A detailed guide to apple tree grafting techniques, master the grafting method with ease

Although the apple tree is a cold-hardy and easy-to-grow variety, we still need to put in a lot of effort when planting it. We all know that many fruits need to go through the step of transplanting or grafting in the later stages of cultivation. Growing apple trees also requires the use of grafting techniques.

Apple tree grafting techniques

1. Selection of rootstock. A plant that grows vigorously, has a well-developed root system, is free of pests and diseases, and has affinity with the scion.

2. Selection of scion. Choose a sun-facing, short-internode, fully developed one-year-old branch.

3. Treatment of the scion. The scion should be 5—10cm long and carry more than two leaf buds. Then use a grafting knife to start the cut on the side of the base of the scion that has no buds, and whittle a smooth long slope about 2.5cm long. Generally, do not cut away the pith; it is better to keep a little wood. On the other side, cut a short slope less than 1cm long, so that the lower end of the scion forms a flat wedge shape.

4. Treatment of the rootstock. For the rootstock, it is best to choose a seedling 1—2cm thick. Cut the rootstock off at 5—8cm above the ground, trim the rootstock smooth, and then, according to the thickness of the scion, on the smoother side of the rootstock, use a grafting knife to cut vertically downward slightly into the wood, with the cut surface about 2.5cm long.

5. Grafting operation. Insert the long cut surface of the prepared scion inward into the cut in the rootstock, and align the cambium layers on both sides. The upper end of the scion cut surface should be exposed by about 0.2cm, that is, “white exposure”, to facilitate the healing and growth of the rootstock and scion.

6. Tying. After joining, bind the interface with a 0.5cm wide plastic strip, and apply grafting wax to prevent drying. When tying, do not move the aligned position of the rootstock and scion cambium layers, and keep the tightness moderate, neither damaging the tissue nor failing to hold firmly.

Time for apple tree grafting

When grafting apple trees, timing is very important. It is mostly done between June and August or between March and April in spring, and apple tree grafting can also be divided into bud grafting and branch grafting. The scion for bud grafting is mostly a single bud, and this kind of grafting needs to be carried out between June and August, because only during this time can its scion grow well, and the success rate of grafting will be relatively higher.

How to choose the scion for apples

When grafting apple trees, the selection of the scion is also very important. You should choose those fruit trees that are robust, high-yielding, good in quality, and free of pests and diseases, and select new branches with plump buds from the outer canopy as scions. In addition, after choosing good scions, they need to be cut off and inserted into a bucket or basin of water, and cultivated for about two days, which will increase their grafting survival rate.

Notes on apple tree grafting

1. Apple seedling propagation is generally carried out by bud grafting from July to September, while top grafting for changing the canopy is generally carried out by branch grafting before spring sprouting.

2. At present, to maintain the varietal characteristics of each kind of apple, grafting is used for propagation. Sowing has too high variability, and what comes out is no longer this variety. Cuttings and layering have low survival rates, and the root system is poor.

3. Grafting apple trees is mainly to obtain varieties with excellent varietal traits, and to achieve high yield and high quality.

4. The conventional rootstock for apple trees is the Manchurian crabapple, but you can graft onto any other kind of apple tree as well; the growth is just slightly worse.

5. Grafting fruit trees is mainly to maintain the varietal characteristics of a variety, and it is also used to cultivate dwarfed seedlings and to improve suitability to the soil as well as cold resistance. The drawback of grafted trees is that they require an extra year of nursery time, and for these varieties, without a rootstock they cannot be propagated, since what grows from seed is no longer this variety. Apples are all cross-pollinated, and it is pollination between different apple tree varieties; with self-pollination, the fruit-setting rate between the same variety is very low. Seed variability is very high.

Apple tree grafting is still quite technical. In particular, it is necessary to choose a suitable time to carry it out; too early or too late may affect the later survival and growth, so the two seasons of spring and summer each year are the most suitable times. Although grafting has many advantages, it requires one more year of nursery time.