Apricot propagation using cuttings
During the growth of the tree, the gardener repeatedly performs care activities in the form of pruning, treatment against pests and diseases. The first procedure has different purposes, but at the end of the work, cut branches always remain.
As a rule, pruning takes place in spring or autumn. Very rarely in summer. Among the cut material, you can choose completely healthy branches suitable for propagation.
An option for obtaining a new apricot is called cuttings. At the same time, it is divided into three more ways: green cuttings, layering and lignified shoots.
Propagation with green cuttings
The most successful way to propagate apricots is through green shoots. The material is taken from a young apricot, as it gives roots better and faster and takes root.
The escape is selected according to a certain pattern. So the cuttings should have at least 2-3 leaves. Harvesting takes place early in the morning. This will retain the necessary moisture inside the branch.
The cut is made at an angle. Next, the workpiece is sent to Kornevin’s solution. You can use Zircon or Heteroauxin. Soaking time lasts up to 12-15 hours.
To use the method of propagation by green cuttings, it should be noted that after the soaking procedure, the apricot branch is sent for germination in open ground.
The place is selected so that the cutting receives the necessary moisture, fertilizer, and plenty of light. It was also sheltered from wind and drafts. If the germination rules are followed, after 1-1.5 months a fully developed root system is observed.
By layering
The second option is also popular among summer residents with experience - propagation by air layering. The work is planned for the summer.
Choose a young shoot that has one-year growth. Further:
- make 2 cuts (exclusively circular);
- remove the bark;
- carry out disinfection of the damaged area;
- treated with a stimulant (one of the above);
- wrapped in a bag of soil mixture.
Layers are obtained after maturation. The roots are clearly visible in the wrapped bag. All that remains is to carefully separate it and plant it in a permanent place.
Planting time is autumn, at least 3-4 weeks before frost.
Propagation by lignified cuttings
The last option for propagating apricot by cuttings involves harvesting material - lignified cuttings. The cutting procedure takes place after leaf fall, as this signals the preparation of the apricot for winter.
The shoot must be at least 30 cm, the cut is made at an angle. Planting material is sent for the winter to a place prepared in advance: cool, moderately moist.
It is advisable to plant apricot cuttings in boxes with peat soil mixture.
To obtain results, it is not enough to treat planting material with stimulants and disinfectants. It is also necessary to carry out soil cultivation.
If the cutting is planted in the prepared mixture, then it must be roasted in the oven. Planting in such soil is allowed no earlier than a week later.
Have you propagated apricots from woody cuttings?
Not really
Recommendations
Shoots selected for propagation must be intact, with healthy bark, and without signs of disease. All instruments should be treated with a disinfectant solution before use. The room where the workpieces are stored must be at an optimal temperature. The appearance of rot, blackening of shoots, absence of roots or damage to them are reasons for removing planting material.
Regardless of the chosen apricot propagation method, the tree needs care.
Basic principles:
- crown formation (annual pruning of side branches);
- feeding (apply organic preparations under the roots before and after flowering, feed with potassium and phosphorus before wintering);
- watering at least 4 times a year: in the spring, during the formation of the bud, during the ripening of the fruits, before the tree goes into hibernation.
Depending on the varietal characteristics, the tree should be treated preventively against diseases and pests.
How to grow an apricot from a seed
Quite often, amateur gardeners try to get a new tree at home by germinating a seed. Apricot is quite pliable for such a procedure.
The technique is quite complex and labor-intensive (especially if you decide to propagate a seed from a purchased fruit). It’s worth warning right away: hybrid forms using this method do not bring results.
The bone is selected according to the following parameters:
- the fruit is taken large, without damage, fresh;
- the pulp is not wormy, juicy;
- The bone should separate well and not split into two parts.
It is advisable to prepare 5-10 seeds for germination. Clean material is kept in warm, settled water for 22-24 hours.
Next, they are dried and sent for storage, since it is not advisable to plant them in open ground in the fall. You can remove the workpiece in damp sand or a glass jar.
The first option is advantageous, since you do not have to carry out the stratification procedure.
Hardening the apricot pit lasts about 90 days. After the stratification procedure, they are planted either in open ground or in a prepared container.
Further care is standard: watering, loosening, fertilizing.
This propagation procedure takes a long time, since the seedlings will have to be repeatedly transplanted into a new container or planting hole. This is necessary for the development of the root system.
How to propagate plum using seeds
When growing rootstocks, it is recommended to use seeds taken directly from mature fruits. It is worth noting that they should not be susceptible to various diseases and certain pests. After collection has been carried out, the seeds must be removed, washed, thoroughly cleaned of pulp and soaked for three days, changing the water regularly. When all procedures are completed, the seeds are dried and stored in containers (always made of glass).
Before the sowing process, the seeds are stratified.
How it's done? They should be mixed with sand, sawdust or other types of material that tend to hold water well. The filler for stratification must be:
- moist, but not soggy;
- with a temperature of no less than +1 °C and no more than 10 °C.
This process should last approximately 150 to 180 days. During the germination of half of the seeds that were sown, it would be appropriate to transfer them to the refrigerator and store them in these conditions until spring.
You need to sow seeds between April and May (here you should rely on the weather). The distance between sprouts in a row should be 10 cm, between the rows themselves - 70 cm.
In autumn, rootstocks that have reached the required height are budded. The rest are left until spring, and are also grafted with the type of tree that needs to be kept on the site in the future.
There are plum varieties that should be propagated by root shoots. For these purposes, the root, which serves as a connection between the shoot and the mother plant, is carefully chopped, dug up in the spring and transplanted to the chosen place as a permanent one.
Propagation of trees by grafting
Grafting or propagation from a branch with 8-10 buds is a profitable method. Allows you to reduce maintenance work, reduce the time of ripening and harvest.
The essence of the technique is to germinate a cut branch on an existing fruit plant. It is not necessary to take an apricot tree as a basis. Suitable for crossing:
- Mirabel;
- plums;
- peach;
- almond.
The rootstock is attached to the scion in several ways. Of the most effective - into the split. The work should take place in the spring before the buds swell.
The grafting site is treated with garden varnish and wrapped with material for fastening (make sure that the bandage is not tight).
Tips from experienced gardeners
To properly propagate by cuttings, you must follow the advice of experienced professionals:
- It is recommended to cut cuttings early in the morning, before sunrise; It is during this period that the branches contain maximum moisture, so they take root faster
- rooting must be started immediately; if this is not possible, then the cuttings need to be placed in water so that they take root - it is important that the leaves are not in the water
- the best environment for cuttings is a greenhouse, it creates the best conditions for the plant
- To prevent the leaves from consuming a lot of moisture, they must be cut in half
- cuttings are taken from the strongest branches of a fertile tree
Propagation by seedlings
You can buy a seedling in special nurseries, ask a neighbor, or notice a developing tree on your site. Planting methods and patterns depend on the apricot variety, but in 90% of cases they are identical:
- prepare a planting hole;
- apply fertilizers;
- Make the bottom layer drainage.
An important point when choosing a seedling is to carefully examine it for infection. Inspection is carried out not only of the trunk, but also of the root system.
If there is damage, it is better not to buy an apricot, but to obtain it yourself using the previously described methods. Since the presence of scratches, stains, cuts, broken branches, roots indicates the unsuitability of planting material.
Landing rules
For planting, choose soil in which vegetables have previously grown. Basic landing rules:
- Sowing should be 4-6 cm deep.
- After planting, the soil is watered and covered with film. To allow the seeds to breathe, small holes are made in the film.
- After the sprouts sprout, remove the film.
The distance between rows should be about 3 meters. To preserve the crop in winter, trees need to be pruned, that is, remove excess branches. And young trees need to be covered with thick fabric, bags or polyethylene. The material can be secured using stakes in the ground, stones or bricks.
Thanks to these simple tips, you can propagate any apricot that will take root in your strip.
Features of spring pear planting in different regions
The plant must be planted taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region. In late spring conditions, the procedure should be postponed - the air temperature should be at least 5℃ above zero. If you neglect this rule, the seedlings will freeze and die. But planting should not be delayed too much - the work must be completed before the culture fully awakens.
In outskirts of Moscow
The climate in this region is temperate continental - summers are warm and winters are cold and snowy. In the spring, the soil is moistened by melted snow, and in the fall by frequent rains, so there is no need for frequent watering.
For the Moscow region, you need to choose frost-resistant varieties that are not afraid of temperature changes, pest invasions, and diseases. Even if such trees freeze a little in winter, they still quickly recover. Spring frosts are also not a problem for seedlings, which is due to the late growing season.
You need to plant a pear seedling in an area that is protected from the wind. The manipulation should be carried out in the first half of April, when the snow has already melted and the ground has completely warmed up.
In central Russia
Here spring comes at the end of March, when the snow has completely melted and warm weather has set in. But frosts are also possible in early April, so it is better to postpone work with seedlings until the middle or end of the second spring month.
For the central zone of the Russian Federation, you need to choose pear varieties that are not afraid of the harmful effects of the environment. The ideal place for seedlings is a small hill, completely protected from northern winds. Such an area warms the snow in winter; in spring it warms up quickly.
To plant a seedling, you need to make a mound of fertile soil 50-70 cm high and 1 m wide. In the center of such a structure you need to place a stake and tie the plant to it. Sprinkle with soil up to the root collar and water.
In the Urals and Siberia
Before planting seedlings in these regions in the spring, you will need to take care of their protection from the wind
This is important because the climate here is shaped by Atlantic air currents and Arctic winds, which harm the wood. Spraying with Epin solution will help protect young plantings: 1 ampoule is needed for 10 liters of water
Summer residents here plant seedlings on a raft. The essence of this method is that old logs are laid at the bottom of the pit, which, after rotting, are sprinkled with fertile soil - as a result, a hill is formed. This place needs to be well watered so that the earth settles and fills the voids between the logs.
After this, you need to add soil again and start planting. The raft protects from the cold, because most of the root system will be warm.
In the southern regions
In order for the fruits to be juicy and tasty, it is necessary to give preference to southern honeycombs. For abundant fruiting and long life of the plant, seedlings must be planted according to the instructions.
In the southern regions it is early spring - already in early March the air temperature is about 10℃. There is little snow, so the soil lacks moisture. Therefore, you also need to choose those varieties that are not afraid of drought and heat.
After planting, plants should be protected from possible return frosts, as well as scorching sun. For this purpose, shelters are made from agrofibre. In addition, frequent watering is important.
Planting a pear in the spring is not difficult, the main thing is to follow certain rules. When they are carried out, the crop quickly adapts to the new place and will delight you with good fruiting in the future.
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