Grafting by copulation is one of the most common methods of improving varieties and productivity of shrubs and trees. The method is simple and does not require any expensive tools; every gardener will find everything he needs in his home or on his property. Its features and secrets will be discussed in the article.
What is copulation?
Copulation- this is the connection of the cutting and the scion at the place of their identical, oblique cuts. The result of the work should look like a tied whole branch. The advantages of the method include its simplicity. Even an inexperienced gardener can graft by copulation and turn any wild species into a varietal tree or shrub that will regularly produce a large harvest. At the same time, an important advantage is the high survival rate of vaccinations, in contrast to other methods.
There are two types of copulation – simple and improved. Their specifics and features will be described below.
What is needed for copulation?
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Copying is very effective method, but its implementation requires certain conditions and tools. Not in every case it is possible to carry out copulation. To implement this, it is necessary to find a cutting and a rootstock with the same diameter. In addition you will need:
- damp cloth;
- a sharp knife, because if the knife is dull, an even cut will not come out and the scion will not take root;
- electrical tape or any other similar material is sometimes used simple rope or food grade plastic film.
- garden pitch or plasticine;
- plastic bag.
How is regular copulation performed?
A simple grafting by copulation involves connecting the cuttings and the rootstock at the place where they are cut. The method is carried out in early spring– when you can already work outside, but the buds have not yet blossomed. In order for the grafting to be successful, it is necessary to take care and ensure that the scion has already begun to “wake up” after winter, and the cutting is still in the dormant stage.
First of all, prepare a young cutting (diameter no more than 1.6 cm). It makes an even, oblique cut without notches 1-1.5 cm below the bud at an angle of 15-25°. There should be from 3 to 5 eyes on it - this is very important, because the more there are, the more difficult it will be for the cutting to take root. A blunt cut is made above the top bud of the scion at an angle of 45°. Another oblique cut of 15-25° is made on the rootstock. The length of this cut should exceed the diameter of the rootstock branch by 3-4 times.
Now comes the most crucial moment. The scion and rootstock must be connected so that a smooth, solid branch is obtained. Ideally, the cambium of the cutting and the cambium of the rootstock should be united. In this case, fusion will occur much faster. After all, the cambium plays a key role in grafting. This layer heals the “wounds” of the plant or fuses the cut site with another cut, as in this case.
Having pressed the scion tightly to the rootstock, it is necessary to tightly, overlap them with electrical tape, a strip of plastic film, rope or other similar material. During rewinding, it is necessary to ensure that the junction of the branches does not move. Some gardeners also recommend leaving the buds open during rewinding, rather than covering them with tape. But in fact this is not necessary.
After bandaging, the top of the cutting, which has been cut, is sealed garden varnish. The top of the cutting can be covered with a plastic bag to reduce evaporation. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the garden varnish does not slide off the branch under the influence of moisture, otherwise this will lead to drying out of the upper buds.
If everything is done correctly, after 2 weeks you can see how the buds on the cuttings have begun to grow.
What is the feature of improved copulation?
Simple copulation is very effective and easy to carry out, but it has one significant drawback - during ligation, the junction of the cambium often moves. It is very difficult to keep the cutting and rootstock in one position. This requires either two people (one holds, the other knits), or very long training. That is why the improved copulation method was invented.
Carrying out improved copulation is practically no different, with the exception of one point. Oblique cuts on the cuttings and rootstock are made in a zigzag or, as they say, “with tongues.” Thanks to the presence of a “tongue,” the branches are held together more reliably and grow together faster. Hence the name - improved copulation.
- Experienced gardeners recommend not only preparing cuttings for copulation in the fall, but leaving them in the snow for the whole winter. Thanks to this harvesting method, the cutting will remain dormant until copulation.
- The cutting and rootstock should be cut in one sharp movement. To “get into the swing of things,” it is recommended to practice a little before grafting on simple twigs that can be found on the street. This will allow you to understand the principle and improve your skills.
- During grafting by copulation, it is important not to touch the cutting area of the tree, shrub or cutting with your hands or any objects. This can lead to infection of the plant and negatively affect it.
- Stone fruits are grafted first, followed by seed ones. So, cherries and cherries need to be copulated before the beginning of April, and apple and pear trees - from April to mid-June.
- Before making cuttings for grafting, the scion and rootstock are wiped with a damp cloth to clear the area of dirt that could infect the plant.
- Improved copulation gives a more effective and faster result, but it should be carried out only if it is already possible to make a cut with a simple copulation without any problems. This method is convenient in terms of dressing, and healing is fast. But, it is necessary to make the “reeds” correctly, otherwise there will be little use.
If the eyes grafted in the fall (see the article “budding fruit trees") in the winter they will die from the cold; in the spring, the same trees are grafted with cuttings - copulation, so that new cultivated annuals will develop from them.
Copulation methods
- simple copulation
- improved copulation
- saddle by the bark
- in the side section
- for bark with a thorn
- into the cleft
This is the most common type of grafting of fruit trees - with a saddle on the bark. This method is used to graft after the start of sap flow, when the bark of the trees on which cuttings are grafted is easily separated. Other methods can be used to vaccinate both before and after sap flow. Big practical significance It also has grafting in a side incision.
Harvesting cuttings
For spring grafting of fruit trees, cuttings of selected cultivated varieties are prepared in the fall, after leaf fall, or in the spring, before buds open. The best time The harvesting of cuttings is considered to be autumn. Cuttings from selected mother trees are cut according to the same rules as for budding, tied into bundles and stored in a basement, cellar or in the snow. open place. In the basement or cellar, the cuttings are laid in an inclined position, covered with damp sand, and left until spring at a temperature of 2 - 3 degrees Celsius. For snoring in the open when snow falls, bunches of cuttings are laid in layers in a stack up to 0.75 m high, sprinkled with layers of snow 5-10 cm thick. The entire stack is covered with 50 cm of snow and additionally covered with straw. The cuttings are kept in the snow until the time of grafting.
To send cuttings over long distances, they are placed in boxes with holes in the sides for air flow. The cuttings are laid in rows and sprinkled with wet sawdust mixed with crushed coal. If the cuttings dry out somewhat along the way, it is recommended to renew the lower cuts and immerse them in water for two to three days.
Before grafting, long cuttings are cut into smaller pieces (grafting cuttings). Each cutting, about 10 centimeters long, has several buds. Two buds are left on the grafted cutting above the cut.
Simple and improved copulation
Copulation is used when the thickness of the rootstock and scion (scion) is the same. On the rootstock, an oblique cut 4-5 cm long is made from the root collar upward. The same cut is made on the cutting below its second bud. The rootstock and scion are connected by sections so that the tissues (bark, cambium, sapwood) coincide. Then apply a bandage in spiral moves without a gap along the entire length of the cut.
With improved copulation, small notches are made on oblique cuts of the cuttings in their upper third, which overlap each other when the cuts are aligned. This connection achieves a better fit and an exact match of the tissues of the rootstock and scion.
They do it like this. The rootstock is cut at a height of four to five centimeters from the soil surface and the bark is cut longitudinally on the remaining stump 2 - 2.5 cm in length. At the cutting below the second bud, a horizontal notch is made - a shoulder (to the depth of one-fourth of the thickness of the cutting) and an oblique wedge-shaped cut from it downwards. The cutting is inserted with a wedge under the cut of the bark with an oblique cut inward and lowered behind the bark until its shoulder rests against the upper cut of the rootstock. Then apply a bandage without gaps, making spiral moves from top to bottom. The wounds and the bandage on the side of the wound are covered with a garden varnish consisting of rosin, beeswax and lard. The rootstock with this grafting has a larger diameter than the scion.
Grafting into the cleft is performed both before and after the start of sap flow. The diameter of the rootstock should be significantly larger than the scion.
The rootstock is cut at a height of four to five centimeters from the soil surface, then the end is split with a large garden knife along the radius or diameter to form a gap. At the same time, the scion cutting is prepared. On it, below the second bud, on the opposite side, two hangers are made, each a quarter in diameter, and from the hangers down, 2 cuts are made, forming a wedge. Inner side the wedge is narrower than the outer one.
The prepared cutting is inserted with a wedge into the gap on the rootstock so that the tissues (cambium, bark) on the rootstock and scion coincide. Then a continuous spiral bandage is applied. The wound and the bandage on its side are covered with garden varnish.
With lateral grafting, the tree is cut at a height of 12–15 cm. Then, at the root collar, an oblique cut is made in the bark and wood towards the bottom of the rootstock, deepening it by one third of its thickness. On the cutting below the second bud, two oblique cuts are made from opposite sides, converging at the bottom like a wedge. The prepared cutting is inserted into the cut on the rootstock so that along its entire length (3.5 - 5 cm) the cambial layer coincides with the cambial layer of the rootstock. Then a spiral bandage is applied.
With the beginning of sap flow, the rootstocks are cut to a spike at a height of 12–15 cm and a T-shaped cut in the bark is made below, near the root collar, as during budding. On the cutting below the second bud, an oblique cut 3.5 - 4 cm long is made. Then this cutting, cut inward, is inserted behind the bark of the tree into a T-shaped cut. The bandage is applied from top to bottom without gaps.
With all these grafting methods, the cuttings must be at rest. For better fusion of the rootstock and scion, it is recommended to use a garden varnish.
To prepare garden varnish, take four parts of rosin, two parts of beeswax and one part of lamb fat. The mixture is melted over low heat, stirring thoroughly. The prepared broth is stored in jars or in oiled paper. Garden varnish is applied to sections of the scion and rootstock and covered with a bandage on the side of the wound. Garden varnish is valuable because it, being harmless to the plant, isolates wounds from moisture, dust and pathogenic microbes.
This method has proven itself well in grafting walnut and stone fruits (peach, cherry). Prerequisite This type of budding involves intensive sap flow of both the rootstock and the scion, causing the free separation of the bark from the wood.
Fig.1.
The grafting is carried out with the germinating eye in early summer (June). Normal growth is achieved in 2-2.5 months. The grafting technique is as follows.
Cuttings are first prepared from the most mature growth of the current year, without using those shoots that have managed to form second-order branches, which often happens in peach. The leaves are removed, leaving only the base of the leaf petioles 0.5-1 cm long. The upper part of the cutting is cut off at a distance of 1-1.5 cm above the bud chosen for grafting. Below the bud, a circular cut of the bark is made (Fig. 1).
The ringed part of the bark, together with the bud, is covered with the fingers and with rotational movements it is moved from its place and removed from the cutting. When preparing the rootstock, tearing off the bark from top to bottom, its upper part is exposed. In this case, the bark is not removed, but is bent with the ends down. The scion tube removed from the cutting is quickly put on the bare rootstock and moved down to the stem until the thickness of the tube and the rootstock match.
Fig.2.
The best survival rate is observed when the base of the grafted eye coincides with the location of the bud and its fibrovascular bundles on the rootstock. To do this, the tube, as it moves down the stem, is oriented along the plane of the removed bud, and the lower edge of the tube is cut into a wedge and inserted under the separated bark of the rootstock. Tying is optional.
There's another kind tube vaccinations. Using the blade of a knife, two ring cuts are made above and below the bud on the cutting by 1-1.5 cm. Similar cuts are made on the rootstock, after which the ringed sections of the bark are removed by cutting the bark on the side opposite the bud. In place of the bark ring removed from the rootstock, a bark ring with a scion bud is inserted, and the graft is tied. This method can be grafted within the usual time frame for budding (Fig. 2).
Improved copulation
Grafting with cuttings is very popular among gardeners - improved copulation. It better meets the growing requirements planting material in conditions of collective gardening. Using this grafting, you can improve wild birds at the age of 3-4 years by grafting cuttings into the crown. This method is most suitable in areas with low winter temperatures, where there is a risk of freezing of the main skeletal branches of cultivated varieties.
Fig.3.
By grafting cuttings into the crown of a resistant wildflower at a height of 80-100 cm, the skeletal branches of the variety are carried out in less danger zone. In addition to increasing the frost resistance of such trees, the yield of varieties that are not resistant to cold in some zones increases.
A necessary condition for grafting is improved copulation - selection of cuttings and rootstocks of equal thickness. Cuttings are harvested from last year's growth in March-April in the southern regions, in the northern regions - in the fall. Store until grafting in the basement in damp sand. For grafting, cuttings with 3-4 buds are used.
On cuttings and rootstocks, oblique cuts 3-4 cm long are made so that the lower bud of the cutting is on the side opposite to the oblique cut (Fig. 3). Having retreated 15 mm from the core, make a longitudinal cut in the wood parallel to its fibers until the beginning of the oblique cut - the so-called tongue.
When connecting sections of the rootstock and scion, the tongues are pushed into one another, providing a strong connection that allows you to control the alignment of the cambial layers of the grafted components. Apply a bandage from bottom to top, as with budding, leaving no gap for the kidney.
Do the apple trees not bear fruit or do the taste and size of the apples leave much to be desired? Such situations occur quite often, and you can correct them yourself by grafting one apple tree with branches from another of the variety that you like best. This way you won’t have to plant new trees and wait several more years for fruits. Also, grafting apple trees will allow you to expand the range of varieties on your site and save money that would have to be spent on purchasing seedlings.
Grafting new branches can be compared to a surgical operation - it requires no less care and precision. Beginning gardeners cannot do without detailed recommendations, otherwise mistakes are unlikely to be avoided.
Typically, grafting of apple trees is carried out in the spring using the copulation method (grafting with cuttings), and the budding method (bud) is used in the summer. In modern fruit growing, copulation is used much more often and serves for different purposes: when growing dwarf apple trees, when repairing damaged trees, in order to replace a low-value variety with a more productive one or to create a multi-varietal apple tree.
To graft an apple tree by copulation you will need:
✔ The cutting itself (scion), which will be grafted onto the apple tree.
✔ Sharp thin garden file.
✔ Maximum sharpened grafting knife.
✔ Polyethylene film for strapping.
✔ Garden var or Oil paint based on drying oil.
The scion should be prepared from the very beginning of winter, after the first frost, when the branches are dormant, but it can also be prepared at the beginning of spring, before the buds swell. Select upward-growing annual branches from healthy, productive apple trees. The length of the branch should be about 30-35cm. Cut the lower edge of the cutting obliquely at an acute angle (the length of the cut is three times the diameter of the branch), and the upper edge - “on the bud”. The branches can be stored in the basement during the winter by placing the lower part of the scion in damp sawdust or sand. Several small cuttings can also be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in a wet cloth.
Methods of grafting apple tree cuttings
Before starting vaccination, wash your hands thoroughly with laundry soap, the tool must also be clean. Directly during the process, try not to touch the scion and rootstock unnecessarily, so as not to stain the cuts.
Simple copulation
This method is suitable when the diameter of the rootstock and scion is the same. Usually, with the help of copulation, 1-2 year old branches are grafted, making identical cuts along the oblique so that they completely coincide. You need to adjust the sections within a minute so that the surface does not have time to oxidize and dry out, then the fusion will be worse. Then tightly wrap the workpieces (preferably with construction tape). Try not to damage the cuttings with careless actions. Treat the scion and rootstock in the upper part with garden varnish to prevent contamination from getting inside the cuttings. The probability of fusion also depends on this.
Improved copulation
Allows you to more firmly fasten the rootstock and scion thanks to an additional longitudinal cut on the cut (“tongue”). An oblique cut on both parts along the axis is cut by one third and the scion is carefully inserted into the rootstock, but not too deep, otherwise the graft will rot or break off. At different diameters branches, try to tightly align the cambium on one side so that there is no gap left.
How to make improved copulation correctly
1. Wipe the rootstock with a clean damp cloth and make an even, oblique cut at an acute angle. Make a cut on the cutting the same length as on the rootstock.
2. Mentally divide the cut of the rootstock into 3 equal parts and, stepping back one third from the top part, make a longitudinal cut with a knife along the axis of the shoot to a depth of approximately 10-12 mm. Do the same on the scion cut.
3. Bring the scion to the rootstock with the tongue behind the tongue so that they hold each other tightly with a tongue lock. If the diameters of the rootstock and cuttings do not coincide slightly, the tongues make it possible to move the scion so that at least one side of the cambial layer coincides with the rootstock.
4. Just as with simple copulation, you need to tightly wrap the grafting site with polyethylene or a special elastic tape, tightly pressing the sections of the rootstock and scion to each other. Each turn of the tape is also overlapped.
The upper cut of the cutting is covered with garden varnish or plasticine. Place a clean plastic bag over the fixed area, tying it below the graft.
Comparing the methods of simple and improved copulation, you inevitably come to the conclusion that two simple incisions significantly facilitate the procedure. In addition, these flat tongues greatly increase the contact area between the scion and the rootstock. This means there are more chances for success.
Improved copulation
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Copulation- This is a method of joining a scion and a rootstock of the same or almost the same diameter. Copulation is considered the most difficult grafting method not only for apple trees, but also for any other fruit tree. Therefore, for beginners, this grafting method works very poorly and very few scions take root. To perform this type of grafting efficiently, you must first practice well and “get your hand in” so that the sections come out maximum area and as even (smooth) as possible. These two conditions are the guarantee good luck vaccinations. In this case, even for professionals it is important to remember the skills by practicing on the branches of other (non-fruit) trees. Copulation is usually done in the spring, when the sap is actively moving and the cambium is in the active phase of its life.
A simple copulation is, that two shoots of an apple tree are cut obliquely and applied to each other. The procedure (procedure) for copulating apple trees is as follows:
1. We make an oblique cut on the rootstock, so that the cutting plane is maximum. To make a correct oblique cut: you need to take the cutting in left hand, move it 3-5 cm forward, holding it with your index finger and holding it with all other fingers so that it is firmly fixed. Next you need to make a cut from yourself to the end of the cutting, its top. The cut should be made as much as possible sharp knife, because only in this case will it be smooth and even. The cut must be as smooth as possible; this can be checked by applying the knife to the cut and seeing whether it fits tightly or not. If the cut is as smooth as possible and cut under the right angle, then you need to wash it off warm water and put it in a glass of water, to which you must first add a drop of honey or sugar. This is necessary to the cambium layer has not dried or has oxidized in air. It can stay in sweet water for quite a long time, maintaining its properties. If the cut on the cutting is made incorrectly or it has been exposed to air for a long time, there is a high probability that the graft will not take root, since the layer of dead tissue between the rootstock and the scion will not allow the living tissues of the apple tree to grow together. It is important that with reverse side cut, there was a bud right in the middle, it will stimulate the rapid fusion of the scion and rootstock. A properly prepared cutting is only a third of the hard work you need to do when performing lightweight copulation. The other two stages are even more complex and require great skill from the gardener.
2. On the scion you need to make an oblique cut at the same angle as on the rootstock. so that the cuts are as even as possible without gaps. This operation must be done as correctly as possible (slowly) so as not to damage the scion. Preferably make an oblique cut 5-10 cm from the ground, the lower, the better the graft will take root. If the graft is placed high up, it may not take root, and even if it does take root, it can easily break at the slightest movement of the wind.
Copulation is complex and not very reliable, so professional gardeners use improved copulation. This method, although difficult to implement, is much more reliable and scion survival rate is 25% better. The sequence of the improved copulation operation consists of the following steps:
1. The first stage is similar to the first stage of improved copulation, with only one difference. The difference is that you need make another cut. In order to make such a cut, you need to conditionally divide the cut into three equal parts. Between the middle part and the top (the one located at the end of the cut), you need to make an incision from the cut towards the base of the cutting along the growth of the tissue. This cut must be made in the direction of tissue growth and must be at least 0.5 cm deep and no more than 1 cm deep.. After the cut is made, you need to place the cutting in a container, preferably with sweet water, so that the cut is completely immersed in water.
2. During the second stage, which is similar to the second stage of simple copulation, the same cut is made as on the cutting. It is performed using the same method, but it must be done as quickly as possible so that the oblique cut does not oxidize in the air. When oblique cuts and cuts inward are made, you need to make a scion and rootstock with a “valet” cut to cut and connect them into a lock. This connection must be strong and most importantly there should be no free space between the scion and the rootstock.
3. If the lock is dense and durable, wrap it with a special polyethylene tape, starting from the bottom, so that a quarter of the tape overlaps the previous turn.. Then you need to secure this tape so that it fits tightly and motionlessly to the bark of the wood chips. On top layer the tapes need to be anointed with garden varnish or paraffin to prevent water from flowing in, air from entering, and bacteria or light from entering. If the grafting site is not large, it can be placed on top of the tape. apply paraffin, which will additionally isolate the vaccination site.
In order for the grafting of the apple tree to be reliable and not break due to strong winds, it is advisable to hammer three fixing sticks nearby, in which the cuttings could be tied in three places. Worn for vaccination paper bag with holes, put another plastic one on top of it, preferably dark and with holes. Such a shelter must be checked after some time to remove drops of condensed moisture. Also, it is advisable to regularly, at least once a week, inspect vaccinations for 63 days, although exact date No. Since this depends on the quality of the grafting, on climatic conditions and the biological proximity of the scion and rootstock. When the buds swell, you need to remove such cover, since there is no longer any need to protect the cuttings on the wood chips from excessive evaporation of moisture. Since the shoot will rapidly grow in thickness, it is necessary to periodically change the insulating tape so that the old one does not bite into the wood, since such a graft will be very fragile and can quickly break. The thickening that occurs at the grafting site consists of very soft and loose tissue, so it must be protected for a year to prevent the chips from breaking. The protective bandage and supports can only be removed when bark grows over the thickening and it becomes hard. If you want to replant the wood chips, you need to plant it so that the graft is underground at a depth of 8-10 cm. This is done so that the wood chips have additional protection from the wind and if the shoot dies, the cultural part of the shoot could germinate again.
If you want to learn graft apple trees using improved copulation method, you need to study the grafting technique and get good at it so that all operations turn out almost perfectly and are done quickly. Only then will you be able to have almost one hundred percent successful results in your activities.
