How much does one jin of Hongmei apricot cost, and how should it be grafted?

Hongmei apricot, also called Xinjiang apricot, has small fruit, sweet taste, good color, pure variety, long storage time, and is not prone to changing flavor. It is rich in nutrients, contains a variety of organic components as well as vitamins and inorganic salts essential to the human body, and is a fruit with relatively high nutritional value. So, how much does Hongmei apricot cost per jin? How is it grafted?

1. How much does Hongmei apricot cost per jin?

The market price of Hongmei apricot is generally 20-40-plus yuan per jin. The apricot kernel is even more nutritious, and the apricot fruit has good medicinal effects. In addition, Hongmei apricot uses wild apricot as rootstock, so its root system is well developed, and it has the biological characteristics of cold resistance, drought resistance, and tolerance to barren soil; it is also a very good tree species for greening and ornamental purposes and a priority tree species for improving the ecological environment, and it is also a main direction for the development of economic forests.

2. How is Hongmei apricot grafted?

1. Bud grafting

Bud grafting is one of the most widely used methods in apricot nursery grafting. Its specific grafting methods mainly include bud grafting with wood and the “T”-shaped budding method. Bud grafting with wood, also called chip budding, is used relatively often in daily practice. Its advantage is that grafting can be done in all four seasons, without being limited by whether the branches slip bark; because the grafted bud carries wood, it does not damage the vascular bundles in the bud plate, the grafting survival rate is high, and the seedlings grow vigorously. Its grafting method is: hold the scion branch upside down in the left hand, use a knife in the right hand to make a downward slanted cut 1~2 cm above the bud, going deep into the xylem, about 3 cm long; then make another slanted cut at about a 45° angle 1 cm below the bud, and remove the bud plate with wood; the bud plate should generally be 2~3 cm, with a thickness of 1/5~1/4 of the scion thickness (diameter), and this can be flexibly controlled according to the scion thickness; then use the same method to cut a smooth area on the rootstock about 10 cm above the ground into an incision basically the same as or slightly longer than the scion bud plate, then insert and attach the bud plate onto the rootstock incision. After inserting the bud plate, a narrow strip of rootstock bark should be exposed at the upper end of the bud plate, and finally bind it with plastic film. The “T”-shaped budding method is also called shield budding, that is, make a horizontal cut 0.5 cm above the scion bud, then cut upward from 1.5 cm below the bud into the xylem up to the upper incision, then remove a shield-shaped bud plate about 2 cm in size; then make a “T”-shaped cut at about 10 cm from the base of the rootstock, insert the grafted bud into the rootstock incision, align and press the upper end of the grafted bud tightly with the horizontal incision of the rootstock, and then bind it tightly with plastic strips.

2. Branch grafting

Branch grafting is generally done in spring when the sap begins to flow but before budding, for example, how to manage apricot trees, using the rootstock and scion from the previous year for grafting. There are many methods, among which the cleft grafting method is one of the more commonly used methods in production. When grafting, first cut the rootstock from a smooth place 5~10 cm above the base, and the cross-section should be smooth, then split it vertically in the center of the cross-section to a depth of 3~4 cm. Select a branch section of the scion with 2~3 plump buds, and cut a wedge-shaped double bevel 3~4 cm long on the left and right sides of the lower bud. Make the side with the bud slightly thicker and the other side slightly thinner. Then insert the slightly thicker side of the scion facing outward into the rootstock split, align the cambium of the rootstock and scion, and the upper end of the scion cut surface should be 0.1~0.5 cm higher than the rootstock incision, which is called “exposing the white”. This is beneficial for healing, then bind it tightly and firmly with plastic strips. In arid areas, to prevent the scion from losing water and drying out and affecting survival, the upper cut end of the scion can be sealed with wax or paint, or it can be buried in the soil after binding.