When to graft an apple tree: the timing of vaccination depending on the season

Tell me when to plant an apple tree? My beloved old apple tree grows in the dacha inherited from my grandmother. A very tasty variety, though I don’t know what it’s called. In recent years, she began to notice that she was disappearing, with only one side. It's a pity to cut it down, my husband and I decided to plant a different variety on it. When is it better to do this - in spring or autumn?

Perhaps there is no garden in which apple trees do not grow. The selection of sweet and juicy fruit varieties is varied, and sometimes it is difficult to give preference to one. But using grafting, it is quite possible to get fruits of different taste from one tree. In addition, this method helps to rejuvenate old specimens and record yields. However, all the subtleties of the procedure may be in vain if the apple tree is grafted at the wrong time. One of the most common problems is vaccine rejection. To avoid this, it is important to know when to plant the apple tree.

While it is theoretically possible to graft fruit trees all year round, each seasonal grafting has its advantages and disadvantages. The region where the garden is grown is also important. Let's take a look at the intricacies of vaccination timing.

Spring grafting of apple trees

Most often, trees are grafted in early spring. You can start the procedure when:

• the kidneys will swell;
• the twigs will turn slightly red;
• the bark should be easily detached;
• green tissue is visible on the cut.

It is roughly March-April.

As soon as the air warms up to 5 ° C, it's time to start grafting.

It is important to have time to carry out the procedure before the kidneys start to grow. If tightened with the inoculation, the scion can be rejected. One of the advantages of spring vaccination is that if the result is negative, there is time to repeat it in the current season.

Terms of summer grafting of apple trees

Young apple trees are best planted in mid-summer, in July. At this time, they have already formed the upper buds on the branches and the internodes have contracted. The bark on the cut also comes off easily.

The disadvantages of summer grafting are that it is not recommended for adult apple trees. In addition, in the hot summer, the scion does not take root well. But there is a large selection of cuttings and varieties.

When to plant an apple tree in the fall?

In the southern regions, where autumn is warm and late, and winter is not very harsh, you can plant an apple tree in September. Some even manage to do it in mid-October if the weather is warm. It is impossible to carry out work later - frosts will nullify everything and the scion will not have time to take root. Before a sharp cold snap should be left in stock for at least 2 weeks.

A significant drawback of the autumn vaccination is the frequent cases of frostbite at the junction. But if everything worked out, such apple trees will develop faster than those grafted next spring.

Features of winter vaccination

If there is a possibility and a place for storing planting material, plant an apple tree even in winter. During this period, the cuttings take root better, and the trees themselves turn out to be stronger. Plus, it frees up time for other seasonal concerns.

Young rootstock should be dug up and transferred to a basement in late fall. At the same time, cuttings are also cut, which are stored there. 7-10 days before vaccination, they are brought into a warm room. The procedure itself can be carried out from mid-December. The grafted apple trees are planted back into the garden with the arrival of heat.

Video about summer grafting of apple trees