Learning to vaccinate an apple tree in the summer

Grafting an apple tree in the summer is quite simple to perform. You just need to pay attention to some important points. It is also worth following the rules for harvesting cuttings, this will increase the chances of successful engraftment of a new branch.

Blanks of cuttings for grafting

In order for the grafting of an apple tree in the summer to be successful, it is necessary to correctly carry out the process of harvesting cuttings - scions. These items are small pieces of branches of another apple tree or other fruit tree, or whole annual shoots. They must be fully formed. Cutting should be done only after the trees are stiff and dormant - in late autumn (after shedding leaves) or early winter.

Theoretically, cuttings can be harvested until mid-January. As a last resort, it is allowed to cut the scions at the end of this month. Later, there is no point in making blanks, since the scions obtained in this way either do not take root at all, or they take root very badly. This is explained quite simply - when the sun begins to warm up, special lamellar substances begin to move downward.

After that, an insufficient amount of a drop remains in the shoot, which does not allow the scion to settle down to the stock. This is precisely the reason for the inappropriateness to carry out the procurement in the following months:

• January;
• February.

Grafting apple trees in summer

It is preferable to implement the process of this type in the spring. But if necessary, you can also vaccinate in the summer. You just need to observe some of the nuances of this process. It is quite simple to figure out how to plant an apple tree in the summer. There are the following ways:

• into cleavage;
• in the cut;
• bridge.

Cleft grafting

Grafting an apple tree in the summer into a split is a fairly simple process. Still, it is best to implement it not alone, but with an assistant. One person will make splits in the knot for grafting, the other will insert the cuttings. You should first make special cuts, they will simplify the process of splitting the rootstock branch into two parts. You must follow the rules:

• if the tree is relatively young, the branch is cut down at a distance of 40 cm from the trunk;
• if the tree is many years old and its branches are thick enough, you can cut it down at a distance of 1 meter from the trunk.

But in the latter case, the thickness of the branch to be cut should be no more than 5 cm. In this case, two or even more knots can be cut off on one skeletal branch for grafting. Be sure to keep some distance between them. If the tree is young, but there is a need to plant several cuttings, it is advisable to cut on different branches - and as far as possible from each other.

It is important to prepare a special garden pitch in advance. They will need to lubricate the cut site after vaccination.

The process of grafting into cleft is as follows:

• a strong sharp knife is put in place of the saw cut;
• with a hammer or other similar tool, hit the end of the knife blade;
• the branch will split into two parts - you should spread them apart and insert the cuttings prepared in advance into the split;
• the knife is removed;
• the grafting site is lubricated with a garden varnish.

If necessary, you can use ordinary electrical tape - to fix the grafted branches in the desired position with it.The more the graft and rootstock are pressed together, the more likely the graft will be successful.

Inoculation in the incision

Summer grafting of apple trees with green cuttings can be performed not only in the split, but also in the cut. Moreover, it can be done in two ways:

• angular;
• lateral.

Inoculation in the incision with an angle method is also quite often used in the summer. This process is implemented as follows:

• it is necessary to choose a branch no more than 2 cm thick with a rather thin bark;
• on the hemp using a thin, sharp knife, two parallel corner grooves should be made - the knife is placed at a distance of 3 cm from the edge at an angle of 30⁰ (the depth must be at least 6 mm);
• The stalk must be tightly inserted into the incision and the grafting site must be shed with a special garden varnish.

In the future, the vaccination site is fastened with electrical tape and covered with plastic wrap. This will increase the chances of engraftment, as well as protect the place unprotected by the bark from infection with any pathogens.

Graft in the side cut does not differ significantly from the method described above. It is done as follows:

• using a sharp knife, oblique cuts should be made at a distance of 20 cm from the base (one should be 1 cm longer than the other);
• a stalk prepared in advance with a bare edge is inserted into the cut and spilled with garden pitch.

It is also required, after completion of the vaccination, to wrap its place with plastic wrap and, if necessary, secure with electrical tape.

The timing of grafting apple trees in the summer is not limited by anything, but it is advisable to carry it out before flowering. Since substances that promote rapid engraftment are contained in greater quantities.

Bridge grafting

Inoculation of an apple tree on the wild is most often carried out if it becomes necessary to restore the damaged bark. It often happens that hares or some other animals gnaw through it in the spring, and the owner discovers serious damage to the fruit-bearing tree.

The process of this type must necessarily be implemented at the time of the most active sap flow. It falls just in the summer time. Bridge grafting is performed as follows:

• the edges of the wound on the surface of the tree trunk must be expanded until healthy tissue appears;
• just below and above the damaged area, appropriate cuts are made for the bark;
• at the ends of pre-prepared cuttings, cuts are made in one plane;
• insert each stalk into one of the incisions in the bark;
• the scion bends in an arcuate manner, after which it is inserted with the second side into another cut;
• the vaccination site is filled with garden varnish, wrapped with electrical tape and plastic wrap.

The process of the type under consideration is quite simple to implement on your own, one should just not forget about important nuances (processing with garden varnish, proper preparation of surfaces). It is best to familiarize yourself with the video of summer grafting of apple trees with green cuttings before implementing it. Thus, you can avoid the most common mistakes of gardeners who perform this operation in the first, and do not have sufficient experience. For this work, it is worth choosing the sharpest tool possible. There are also special devices.

It is important to remember that grafting a tree is a lot of stress, it becomes very vulnerable. Therefore, you must first make sure that there are no plants nearby infected with any diseases. Otherwise, the tree may simply die.

Video about grafting apple trees in summer