The latest timing and methods for grafting peach trees

Peach trees are widely cultivated in China and are one of the country's important economic fruit trees, while peaches are also a fruit we love, generally coming to market in spring and summer and deeply loved by people. When planting peach trees, grafting is mainly used, so when is the best time to graft peach trees? How should they be grafted? Come and take a look with the editor at the timing and methods for grafting peach trees.

1. Grafting time

Peach tree planting can be divided into spring planting and autumn planting, of which spring planting is generally carried out after the soil thaws and before budding, which helps the seedlings recover and will not cause frost damage to the seedling roots; autumn planting is generally carried out after leaf fall in autumn and before the soil freezes, which helps early budding in spring. The best grafting time is in mid-March in spring, followed by early to mid-September in autumn; too early causes gummosis, while too late results in a low survival rate. In production, more farmers prefer to graft in spring and summer, with spring generally between February and April, and summer between May and August, and the survival rates are relatively high.

2. Selection of rootstock and scion

For the rootstock, choose wild peach seedlings that grow vigorously, are free of pests and diseases, and have a stem thickness of more than 0.5 cm; they have the characteristic of fast growth and grow extremely quickly after grafting. For the scion, choose new shoots from superior-variety peach trees that have grown for more than 3 years, requiring the shoot surface to be smooth and tender, with strong growth, no pests or diseases, plump flower buds, and consistent stem thickness. This helps the cambium layers unite during grafting and improves the survival rate.

3. Grafting methods

Prepare grafting tools, plastic tying strips, a knife, and so on. There are many grafting methods in production, and the commonly used one is budding. Select a bud eye on the rootstock, use a knife to make a ring cut 1 cm above and below it, with the depth reaching the xylem, then peel off the bark together with the bud eye. Then use the same method on the scion to cut a bud of the same size, align it and press it into the place where the bud was peeled off, fit it tightly, and then tie it firmly with a plastic tying strip.

4. Post-grafting management

After grafting, check once every 7-10 days, and promptly remove the bud eyes on the rootstock so that nutrients are concentrated and the grafted buds grow vigorously. In addition, after the wound at the grafting site heals, the plastic tying strip can be removed to avoid constriction. After the graft survives, the plant grows vigorously and has a high fertilizer requirement, so fertilizer should be applied in time, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and foliar fertilizer can also be sprayed to promote rapid plant growth.

The above is an introduction to the timing and methods for grafting peach trees. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.