cuts 1.5 cm deep. The resulting tongues of the scion and rootstock are positioned so that they fit into each other. Such grafting requires good support, otherwise the plant will not withstand a sharp or strong gust of wind and break.

Kidney grafting - budding

In summer and autumn, cherries are grafted with a bud (budding). This procedure begins in mid-July. A few days before grafting, the stock is prepared. It is thoroughly watered and the side shoots located in the lower part of the trunk are removed. If the cuttings were prepared in advance, then they should be stored in the refrigerator or basement, wrapped in a damp cloth or sprinkled with damp sand. Better, the sleeping kidney will be cut from the tree on the day of the procedure. Remove all the leaves on the handle, but the stalks should be left - they will be indicators by which we will determine whether the bud has taken root or the procedure must be repeated.

Using an budding knife, a part of the bark with a bud and leaf petiole is cut from the handle. On the trunk, 8-10 cm from the ground, the bark is incised, capturing the wood, and the shield is also sharpened a little and inserted into the cut on the trunk, combining the layers of wood and bark. We wrap it tightly with grafting tape, leaving a petiole. If he disappears after a few days, the vaccination was successful. After 3-4 weeks we remove the bandage, coat it with garden pitch, and in early spring we cut off a part of the trunk above the grafted bud - now our bud is the main shoot.

Cherry budding video

This video will show you how to graft cherries using budding method.

If you know how to plant cherries and the features of this process, then it will not seem difficult and difficult to you.But be prepared for the fact that the first time the procedure may end in failure. However, constant practice, proper care, your desire and persistence will help you rejuvenate your garden.