What Tree Is Best for Grafting Cherry Trees? Detailed Guide to the Best Time and Methods
Cherry is a general term for certain plants in the genus Prunus, also known as chelizi, yingtao, jingtao, xietao, and so on, and is cultivated in Liaoning, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong and other places in China. So what trees can cherry trees be grafted with? You need to know the time and method!
What trees can cherry trees be grafted with?
Fruit tree grafting generally requires closely related species, so cherry trees can be grafted onto rootstocks such as Prunus incisa, sour cherry, wild sweet cherry, Mahaleb cherry, Chinese cherry, Nanking cherry, Chinese dwarf cherry, grass cherry, and Colt cherry.
When should cherry trees be grafted?
1. Scion collection can be done 1 month before bud break. Select fruiting branches and vegetative branches that are robust, high-quality and high-yielding, highly adaptable, and free of pests and diseases, choosing thick branches from the outer canopy. After collection, seal with wax and bundle by variety. Store at a low temperature of 5-8 degrees C, taking them out as needed.
2. Spring branch grafting is carried out from when the rootstock begins to bud until before the buds break and leaves unfold. The specific timing varies by region and climate; for example, Shandong is from late March to early April, Henan in late March, Hebei in mid-to-late April, and Liaoning in early May.
Therefore, factors such as region and climate all affect grafting time, and everyone should determine the grafting time for cherry trees according to local actual conditions.
What are the grafting methods for cherry trees?
Cherry trees are usually grafted using the bud grafting method and the plate bud grafting method.
1. Bud grafting
The early period is within 15-24 days in mid-to-late March; the later period is from the end of mid-July to August, sometimes extending to mid-September, lasting 50 days. For early grafting, select 5-6 plump buds from the middle of robust branches as the graft buds; for bud grafting in September, select plump buds from water sprouts inside the canopy as graft buds.
2. Plate bud grafting
Plate bud grafting can be carried out year-round. When grafting, select a smooth area at the base of the rootstock 1 cm above the ground, and gently shave off a layer of bark along the vertical direction. Form a long oval cut surface about 25 cm long and 1-2 mm deep (to the extent that the yellow-green cortex is exposed). Then press the bud plate tightly onto the cut surface of the rootstock and tie it firmly with a plastic film strip.
3. Grafting management
Cutting the rootstock: Before the buds of successfully grafted seedlings sprout, cut off the rootstock stem 0.2 cm above the graft bud. Then transplant at a spacing of 15-20 cm between plants and 50-60 cm between rows.
Removing sprouts: For bud-grafted seedlings after cutting the rootstock and transplanting, the rootstock buds sprout first, and the graft buds sprout later. Therefore, when the rootstock buds sprout, promptly remove the sprouts on the rootstock to promote the sprouting and growth of the graft buds. After that, continue removing sprouts 3-4 times in succession. After the graft buds sprout, choose to keep 1 vigorous new shoot.
Tying: When the new shoot grows to 10 cm, insert a support pole near the seedling. Use hemp rope or a plastic film strip to tie and secure the new shoot to the support pole to prevent the new shoot from breaking in the wind. After that, as the new shoot grows, tie it every 24 cm.
After sprouting, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer 3 times in succession every 20 days. Each time, apply 120-150 kg of urea per hectare with irrigation water. After May, stop topdressing to prevent excessive vegetative growth of the seedlings.
Generally speaking, if you master the grafting time and methods for cherry trees well and choose the right rootstock for grafting, the survival rate will not be poor.