Grafting red currant onto cherry. Rules for grafting currants. How to propagate standard currants
And (red and black) are low shrubs. The average height of these berry bushes is 1-1.2 m, rarely reaching 1.5 m. Therefore, you have to bend low when harvesting gooseberry and currant bushes.
In addition, berries on the lower branches often become dirty due to dirty splashes that fall on them during heavy rain or watering.
Removing around such low bushes also causes great inconvenience. And with gooseberries, weeding is aggravated by the fact that its branches are prickly.
IN recent years Growing currants and gooseberries in the form of a standard tree has become very popular.
Advantages of golden currant
Gooseberries, red and black currants are too low-growing crops to produce a sufficiently tall and beautiful tree through formative pruning. Therefore, to create a vigorous and thick trunk, a different type of currant is used. This is a golden currant; or, as it is also called, crandal.
Golden currant is a relatively large shrub, reaching a height of 3-4 m. It is significantly superior in growth power to bushes of black and red currants and gooseberries.
Root system The golden currant is powerful and reaches a depth of 2 meters.
Golden currant has great advantages:
- high drought and heat resistance;
- resistance to almost all diseases, which often affect gooseberries, as well as black and red currants.
Creation of a standard rootstock from golden currant
To create a currant or gooseberry tree, first of all, you need to grow a powerful standard rootstock. For this purpose, they are planted in the spring (it is better to immediately permanent place) rooted cuttings or layering of golden currant.
During the summer, the growing cuttings of golden currant are intensively cared for, forming the plants into one trunk. Fertilize regularly and remove emerging root shoots, as well as excess shoots in the lower part of the trunk.
As a result of careful care, by autumn the height of the young plant usually reaches 1.5 meters. If it is not possible to achieve such a height, then golden currants are grown for another year.
Cutting and storing currant and gooseberry cuttings
Cuttings of gooseberries, black and red currants for grafting onto golden currant trunks are prepared at the beginning of winter.
To cut high-quality cuttings, take well-developed annual shoots of currants and gooseberries. It is desirable that the loose core takes up as little space as possible in them.
Harvested cuttings of currants and gooseberries are stored until spring, buried in the snow. And with the onset of warm days, the cuttings are taken out of the melting snow, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed for further storage in a home refrigerator (preferably under the freezer).
Important: until the moment of grafting, the buds of the cuttings must be in a dormant state.
Spring grafting of currant and gooseberry cuttings onto a crandal trunk
TO spring grafting Successfully preserved cuttings of gooseberries, black and red currants begin when the buds begin to bloom on the prepared golden currant trunk.
Grafting of overwintered currant and gooseberry cuttings onto a golden currant trunk is usually carried out at a height of 1.0-1.2 m.
If desired, if a taller and thicker golden currant trunk is available, the grafting height can be increased to 2 meters.
Using the method of improved copulation (or by bark), a gooseberry or black/red currant stalk with 2-3 buds is grafted onto a golden currant trunk.
The grafting site is tightly wrapped with plastic tape.
To protect the cutting from drying out, it is advisable to put a combined cap on top, consisting of two equal-sized squares of paper rolled up into a tube and superimposed on each other. polyethylene film(the size of a handkerchief; top layer- made of paper, the bottom one - made of film). The lower part of the tube is tied to the rootstock below the grafting site, and upper part clamped with twine. Periodically, they untie the twine at the top and look inside the tube: has the stalk begun to grow?
As soon as the buds on the cuttings bloom, remove the cap.
You can also graft with a sprouting eye (preferably in the butt). In this case, protective caps are not needed.
Winter grafting of currant and gooseberry cuttings onto a crandal trunk
Winter grafting of currant and gooseberry cuttings onto a golden currant trunk gives good results.
To do this, in the fall, powerful golden currant bushes, formed into one trunk, are planted in large pots or buckets and placed in the basement for the winter.
At the end of February, pots with overwintered golden currant trunks are brought into a greenhouse or a warm veranda. After a few days, you can graft them with saved gooseberry and currant cuttings.
The grafted plants are well looked after and periodically sprayed with water from a spray bottle.
As a rule, indoors in the absence of drying winds, the survival rate of grafts is much better than in the garden.
Pots with grafted golden currants are buried in the garden for the summer. Regularly water and feed developing plants.
In the fall, the grafted seedlings are planted in a permanent place along with a clod of soil.
Caring for grafted standard plants involves regularly removing the golden currant shoots that appear from the root and along the standard.
To prevent shoots from forming on the golden currant trunk, you can cover it with a narrow cover made of a special film (black with a white underside).
In the photo: standard currants and gooseberries
Standard currants and gooseberries in garden design
Standard currants and gooseberries look very impressive in the garden, especially against the background of a lawn or the wall of a house.
These curly trees look incomparable at the time of abundant flowering.
They are no less beautiful during fruiting, when their crown is strewn with clusters of black or bright berries.
It is very convenient to pick berries from such miniature trees, since you no longer need to bend low.
You can form a whole alley of such amazing berry trees. For example, place such an alley along garden path, leading from the entrance gate to the house. Create such original standard berry plants, which are capable of not only giving a lot of joy throughout the garden season, but also giving bountiful harvests, - to the surprise of friends and neighbors!
Alexander Sychev, candidate of agricultural sciences
http://sadincenter.ru
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Grafting is the transfer of one part of a plant to another plant for further growth. The peculiarity of the combination is the ability to obtain a hybrid that would optimally combine resistance to weather conditions, excellent taste qualities, high productivity. As a result of grafting, the new organism has a powerful root system of one plant and good varietal qualities of the second.
Advantages of this procedure.
- Reducing waiting times. After landing young plant begins to bear fruit only after 5-6 years, and a grafted specimen - after 2-3 years.
- Thanks to grafting, you can propagate your favorite or scarce variety without buying a seedling.
- Makes it possible to quickly replace an unsuitable type with a new one with improved characteristics.
- Save the variety if the plant is in danger of dying.
- Several varieties can grow on one tree, which will significantly save garden space.
- Allows you to grow currants standard form.
- Grafting helps to obtain a variety adapted to certain local conditions.
Dates
Graft trees better in spring, during active sap flow, without waiting for buds to open. It is difficult to determine a more precise date, middle lane Russia, for example, optimal moment falls at the end of March. If everything is done on time, even beginners will not have any difficulties.
If the moment is missed, you can try to get vaccinated in the summer.
However, you should not delay the summer grafting, because after the end of sap flow, the wood becomes fibrous, and the layers do not adhere tightly to each other. And in this process The main thing is that the scion grows well with the rootstock.
The appropriate time for vaccinations can be determined by the condition of the bark. If it comes off easily on a cut branch, it’s time to start; otherwise, you should wait a little.
Tools
Equipment for garden grafting can be compared in importance to a set of instruments for surgical operations. The standard kit includes:
What to graft on and how to choose a scion
For grafting, currants are chosen as individual varieties currants and other fruit plants.
Golden currant
This scion has been tested by numerous experiments of gardeners, in particular tested by Michurin. Also suitable as a rootstock for different varieties currants, since it increases yields and gives crops resistance to adverse weather conditions. Compatibility with excellent.
Cherry
The crossing was tested by foreign gardeners, and the result met expectations. The rootstock was cherry, and the scion was currant. The fruits on the tree were large size, but their taste was somewhat strange.
It is believed that cherries and currants are not the best combination.
Experiments were carried out on our territory, but with numerous rejections. Compatibility is average.
Rowan
If there is no suitable rootstock, then grafting is justified. However, grafted cuttings do not hold up well, and the overall survival rate is small. Compatibility is average.
Gooseberry
These two plants are of the same subspecies, therefore they are physiologically suitable. As a rule, gooseberry grafting is performed on currants, and not vice versa. Compatibility is good. Read about the hybrid of currants and gooseberries.
Preparation of cuttings
The scion will be responsible for growing the upper part of the bush or tree, as well as for the varietal characteristics. The quality and quantity of fruits depends on the cuttings, so you should choose only proven varieties. The scion is a piece of shoot 10-15 cm long with 2-3 buds.
Blank
- Select a healthy bud from a cutting. Cut it off along with a part of the bark with a diameter of 2 cm.
- A T-shaped cut is made on the previously selected rootstock.
- The valves open and the kidney is inserted into the hole. It should be visible from the outside.
- Above special material wrap the vaccination site.
Many gardeners with the aim of creating optimal conditions build a greenhouse around the graft.
Into the cleft
This method is the oldest and therefore imperfect. It is usually carried out in spring period. Used to restore old trees or broken thick branches. The disadvantage of this method is that when the tissue is split, it is severely damaged, the wounds heal slowly, and rotting processes can develop.
The grafting technology involves making a split on the cut of the rootstock, into which the cuttings are inserted. On the scion, an oblique cut is first made on both sides. The bark on the stump and on the cutting should match. The end of the cutting and the sides of the rootstock are lubricated with garden varnish. If the cutting is held tightly, then tying is not needed.
For the bark
The simplest method used for mature trees. Performed a month after bud break. The closer to this point the vaccination is made, the better the result.
Cloudy weather promotes optimal growth.
In the side cut
The method is most often used when vaccinations made using budding have not taken root. As a rule, it is performed during spring sap flow.
- The bottom side of the handle is shaped like a double-sided blade.
- The rootstock is shortened to a size of 15-20 cm.
- Using a copulating knife, a longitudinal cut is made, which should have one side 1.5-2 times shorter than the other.
- The end of the scion is adjusted to fit the scion.
- The cutting is inserted so that its bark and the bark of the rootstock coincide.
- The graft is tightly connected and coated with garden varnish.
Ablactation
Or grafting by proximity. In character it can be compared to self-grafting, the natural fusion of parts of a plant. The favorable period for the procedure is the beginning of March or August. The method involves merging branches without separating them from the mother plant. Used to restore missing branches and connect difficult-to-grow plants.
- The bark is removed from the branch or trunk selected for the rootstock. The exposed part is 4-5cm.
- It’s worth doing the same with the scion.
- For rapid fusion it is important that opposite side from the exposed area there was a kidney.
- The plants are combined with cuts and wrapped with elastic material.
It is necessary to ensure that the cut bark fits tightly to each other.
Step-by-step instructions for vaccination
Typically, cherries are grafted with a cutting or an eye. Both methods can be performed through a side cut, behind the bark, or into the butt. However, for gardeners who do not have much experience in grafting processes, it will be easier to use the split method. In this way, serious mistakes can be avoided. Read about planting currant seedlings in spring.
Caring for grafted currants
After grafting, the shrub certainly needs proper and timely care to prevent drying out of the soil surface and the appearance of a dry crust.
The plant should be fed no earlier than 14 days after grafting. Nitrogen preparations are used for this. Then apply complex mineral fertilizers and and.
In order for the grafted cutting to receive the maximum amount of nutrients, it is recommended to perform lateral growth and excess growth.
If special tying material was not used, the grafting site should be periodically inspected for rotting or fractures.
Newbie mistakes
- Wrong choice of timing for the procedure.
If the grafting procedure is performed ahead of time, the rootstock will not be able to fully nourish the cutting, as a result the graft will quickly dry out in the absence of nutrition. It is also inadvisable to do it later than the right moment, since delaying the deadline will lead to rejection of the grafted material.
- Incorrect vaccination technology.
The grafting itself is performed quickly and accurately, using sharp instruments. All open spaces, the cuts must be sealed with garden putty to prevent infection.
- Illiterate selection of rootstock.
If it is necessary to vaccinate, it is important to clarify the compatibility of plants. You should not perform the procedure thoughtlessly, getting carried away by the process.
Video
Video about red currant grafting.
Conclusions
- Vaccinations are performed on plants that are more than 2-3 years old.
- For the crossing procedure, choose exclusively healthy scion and rootstock.
- It is first necessary to study the compatibility of cultures to eliminate errors.
- Vaccinations should be carried out during active sap flow.
He will tell you about grafting an apple tree in the spring for beginners.
Most plants, including currants, can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively. However, propagation by seeds is a very lengthy process and is used only for selection in various research institutes. Under normal conditions summer cottages methods are relevant vegetative propagation: grafting, cuttings and layering, propagation by dividing the bush is also possible, but this method is considered relatively labor-intensive and is used extremely rarely. Let's consider the features of the main methods of propagation of currants.
Reproduction by layering
The easiest and simplest way, in the author’s opinion, is to propagate currants by layering. Almost any type of currant can be propagated using this method. There are two varieties of this method of propagating currant bushes: vertical and horizontal layering.
Vertical
Rooting by vertical layering is more suitable for red currants. Reproduction of currants is carried out as follows. When the currant shoot reaches a height of 10-15 cm, it must be hilled to a height of 5 cm; after 14 days, re-earth to a height of 8-10 cm. By autumn, the propagated currant layerings usually have time to take root. Now they can be cut off from the mother bush.
In the future, the most developed currant branches are ready for planting as seedlings. Less developed layerings have to be grown in a shkolka - a bed set aside for a nursery; it is usually covered with film along arcs.
Horizontal
The more common method of propagating currants is horizontal layering. It involves bending over and sprinkling last year's currant stems with soil. The rooting of black currants is also facilitated by pinning branches to the ground with wire hooks in summer. By mid-September, the propagated stems usually have time to grow full-fledged roots. Now the new propagated plants can be separated from the mother currant branches and planted.
From each currant bush, 3-4 cuttings can be propagated per season, which is enough to replace aging bushes with young ones on ordinary ones. summer cottages. In golden and white currants, it is recommended to root cuttings in the spring.
Propagation of currants by grafting
Benefits of vaccination
Grafting also refers to methods of vegetative propagation. This method, on the one hand, requires certain skills and abilities, and on the other, has its advantages:
- Allows you to quickly obtain a large number of seedlings of rare varieties;
- Possibility of renewing an old or damaged bush: after severe pruning, it can be re-grafted with a cutting from a promising bush;
- Improving the taste and size of berries. Black currant, used as a rootstock for red currant, helps to enlarge and improve the taste of the red currant berries grafted onto it. This is explained by the greater development of the root system of black currants compared to red currants. The author suggests that the deeply penetrating roots of black currant make it possible to obtain additional nutrition and moisture from the deep layers of the soil.
- The possibility of growing currants in standard form, that is, obtaining a currant tree, popular among landscape designers and exotic lovers from ordinary summer residents. In this case, golden currant is used as a rootstock.
Dates
It is recommended to graft with ordinary lignified cuttings early spring– after the start of sap flow, but before the buds open. In some regions of central Russia it is proposed to vaccinate in the third ten days of March.
In comparatively northern regions, for example, in the northeast of Russia and perhaps on average in the non-chernozem zone, the dates are later - in the author’s opinion, in the second and early 3rd ten days of April, taking into account high level snow cover in March. This can be determined more accurately experimentally. The beginning of sap flow can be determined by swollen buds and slight separation of the bark.
Preparing for vaccination
Suitable methods
Currants can be grafted using such methods as budding, by the bark, in the butt, or in a side cut. All of them are used for vaccination fruit trees, but we can remind you:
- budding involves inserting a shield with a kidney into a T-shaped incision;
- bark grafting involves separating the bark and inserting a cut of a cutting between the bark and the wood;
- butt grafting means connecting the cutting to a cut in the rootstock;
- Side-cut grafting involves making a cut in the rootstock and inserting a cut from the scion cutting into it.
Main mistakes when grafting
- Wrong choice of term. Often cuttings do not take root with premature and, conversely, late grafting.
- Unsuccessful rootstock-scion combination; before grafting, it is necessary to clarify the compatibility of the grafting components.
- Inconsistency with the execution method. Obstacles to grafting can be the dullness of the grafting knife, insufficient speed and accuracy when making cuts and combining the scion with the rootstock.
Dividing bushes
The method of propagation by dividing a bush is that bushes dug up in early spring or autumn can be divided according to the number of shoots with roots. The oldest part of the bush is thrown away. This method of propagation is considered imperfect and is usually used when replanting bushes or eliminating a planting.
Cuttings
The method of propagating currants by cuttings allows you to obtain a very significant number of seedlings. Therefore, it is used in commercial nurseries for growing planting material on an industrial scale. There are modifications to this type of propagation method: green cuttings and rooting of lignified cuttings.
Green cuttings
Propagation by green cuttings is relatively good only in large nurseries. There they can be grown under conditions of artificial fog, without which the rooting rate of cuttings is very low. Therefore, in small gardens and nurseries, only rooting of lignified cuttings is justified.
Spring
Another method of cuttings is spring cuttings in water. It consists in the fact that it is proposed to place currant cuttings in glasses of water for 7-10 days, while periodically changing the water. In May, how will it be return frosts, rooted currant cuttings can be planted in the ground, having previously been soaked in a solution of heteroauxin or root or other means that stimulate root growth.
When to take cuttings
It is recommended to harvest blackcurrant cuttings for propagation from the end of September to the warm period of October. But in red currants, propagation by cuttings is recommended to be carried out from the 3rd decade of August to mid-September.
Before preparing cuttings for propagation, it is recommended to mark well-growing and fruit-bearing bushes during the summer; preferably at the age of 3-5 years of the variety you like, free from pests and diseases. Immediately before cutting, the pruning shears should be sharpened and disinfected. Sharpening is important to ensure that the cuts are even and smooth, and disinfection is important to prevent infection in the wound.
For cutting, it is recommended to select shoots that have reached a thickness of 1-1.5 cm at the base. It is recommended to cut them close to the ground. The recommended diameter of the cuttings is 5-7 mm, and the length is from 15 to 20 cm. Therefore, the middle part of the shoot is more suitable for cuttings. The upper cut should be oblique, approximately at an angle of 60 degrees, 5 mm above the bud. It is proposed to make the lower cut at a right angle 6-10 mm below the bud.
Rooting
Method No. 1
You can root cuttings in different ways. With the first method, they must be placed in a solution of heteroauxin, root or other stimulating drug or fertilizer so that the lower parts of the cuttings are in the solution to a height of 3 to 5 cm. First, with the first method, the cuttings must be kept in the solution for 16-21 hours. It is important that the ambient temperature is 18-20 degrees. After soaking, the cuttings can be planted as in open ground, and in various containers(pots, boxes).
Method No. 2
The second case is designed for rooting in indoor or similar conditions. The second method of cutting involves storing cuttings cut in the fall until spring in the snow. In areas where the snow melts relatively early, after the snow has completely melted, the bunches can be wrapped in burlap and kept in the refrigerator until the weather is warm enough for rooting. After the air has warmed up to a temperature of +12, or better yet +18 degrees, the cuttings can be planted in the ground, in the so-called schoolhouse.
The nuances of planting in the ground
On a plot of land allocated for rooting, often called shkolka, it is first recommended to apply compost or humus at the rate of 10-12 kg/sq.m with digging or loosening to a depth of 25-30 cm. After which all lumps should be crushed and the surface of the earth should be leveled. For autumn planting It is recommended to choose a shaded place over which it is proposed to arrange a film shelter for the first 5-7 days.
If there is a sufficiently large number of currant cuttings, it is recommended to plant them in trenches dug at a distance of 40-50 cm. One of the walls of the trench should be made with a slope of 40-45 degrees so that the cuttings can be placed at this angle. After laying above the ground near the cuttings regular varieties currants should have 2 buds left, and for varieties with relatively short internodes it is better to leave 3 buds. Inside the row, currant cuttings are recommended to be placed at a distance of 15-20 cm.
After filling the trench, the soil around the cuttings should be compacted to prevent air pockets. Compaction is carried out with warm water and mulched with humus, peat or straw or other loose and granular organic matter with a layer of 3-5 cm. After 10-14 days, root tubercles appear in the lower parts of the currant cuttings, which allows them to be planted at large distances.
Scientist agronomist Alexander Zharavin
Everything you need to know about cherry grafting
Experienced gardeners know that trees need to be grafted periodically, preferably in the spring. But for those who are not sure about the reasons for vaccinations, let us explain. It is necessary to graft trees in order to create new varieties of trees or update existing ones; with the help of grafting you will get rid of the variety that you planted, but for some reason you didn’t like it, and also, importantly, this procedure is the most quick way propagation of a tree variety in which the quality of the fruit and yield do not suffer.
Cherry grafting using copulation method
There is another secret that the grafting conceals - rapid fruiting. For example, in the case of cherries, they usually begin to bear fruit in the 5th year, but when grafting is carried out, the tree will begin to bear fruit already in the 3rd year, or even in the second. In this article we will tell you:
- about the types of vaccinations and their characteristics;
- about combinations for cherry grafting;
- about the time when cherries can be grafted;
- compatibility of cherry with plum, apricot, apple tree.
How can you vaccinate cherries?
In gardening, there are many possibilities for grafting trees, but for stone fruit trees, and especially for cherries, three methods are recommended:
- cherry grafting using improved copulation method;
- grafting cherries into clefts;
- grafting onto tree bark;
- kidney grafting, budding.
Let us immediately make a reservation that all of the listed types of vaccination are best carried out in the spring. The method of improved copulation is used when the grafted branch (scion) and trunk (rootstock) have the same thickness. This happens when the cherry tree is still young, and the cut branches ready for grafting are also selected in thickness and size. In this method, identical cuts are made on the scion and on the rootstock, then the rootstock and scion are joined, secured with garden varnish (or oil paint), and then tied.
Cherry grafting into cleft.
When carrying out this type of grafting, it is important that the exposed cambium layers on the rootstock and scion are in contact with each other. The cuts on the rootstock and scion should be oblique, about 2.5 cm deep, and towards the ends of the cuts you need to make cuts about 1.5 cm deep. Remember that the knife, hands and all tools that are used in this process must be perfect clean. Otherwise, there is a risk of infection of the tree, and the infected plant will never be able to be grafted, since all its energy will be spent on treating its own diseases.
Let us explain what cambium is. The cambium is a layer in a tree trunk that is responsible for the plant's ability to heal its own wounds. It is thanks to this property that vaccination became possible. Cambium is the third layer of the trunk from the outer edge, which comes after the bark of the tree, and a thin layer that follows the bark and is called phloem in biology. This substance is released best and most in the spring, hence the advice to start vaccination in the spring.
If the rootstock is much thicker than the branch being grafted, the split grafting method is used. You can, if necessary and if there is sufficient space in the trunk of the rootstock, prepare two cuttings for grafting. In this method, the rootstock is split in two and cuttings are inserted into the cut site, which are then tied. In this type of grafting, the rootstock stem must be split to a depth of 2-3 cm.
With the bark grafting method, two scions can also be used. This method is used when the trunk is much thicker than the cuttings and it is possible to place the cuttings under the bark of the trunk. Longitudinal cuts 2-3 cm long are made in the bark and cuttings, previously cut 2 mm above the rootstock itself, are placed under the bark, at the cut points.
Cherry bud grafting
Not only in spring, but also in summer, you can graft cherries with buds. This method is also called budding. About a week before grafting, all shoots (side shoots) must be cut off on the rootstock. Cuttings can be cut directly on the day of budding. When choosing cuttings, pay attention to the buds; they must be formed. On the day of budding, after collecting the cuttings, it is necessary to cut off the buds with a knife so that a small dent remains. Then the rootstock and cuttings at the place of such a cut are connected in a T-shape.
What is the best way to graft cherries?
Experienced gardeners say that you can graft anything and with anything. Indeed, there have been cases of grafting cherries with currants. The result of such an original crossing is a currant tree with large fruits of a strange taste. Therefore, it is still necessary to correctly combine cultures when grafting.
A simple rule of compatibility is to combine better views and varieties in the same breed. Cherry is a stone fruit tree, and that is why it will not go well with currants or apple trees, but things will be better with apricots. Although, this does not exclude experiments in combining seemingly incompatible cultures. But there are also inconsistencies within the same breed. For example, it is generally accepted that cherry plum is suitable for all stone fruit crops, but this rule does not apply to cherries.
The ideal combination for cherries and sweet cherries is a graft to the cherries themselves, and also to bird cherry. But what about grafting cherries onto cherries, you ask, because the question of combining cherries with cherries is also often of interest to many gardeners, and not only because these crops are so similar. Our answer is simple - you can combine! They will turn out delicious. large berries, which are well suited not only for juices and jams, but also as a dessert, in their natural form.
Cherry bark grafting
When is the best time to graft cherry trees?
Cherry grafting time is spring and summer. Spring, because it is at this time that sap flow in the tree occurs best, which means the cambium, which was mentioned at the beginning of the article, will be produced in abundance by the tree.
If for some reason the spring cherry grafting is missed, then the summer grafting also does not threaten that the cuttings will not take root. By the way, summer vaccination carried out when spring vaccination was not successful. Nothing prevents you from carrying out this procedure again if the tree is healthy and not infected with anything. Vaccination is not usually practiced in winter, and we would not recommend it. In cold weather it is impossible for cuttings to take root. Some gardeners look at lunar calendar before proceeding with such procedures.
Grafting cherries to tree species from other crops
Since many people are concerned about the possibility and success of grafting cherries onto apricots, plums and apple trees, we will consider this issue. Apricot and cherry are poorly compatible, only because apricot has very fragile branches. But with a skillful approach to this matter, you can achieve positive results. If you really want to graft an apricot onto a cherry, follow all the usual grafting rules, and the result will not be long in coming.
This desire is quite understandable, since one of the reasons for cherry grafting is to achieve a larger fruit, and apricot immediately comes to mind. The apricot will give the cherry not only its large shape, but also the color it has. Things are better with plum trees, and when grafting these two trees, it is best to give preference to cleft grafting. You should know that plum goes well with almost all stone fruit trees.
Keep an eye on the food in the hives. There should always be reserves. Spread 200 g of honey on the film and feed the bees. Repeat every 8-10 days. Read about spring work.
We are engaged in selection. We hatch queens. We don’t touch strong families that have given good honey harvest. There is nothing to worry about if they gain strength only for the spruce bribe.
Start cleaning the bottoms. Health and development of families will help you in good honey collection. In some hives it is easier to replace the trays. Heavy stains are washed off with hot lye.
Exhibition of hives. When the honey plants begin to bloom. then the flight radius will be still small. Choose suitable place With good microclimate. Read more about the place of choice.
http://roypchel.ru
As they gain experience, many gardeners begin to feel inclined to experiment. Carrying out vaccinations at the same time creative process, and an indicator of skill. In addition, this manipulation is of great practical importance. In the article we will tell you how to graft currants onto cherries, trunks, gooseberries, and plums in the spring, and what types of grafting to use.
All types of currants are easily propagated vegetatively and can be easily grown throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. What practical benefit could there be from grafting these crops, other than the pleasure of the process and satisfying curiosity?
Grafting currants allows you to perform the following tasks:
Growing currants on a trunk expands the possibilities of using this crop on the site.
Timing of currant grafting
According to established practice, currants are grafted either in early spring or during the summer. The choice depends on what goal the gardener is pursuing and what material for the scion he has at his disposal. IN spring time Vaccinations are performed with lignified cuttings prepared in advance in the fall or winter.
The specific date is determined by the weather, and in the middle zone it usually falls on the last ten days of March. It is important to catch the moment when sap flows on the rootstock, but not to wait for the buds to open. The moment of sap flow begins can be determined by the state of the buds on the rootstock. They should be swollen and well defined.
Tip #1. The beginning of sap flow is also determined by the ease of separation of the bark. If the bark comes off well on a cut branch, it’s time to graft. If it sits tightly, the right moment has not yet arrived.
3 mistakes gardeners make when grafting currants
In order for the graft to take root and begin to grow, it is important to avoid the following mistakes:
Mistake #1. Wrong choice of term.
If you graft ahead of time, the rootstock will not be able to nourish the grafted cuttings, the graft will quickly dry out and will not take root. Delaying the deadlines also leads to rejection of the grafting material.
Mistake #2. Wrong selection rootstock
Don’t get carried away with “one-size-fits-all” vaccinations. Before starting the operation, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the principles of compatibility of scions and rootstocks.
Mistake #3. Violation of vaccination technology.
Vaccinations must be performed quickly, accurately, and with a well-sharpened instrument. The vaccination site must be well protected from drying out, overheating, frostbite and infections.
The grafting material must be healthy, not overdried, with buds without a green cone.
Necessary tools for currant grafting
A good tool is a third of the success of grafting. A standard “garden surgeon” kit should include:
The steel of the grafting knife blade should hold an edge well.
How to choose a rootstock for currants
For currant grafting, both currants and some plants of other species are used:
| Scion | Compatibility | Characteristic |
| Golden currant | Excellent | A rootstock for all types of currants, tested by Michurin’s experiments and the extensive practice of gardeners. Gives frost and drought resistance to plants, increases crop yield. |
| Black currant | Excellent | Black currant can serve as a good rootstock for different varieties black and red currants. Increases the yield and quality of fruits of the grafted crop. |
| Cherry | Average | An option for experimental gardeners. Despite information about successful foreign experience grafting of currants onto cherries; in practice, numerous graft rejections are observed. In successful cases, the resulting plant has quite large fruits with an unusual taste. |
| Rowan | Average | Grafting is justified if there is no more suitable rootstock. The survival rate is low, the grafted material does not adhere well to the rootstock. |
| Gooseberry | good | Gooseberries and currants are physiologically suitable for each other, but it is more advisable to graft gooseberries onto currants, and not vice versa. |
Thus, ideally, for currant grafting, it is better to purchase golden currant seedlings. Especially if grafting is planned for the purpose of growing a standard form. If this is not possible, you can use black currant. All other options are considered only on an experimental basis.
Golden currant - unpretentious ornamental culture, which produces excellent rootstocks for fruit varieties of currants.
Preparation and storage of cuttings for spring grafting of currants
To plant currants in the spring, cuttings must be taken in the fall after the end of the growing season and the arrival of the first frost. Thus, it will be possible to obtain guaranteed dormant material that will be well stored until spring if you create it the right conditions. The shoots from which cuttings are taken should not be thin. Optimal diameter– 4-5 mm. The cut off shoots are divided into parts 3-4 buds long, sections on both sides are filled with molten paraffin, and the material is tied into bundles according to variety.
Storage of cuttings in winter is carried out in the cold. Optimal temperature from 0 to 30C. Humidity – 65-70%. In regions with snowy winters, gardeners most often place cuttings in bags and bury them in a snowdrift. Another option is a rodent-proof basement. As a last resort, you can try to keep the cuttings in the refrigerator, wrapped in moistened flannel.
Tip #2. To avoid getting the bark of cuttings wet when stored in a snowdrift, it is advisable to place the bunches in plastic bottles or tubes.
Review of currant grafting methods
Currant grafting can be done using any known method. When choosing a technology, you need to focus on the purpose for which the operation is performed.
| Method | Advantages of the method | Disadvantages of the method |
| Simple copulation | Grafting “branch to branch”, with an ideal match of the diameters of the scion and rootstock. The technique is simple connection slices The method gives a high survival rate. | Sufficient practical experience and manual dexterity to hold the scion and rootstock in position while the wrapping is done. The junction of the scion and rootstock is not strong enough. |
| Improved copulation | An improved type of copulation that prevents the scion from “sliding” from correct position. Adhesion to the rootstock is excellent, survival rate is high. The technique is accessible to beginners. | The operation requires a little more time compared to simple copulation. |
| Budding | From one cutting you can take more material for grafting. Thanks to small area, the rootstock is almost not injured. The procedure is quick and easy. The survival rate is very high. | Not quite suitable for spring vaccinations. |
| Into the cleft | Scion and rootstock can be different diameters. The technique is suitable for regrafting old bushes. The survival rate is high. | Not found. |
| For the bark | The scion and rootstock can be of different diameters. The method is used for regrafting old bushes. | The survival rate depends on the accuracy of the procedure. It takes a lot of experience to perfectly match the cambium layers of the scion and rootstock. |
| In the side cut | Scion and rootstock of different diameters. The method does not require cutting the rootstock; it just makes a cut in the bark. Trauma to the rootstock is minimal. | The junction of the scion and rootstock requires additional protection from fracture. |
| Ablactation | The scion material is not separated from the mother plant. The essence of the method is the fusion of two shrubs on their own roots. Used to create decorative green hedges. | It has no practical meaning in terms of increasing crop yield or plant stability. |
The best survival rate is observed in cuttings with 2-3 internodes.
Currant grafting: step-by-step instructions
Despite the fact that currant grafting can solve a lot different tasks, most often this operation is performed to create currant trees. In this case, vaccination is performed using the improved copulation method according to the following plan:
The improved copulation method is used not only for the formation of standard currants. As practice shows, this method of spring grafting of currants is also effective for achieving other goals. Read also the article: → “Caring for currants in spring - important rules.”
Improved copulation increases the contact area between the scion and the rootstock, increasing the likelihood of fusion.
Caring for currants after grafting
After vaccination currant bush needs careful care.
| Event | Purpose and execution |
| Watering | Immediately after vaccination and then continuously. Tree trunk circle It is necessary to mulch to prevent the soil from drying out and the formation of a soil crust. |
| Top dressing | The first feeding is given 2 weeks after the procedure. At this time, nitrogen should predominate in the composition. In the future, complete mineral compositions are used. |
| Trimming | It is important to remove shoots below the grafting site if a standard currant is being formed, or to pinch the side shoots of a bush currant. The procedure is necessary so that the grafted cuttings receive the maximum amount of moisture and nutrition. |
| Loosening the harness | It is necessary from time to time if non-special stretchable material was used. If this is not done, over time a constriction will form, making the grafting site prone to fractures. |
You can remove the harness no earlier than after a year, but it is better to wait longer. If the grafting has taken root successfully and produces large annual growth, it is necessary to forcibly slow it down by pinching - this way the plant will be better prepared for winter.
Current questions about currant grafting in spring
Question No. 1. Is it possible to budding currants in the spring?
The method of budding on currants is used mainly in the summer. In summer, the condition of the buds and shoots is more obvious and it is easier to monitor the survival rate of the graft. However, you can use this method in the spring. The main thing is to plant the eye on an area of the rootstock protected from the sun.
Question No. 2. From which branches should cuttings be taken to graft currants?
For spring grafting, cuttings are taken from annual shoots in which vegetative buds have formed well and the wood has matured. In terms of survival, cuttings taken from the southern, well-lit part of the crown of the mother plant are more effective. It is better to choose them from the middle part of the crown (not from below or from above).
Question No. 3. Why take cuttings in the fall? Is it possible to take them in the spring, just before vaccination?
The point of harvesting cuttings in autumn is to reduce the risk of suitable shoots freezing. In spring there is no guarantee that the mother bush was not damaged by frost. But if the winters in the region are not too severe and the temperature does not drop below -200C, harvesting cuttings in the spring is possible.
Question No. 4. How long does it take for a cutting to take root when grafting currants in spring?
If the operation was successful, after 2 months the scion fuses with the rootstock. This is noticeable in the state of the grafted cuttings - it opens buds and begins to grow actively. At this time, the plant must be protected from infections and pests - they willingly land on currants that are not yet strong after the operation. If the harness is not tight, it is better to keep it longer to reduce the risk of fractures.
