The cherry trees are propagated in an asexual manner true to the variety. There are two different finishing methods for cherry trees: budding and grafting. When budding, only the so-called eye of the noble variety is placed on the rootstock.
In contrast to grafting, grafting is used in summer when the bark of the rootstock separates from the wood. In the period from July to August, the buds of the noble variety, known as eyes, are sufficiently developed that they can be cut out and then connected to the rootstock. This "operation" requires suitable tools and material. are needed
- a sharp grafting knife with bark remover,
- bast to bandage the wound,
- Tree wax (€12.96) to seal the grafting point.
The procedure
First, the base (root part of the cherry tree) is freed from wild shoots and dirt. Then a 3-4 cm long T-cut is made in the base. A well-developed eye is now cut out of the noble variety (a cherry tree suitable for propagation), leaving a not too thick bark shield.
The noble eye obtained in this way is pushed behind the bark of the T-cut to the middle. Finally, the protruding bark of the eye is separated with a knife along the cross section. If possible, the exposed wood and bark parts should not be touched, otherwise the success of the refinement is in question.
After inserting the eye, the occlusion is immediately connected with the bast from bottom to top in such a way that it lies on top of the other like roof tiles, the eye presses firmly against the base and the wound is sealed airtight and watertight, with the eye itself remaining free. As soon as the bast cuts into the underlay, it can be loosened with a longitudinal cut through the bandage on the side opposite the eye. Once the graft has grown, the shoot above the grown eye is cut away in winter.
tips and tricks
When budding, it is helpful to leave a 1.5-2 cm long leaf stalk on the eye. On the one hand, the eye can be better handled with the petiole, on the other hand, you can tell for sure whether the grafting was successful. If after 2-3 weeks the dry petiole falls off when touched, the eye has grown.