Apple varieties and other fruit trees are referred to as "grafting" when a scion of a yield variety is grafted onto a so-called rootstock. You can also try this as a hobby gardener with a guide.

Preparations for finishing

You can purchase special growth supports such as the M9 in specialist shops, not only to give the apple tree a stable substructure, but also to provide it with a good supply of nutrients and water. As a beginner, you can also use cheaper seedlings for grafting, which you ideally grew from cores three or four years ago. For finishing you need:

  • a suitable base
  • At least one scion of the desired yield per tree
  • a pair of clean pruning shears
  • Wax, raffia or plastic tape for fixing copulation

The right time

The scions must be harvested during the hibernation between December and March. Ideally, with the winter pruning of a high-performance apple variety, there are enough usable scion for grafting. These can be cut off straight, as they should be cut at an angle for copulation with the growth base anyway. Shortly before budding in March, the crown of the tree used as a base is then cut off at an angle. The scion, which is also cut at an angle, is placed and fixed accordingly. A connection can develop between the two when the sap is injected in the spring, although there is no 100% chance of success.

Grafting with a bud

As an alternative to the scions, buds, which are also referred to as eyes in the gardener's language, can also be used for grafting. However, you should not be afraid to offer practical advice to an experienced garden neighbor or someone from the regional gardening association. So-called grafting requires a little more finesse than grafting with a scion. The bark on the bud and the rootstock is cut in the shape of a tongue and stuck together.

Determine the growth form of an apple tree with the grafting height

Even with purchased apple trees, the level of grafting is usually clearly visible. A thickening on the trunk usually indicates whether it is a half trunk or a high trunk. If the thickening can be found near the ground or is not visible and the tree branching starts very low, the specimen is called a bush. Even if you try to graft an apple tree with a desired variety yourself with a guide, you can regulate the growth height by setting the grafting height on the rootstock.

tips and tricks

You can use a trick to ensure that wild-grown seedlings and purchased apple trees become self-pollinating specimens: You can graft one or more pollinator varieties on vital apple trees at the same time and thus harvest several apple varieties from one tree.

Category:

Trees