Grafting cherries in summer with young green branches: what is possible, timing and care

Advantages of the method

Although the procedure in which petioles from one tree are fused to another seems complicated, it is accessible even to novice gardeners and gardeners. The advantages of vaccination include the possibility of:

Get large fruits.
Significantly increase productivity.
Strengthen resistance to diseases and unfavorable natural environments.

2 trees take part in the process. The scion in the form of a bud or petiole is grafted onto the plant. It is usually cut from a fertile but old crop and combined with another tree - the rootstock.

Grafting helps improve the taste of berries and delay ripening. The procedure is resorted to when cherries, for unknown reasons, do not bear fruit for a long time; the variety is not suitable for the local climate.

On a grafted tree, fruits appear within two years, and on a new one, planted on the site of a cut down old one, no earlier than after 6 years.

How to choose varieties?

As a rule, there is no concern about the tree varieties that are grafted. A cherry is a cherry, just like sweet cherries, what difference does it make what variety they have? But it turns out that the difference is very big and a lot depends on the variety of scion and rootstock.

For cherries, the best rootstock will be cherries of the following varieties: “Mayak”, “Late Rozovaya”, “Vladimirsky”, “Uralskaya Rubinovaya”, “Magalebka”, “Griot”, “Lyubskaya”, “VSL - 2”. Some varieties were created as ideal as rootstocks for cherries: “Colt”, “Pika”, “Gisella”.

Among the most suitable types of cherries that can be used as a scion are the following varieties: “Dagestanka”, “Krasa Kubani”, “Priusadnaya”, “Bigarro”, Daibera black”, “Bagration”.

Deadlines

The scion grows together well if the procedure is performed when the juice begins to secrete and the air is heated to at least 5 °C. Cuttings are cut in the fall, if the winter was not cold, the branches are engrafted in March.

in spring

Cherries can be grafted throughout the growing season; the main requirement is the absence of even slight frosts. At the end of April, and in the south at the beginning of March, cuttings are taken out of the cellar and soaked in the Kornevin preparation. They are fused with the rootstock using any of the following methods:

copulations;
into the cleft;
into a corner cut;
for the bark.

In the spring, for grafting, you can use not only cuttings prepared in the fall, but also those cut on the same day, but it is not always possible to get a positive result at this time.

In summer

They resort to grafting trees in July and August, but in the southern regions, and often in the middle zone, it is hot during this period; experienced gardeners recommend starting the procedure in early June, when the weather is comfortable.

in autumn

If for some reason you did not have time to graft the cherries in spring or summer, this can be done in September, in the south - in October. The graft will still have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.

How to prepare cuttings?

For grafting, cuttings should be prepared in advance. Cuttings are harvested in the fall, before the onset of frost. Then they are stored all winter in appropriate conditions, and in the spring they are grafted.

The cutting length should be 35-40 cm, diameter 5 cm. These should be annual shoots with apical and lateral growth buds. The cuttings are tied into a bundle and stored either in the snow or in the basement in sawdust or sand. You can also store the cuttings in the refrigerator; to do this, they are wrapped in a damp cloth, wrapped in a bag and sent to the bottom shelf.

Grafting with fresh cuttings is also practiced, but they must be cut before the sap begins to flow. The success of grafting with such cuttings is reduced.

What else does the success of vaccination depend on:

All cuts on cuttings and rootstock must be clean. To do this, it is recommended to trim the cuts of the rootstock and touch the cuts with your fingers as little as possible.
Hands and tools must also be clean.
The knife must be very sharp. The cut should be made with one movement of the knife. It is unacceptable to make irregularities, cracks, or jagged edges on the cuts.
The grafts must be tied tightly, and the cuttings must not be moved after grafting.
The grafting procedure should be carried out quickly so that the sections do not become weathered.
Open cuts should be covered with garden varnish.
Use only healthy and young trees as a rootstock.

After 2-3 weeks it will be possible to check whether the cutting is taking root. Shoots from the buds appear on the established cuttings. At this time, you should be especially careful about the tree:

Check for pests. If they appear, take immediate action.
Throughout the season, shoots that appear on the rootstock below the grafted cuttings must be removed.
A grafted tree needs feeding and sufficient watering.

The result of successful rooting of the cuttings

What fruit trees can cherry trees be grafted onto?

Only cuttings of related garden crops are grown. A good rootstock for peach is apricot, and apple for pear. Sweet cherries are grafted onto sweet cherries when it is necessary to preserve the variety, increase the size of the berries, and add zest to the fruit.

In other cases, I use cherry plum, plum, and apricot for the rootstock. A closer relative of the sweet cherry is the sour cherry. The varieties that are best suited for grafting are:

Vladimirskaya;
Gisella;
Pike;
Magalebskaya;
Griot Rossoshansky.

Shoots of bird cherry hybrids grow for a long time and poorly. It is difficult to plant cherries on plums, but some gardeners succeed.

Before you start grafting a fruit tree, you need to prepare your tools. Be sure to purchase a sharp knife, pruning shears, and a small hand saw. The shoots are fixed to the plant with electrical tape and tape.

Which tree to choose?

A cherry tree is the best option, although sometimes gardeners also use wild cherries. Cherry is ideal, as it is a very strong and frost-resistant tree. Cherry is more capricious.

It is best to choose young trees . Summer residents advise choosing trees up to two years old, or very young ones, less than a year old.

Mature trees are also suitable, but it is much better to purchase a young seedling for the dacha.

If we talk about cherry varieties, the following are best suited:

Colt or Studenikovskaya . These species will help growing cherries form a smaller and neater crown.
Magalebskaya . A very frost-resistant variety.
Variety Piku . Excellent compatibility, cherry berries remain as large as those on native trees.

Procedure options

Having decided which rootstock will be used for grafting next season, cuttings are prepared in November, when all the leaves have fallen from the trees. To do this, cut off annual shoots with a diameter of at least 50 mm with one growth bud and several lateral buds.

The branches prepared for grafting are taken to the cellar, where they are placed in soil made of sand, peat, and sawdust. If there is no basement, the cuttings are wrapped in a wet cloth, then in polyethylene and stored in the refrigerator.

Grafting of cherries with young green branches is carried out from summer to autumn; sometimes such shoots are used in the spring, but not always successfully.

Simple copulation

Even novice gardeners can master the method in which the rootstock has the same diameter as the grafted shoot. Select a smooth branch from the cherry tree and wipe it with a damp cloth. Using a sharp knife, make an even cut on it at an angle of 35 degrees.

The cutting is prepared from a fertile variety of stone fruit with 2 or 4 strong buds, 10 mm away from the lowest one, and the same operation is performed as on the rootstock. At a distance of 2 cm above the third bud, another cut is made, but even.

In order for the shoots to grow together correctly, you only need to use a sharp knife during work, otherwise their cambium will not match. The cuttings are carefully connected to the rootstock to create a straight and even branch.

A strip cut from polyethylene 1 cm wide is wrapped over the grafting site, making sure that the cuttings do not move even 1 mm, otherwise they will not be able to grow together. The top cut of the cherry is coated with varnish. This is done in order to prevent the cutting bud from dying.

Improved copulation

In order for the shoot to take root more quickly, the procedure must be performed very quickly, otherwise the tree will dry out when cut. Gardeners who have been grafting stone fruit crops for a long time are resorting to improved copulation. They split the cutting areas in the center into thirds, both on the rootstock and on the cuttings. The resulting tongues contribute to a tighter connection of both grafted parts.

Cortical method

Gardeners cut off the upper part of the rootstock with pruning shears; this is done if it is much thicker than the prepared cutting. At the beginning of the growing season, the wood is easily removed from the bark using a sharp knife, and the knots are cut off with a saw. After this, longitudinal cuts about 4 cm long are made on the rootstock and covered with polyethylene.

The cutting is applied to a puncture on the trunk of the plant and wrapped with tape or tape. The cherry cut is treated with a special varnish .

Many gardeners use this particular grafting method, since several shoots are grafted onto one rootstock, at least some of them still take root, and the plant is less injured.

Into the cleft

At the beginning of spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed and the stone fruit crops have not woken up from hibernation, they resort to a more complex technology that allows them to graft cherries:

On a tree used as a rootstock, branches are cut down, leaving only a few at the bottom, and the trunk is shortened to a height of 50 cm.
Splits are made in the stump with a small ax and a prepared scion is inserted into each, the bottom of which is sharpened like a wedge and tied to the plant with tape.
The sections, the thickness of which should not exceed 50 mm, are covered with garden pitch.

This method helps to renew old trees while preserving the cherry variety. Only thin branches are grafted. It is better to resort to the procedure in March, in early April.

Half-split

With this technology, the cherry is almost not damaged, only a small part on the side is affected. To graft a cutting:

The ax blade is inserted into the stump 30 mm deep, without reaching the opposite end, and a split is made.
The lower edge of the shoot is cut off so that it looks like a wedge.
Wrap in polyethylene in 3 layers.

The scion is tied with twine. With this method, you don’t even need a garden varnish.

Bridge grafting

It happens that in winter, hares in search of food get to the garden and gnaw the bark. To close the wounds in the trunk and renew the cherry, they resort to bridge grafting technology. It is better to do this when the juice begins to flow out.

The cuttings are inserted so that one end is above the damage and the other above it. The shoots are placed in several places and cuts are made in the bark. The scion is fixed to the tree with film and wrapped in burlap. The edges of the joint are treated with garden varnish. With this grafting technology, not a single bud is left on the cuttings.

Into the corner cut

If the branches used for the scion have a diameter of no more than 20 mm, slightly retreating from the edge of the stump, use a knife to cut to a depth of 6 mm. Parallel to the first, in the opposite direction, at the same angle of 30°, a second cut is made. The lower end of the cutting is ground off on both sides so that it fits easily but tightly into the rootstock.

Into the side cut

This grafting technology can be done by experienced gardeners, since any operation with a knife and pruning shears must be performed very accurately.

First, an incision is made 20 cm from the base of the cutting so that one side is 10 mm shorter than the other. The shoot is shaped into a wedge, secured with plastic wrap, and inserted into a cut on the rootstock.

When grafting a cutting onto an old plant with thick bark, the indentations are made not at an angle, but directly, where the branch is secured, grinding it down diagonally to form a blade.

Further care

Caring for a grafted tree includes the following mandatory items::

On the day of grafting, wrap the plant attachment area tightly with plastic film or strong rope. This is necessary so that the scion and rootstock do not move and are firmly pressed against each other.
For the next 10-15 days, lubricate the cuttings with garden varnish. The buds can be additionally covered with plasticine to prevent them from drying out. Carry out the procedure until the scion is completely engrafted. This will be evidenced by swelling buds and young leaves.
After 20-25 days, the rope should be removed. By this time, the cherry tree should already have taken root, and the rope can prevent the growth of bark on the cutting. If you do not remove it in time, the branch will be pinched and can easily break off from the wind. If the scion has not taken root completely, then the rope can simply be replaced with film. The film can be kept at the grafting site for 4-5 months.
When grafting seedlings, keep the soil loose and remove weeds.
In the first year, side shoots and buds are cut off from the grafted rootstock branch.
In the first 2-3 winters, wrap the grafting site with burlap or garden bandages. This will protect the scion from frost.

Cherry grafting technology

If you grow stone fruit crops on a suburban plot or in your yard and you want to increase the area planted with fruit trees, you need to take into account that cherries do not reproduce from stones, but by grafting.

In order for the escape to take root correctly and quickly:

For the rootstock, choose a healthy stone fruit that produces a stable harvest.
A large number of cuttings of different types and ripening periods are not added to the tree.
For grafting, take strong branches that are located closer to the trunk.
The binding is removed after the bark has formed at the junction of the shoot.

In the first year, the flowers on the grafted cherry are picked and the emerging ovary is removed. If this is not done, the tree will grow and develop poorly. Experienced gardeners recommend using cherries and cherry plums as rootstocks, which are well adapted to the local climate. After 4 years, an established cutting can be used for work again.

In the spring, any of the methods is suitable for grafting, from simple copulation to the most complex technology; you can take both pre-prepared shoots and green branches.

To change the cherry variety, start re-grafting. This procedure is in demand when the planted plant turns out to be unproductive; small and tasteless berries ripen on it.

Cherries up to 10 years old are used as a rootstock. The process is started in the spring, when frost is no longer expected. Re-grafting with a bud or eye can be done even at the end of summer and is quite effective.

Optimal conditions for cherry grafting

Trees are grafted in the spring, as well as in the summer and autumn, although the best time to do it is always spring. Grafting in summer and autumn is carried out only when it was not possible to graft the cuttings in the spring. You can store cuttings collected in the fall until spring planting in the refrigerator. They are wrapped in a paper napkin and placed in a thick plastic bag.

For a transplant to be successful, a combination of the following factors will be needed:

the beginning of sap flow in the rootstock;
air temperature about +5…+10°С;
absence of frost and temperature drop to 0°C.

The time for spring vaccination is the beginning of April, for summer - any day until the heat sets in. For autumn - no later than the beginning of October. A prerequisite for spring grafting is that the buds on the grafted branch should not open before grafting. And this is easily explained. Leaves need water; To obtain it, a stable connection must be formed between the scion and the rootstock - the cambium, an intensively growing tissue. However, it takes time to grow. The leaves of the grafted branch will exhaust the supply of moisture and lead to its death even before it has time to reliably connect to the trunk.

Did you know? Sweet cherry is the earliest of all cherry varieties. Presumably, it was known in Europe as early as 8000 BC. e.

Active sap flow in the rootstock

A prerequisite for grafting is the active beginning of sap flow in the mother tree (from which the cutting is cut). If it is not there, plant tissues will not be able to grow together. But at the same time, as stated above, there should be no leaves on the scion.

Plus temperature

The grafted branch is vulnerable to sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, work is carried out only at positive temperatures, starting from +5°C.

No severe frosts

It is also necessary that the frosts have already ended or not begun before the scion and rootstock grow together. Otherwise the transplant will die.

Did you know? Cherekha is a hybrid of cherry and sweet cherry, bred in the Middle Ages in the Lviv suburb of Kleparov.

What protection measures to use?

Winding after grafting

Cherry is a heat-loving tree, and if we are talking about cuttings that have just been grafted, then they even more so need warmth. However, grafting cherries onto cherries is carried out very early, as mentioned above, so in order to save labor from cold weather and possible frosts, you can use several simple techniques.

Source

Vaccination procedure (video)

So, in the interval of these two weeks, we select a cherry seedling aged from one to two years or even a young cherry shoot and graft it with a cherry cutting. The grafting is carried out at a height of 15-20 cm from ground level. Since cherries take root with great difficulty, it would be a good idea to use the enhanced copulation method by creating a cut 30-40 mm long. In order for the cuttings to take root better, you also need to plant short cuttings with only two buds. After grafting, the side branches of the cherry tree should be cut off.

The grafting site is tied with polyethylene. Usually in mid-July the cuttings have already taken root well, and the polyethylene wrapping can be loosened.

By this time, growths are already developing from both buds. One of them needs to be removed. Most often this is the upper growth, since it develops worse than the lower one. Using pruning shears, the upper part of the cutting above the lower growth is cut into a ring. There is no need to shape the bush so that it bends to the ground. He himself will bow under the weight of the leaves.

Options for grafting sweet cherries onto cherries

And this is where the amazing properties of grafted cherries begin to appear. It blooms earlier than all cherries, but at the same time it is not afraid of the return frosts that are typical for the early period. Frost can even burn the delicate petals of flowers, but this will not affect the ripening of the berries. It is important that the frosts are not too severe, and blooming cherries will survive 4-5 degrees of frost, while some varieties of cherries lose a significant part of their future ovaries.

Other types of cherry grafting

In addition to budding, cherries can be grafted in other ways: Grafting cherries by the bark. Here, on 2 sides of the cut trunk of the rootstock, an incision of 3 centimeters is made in the bark, respectively, for 2 cuttings with stripped

wedge-shaped ends.

The dimensions of the cutting are selected so that it rises 2 cm above the cut of the rootstock. In this case, there should be 1-2 buds on the graft.

Cherry grafting. The trunk of the rootstock needs to be split, and 1-2 cuttings, also split from the lower end, must be inserted into this gap.

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When to graft sweet cherries onto cherries?

Treating a grafted tree with an antiseptic

The timing of vaccination is very important. You can experiment throughout the year, but if you need the result for sure and as soon as possible, then it is recommended that the grafting of cherries onto cherries be carried out in the spring, namely at the end of March or beginning of April, depending on the region.

About 2 weeks at the end of March, a period passes when the tree has already woken up from winter, but the buds have not yet swollen, and sap flow has not begun in the trunk and branches. It is at this time that vaccination should be done. Then the cutting will take root very quickly and grow together literally before our eyes in a short time.

In rare cases, vaccination is carried out in July or August. For this purpose, exclusively budding is used. This is the lack of time, since in the spring you can choose any convenient grafting method for grafting. It is important to complete all the work a month and a half before the first frost hits.