How to propagate plum blossoms by grafting? Techniques, methods and management key points

Plum blossoms have been praised by many poets since ancient times. Plum blossoms are widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin of China, and their planting prospects are good. Below, the editor takes you through the propagation and cultivation techniques of plum blossoms for reference!

I. Rootstock selection and preparation

1. Rootstock types and characteristics

Siberian apricot rootstock 

Siberian apricot or Liaoshan apricot has strong compatibility with plum blossoms, the graft union heals firmly, and the tree grows relatively tall after grafting, beginning to bloom in the third year.

Wild peach rootstock 

Wild peach also has good compatibility with plum blossoms. After grafting, the tree height and crown width are greater than with Siberian apricot rootstock, but the tree lifespan is not as good as with Siberian apricot rootstock, and it enters the flowering age slightly later than with Siberian apricot rootstock.

Nanking cherry rootstock 

Nanking cherry has less compatibility with plum blossoms than Siberian apricot, but the survival rate is still relatively high. The tree takes on a dwarfed form, enters the flowering period early, and has a slightly shorter lifespan.

2. Sowing and raising rootstock seedlings

The suitable sowing period is from late October to early November in late autumn and early winter, which gives better results. With early spring germination, the seedling emergence rate is high, and the seedling growth in the same year is large, but if there is extremely little snow and rain in winter and spring, the seedling emergence rate will be extremely low.

Fruit collection and seed treatment are carried out from late June to mid-August. Pick the fruits of Siberian apricot, Nanking cherry and wild peach in time, remove the flesh, take out the seeds, dry them in the shade and store them dry. Before sowing in late October, soak the seeds in cold water for 2 to 3 days and nights, so that the seed kernels fully absorb water and swell.

Choose flat land or gentle slope land, preferably loamy soil. Evenly spread farmyard manure on the surface at a rate of 3000 kg/mu, and plow the soil 20 cm deep. Make beds with a width, height and length of 1.1 m x 0.1 m x 20 m. A surrounding ridge 5 cm high and 5 cm wide should be built around the edges of the bed to facilitate irrigation.

When sowing, along the direction of the bed, open furrows 4 to 6 cm deep on the bed surface at a furrow spacing of 15 to 20 cm. Pour enough bottom water into the furrows. After the water infiltrates, sow the Siberian apricot and wild peach seeds in holes at a seed spacing of 6 to 8 cm. The soil covering thickness is 4 to 5 cm for Siberian apricot and wild peach, and 3.0 to 3.5 cm for Nanking cherry. After covering with soil, tread it firm. The sowing rates per mu for Siberian apricot, wild peach and Nanking cherry are 30 kg, 50 kg and 15 kg respectively. If conditions permit, it is best to cover the bed surface with a 1 cm thick straw curtain or finely chopped straw segments.

In April of the following spring, if it is dry, spray water on the bed surface in time. Remove straw curtains promptly if they are used; if finely chopped straw is used, it does not need to be removed. From May to August, weed or hoe the ground 4 to 6 times. From May to July, if there is aphid damage, spray a 20% omethoate-cypermethrin 1000-fold solution for control. In early winter, water the bed surface once with wintering water.

3. Spring sowing

If preparing for spring sowing the following year, soak the seeds in clean water for 48 hours at the end of December, take them out and mix them evenly with 3 times the amount of wet sand, and store them in a cellar at -5 to 5°C. In early April of the following spring, sow in batches. The sowing method and management are the same as for autumn sowing.

In late autumn or early spring, purchase large rootstock seedlings with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm from other places or other nurseries, and transplant them into the nursery at a plant and row spacing of 0.2 to 0.6 m x 0.6 m. They can be grafted in the same year or the following year.

II. Transplanting, grafting and management

1. Transplanting

For those preparing to cultivate 1- to 2-year-old grafted seedlings after transplanting, transplant at a plant and row spacing of 0.1 to 0.2 m x 0.6 m; for those preparing to cultivate 5- to 7-year-old large grafted seedlings, transplant at a plant and row spacing of 0.3 to 0.6 m x 0.6 to 1.2 m.

Transplanting time and method: transplant in early November or mid-April. Before transplanting, prepare the land, apply fertilizer, and cut off part of the root system, leaving roots about 15 cm long. After soaking in water for 24 hours, plant the seedlings at the predetermined spacing, and water thoroughly after transplanting.

2. Grafting operation

For close-distance rootstock planting and preparation for grafting, hardwood grafting is generally the main method, supplemented by budding. For those transplanted in autumn of the same year, hardwood cleft grafting or shield budding can be carried out in the following spring. For those transplanted in spring of the following year, hardwood cleft grafting can be carried out 30 to 40 days after transplanting. For long-distance rootstock planting, when the diameter at a height of 1 m on the rootstock reaches 3 to 4 cm, hardwood bark grafting and cleft grafting should be carried out in April to May.

(1) Hardwood cleft grafting 

In February to March, cut one-year-old plum blossom scion branches and store them in a cool place. The scion is 6 to 7 cm long, with 2 healthy buds above the cut surface. The cut surface is 2 to 3 cm long, and the two cut surfaces form an offset wedge shape. For low grafting, cut off the rootstock 5 to 10 cm above the ground, and make a cut 2.0 to 2.5 cm long along the wood in the middle or on one side of the cut surface. Insert the cut surface of the scion into the rootstock cut, align the cambium on one side, and tightly wrap the joint with a 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide plastic strip, leaving no gaps. One rootstock is grafted with one scion. For high grafting, at the required height, cut off the pre-retained branches 3 to 4 cm, leaving branch lengths of 10 to 20 cm. The operation method is the same as for low cleft grafting. For hardwood cleft grafting, the rootstock thickness is 0.5 to 1.5 cm, and the scion thickness is 0.5 to 1.2 cm. Under normal circumstances, the scion thickness is equal to the rootstock thickness.

(2) Hardwood bark grafting 

The scion is 6 to 8 cm long, and a 2.5 to 3.0 cm long horse-ear-shaped cut surface is made at the base end of the scion. At a height of 1.0 to 1.5 m or 5 to 10 cm above the ground, cut or saw off the rootstock. Pry open the rootstock bark (mid-April to early May), insert the cut surface of the scion, make the scion cut surface fit tightly against the rootstock xylem, and tightly wrap the joint with a 4 to 5 cm plastic strip. For low grafting, one rootstock has one scion; for high grafting, insert 2 to 4 scions into each rootstock cut surface. Bark grafting is suitable for rootstock thickness of 1.5 to 5.0 cm and scion thickness of 0.5 to 1.0 cm, with the scion thickness being 1/2 to 1/3 of the rootstock thickness. The scion joint of hardwood grafting should be sealed.

(3) Bud grafting with wood 

This grafting method is divided into two situations, namely new shoot bud grafting with wood and one-year-old branch bud grafting with wood. The former is carried out in June to July when the rootstock bark is not slipping, and the latter is carried out in April. At 1 cm above the bud, cut in at an angle of 10° to 15° into the wood to 1 cm below the bud, then at 1 cm below the bud cut in at an angle of 30° into the wood to meet the previous cut, and remove the bud piece. At the required height on the rootstock, cut an insertion notch about 2 cm long and 1 to 2 mm deep, place the bud piece into the rootstock notch, align the cambium on one side, and wrap the joint with a plastic strip about 1 cm wide. It is mostly used for low grafting, and can also be used for high grafting. Notch budding and bud grafting save buds, but the growth of new shoots sprouting from the grafted buds is not as good as with branch grafting, especially one-year-old branch notch budding.

(4) T-shaped budding 

Cut and leave the petiole 0.5 cm long. Make a horizontal cut through the bark 1 cm above the scion bud, then at 1 cm below the bud cut in at an angle of 10° to 15° into the wood to the previous cut, and pry off the bud piece. At the required height on the rootstock, make a T-shaped cut, insert the grafted bud into the T-shaped cut, make the upper edge of the grafted bud meet the horizontal cut of the rootstock T-shaped cut, and wrap the joint with a narrow plastic strip; the bud needs to be exposed. It is mostly used for low-grafted seedlings, and the optimal period is within half a month after the start of autumn. It should be pointed out that, compared with branch grafting, the two bud grafting methods are more likely to affect the grafting survival rate due to gum flow, so the application of bud grafting should be reduced in production.

3. Management in the same year after grafting

(1) Cutting the rootstock 

For T-shaped budding carried out in August, cut off the rootstock around Qingming at 1.2 cm above the grafted bud. For notch budding from April to June, cut off the rootstock after the grafted bud sprouts.

(2) Removing sprouts

When the sprouts and shoots issued from the rootstock reach 5 to 15 cm in length, wipe them off. They can be wiped off multiple times as early as possible, but this is rather labor-intensive. They can also be wiped off 2 to 3 times, waiting until the rootstock shoots reach about 15 cm before wiping them off. This saves labor time and will not have a major impact on the growth of the grafted buds.

(3) Untying 

For bud grafting, this can be done at the same time as cutting the rootstock, using a sharp knife to cut the binding strip. For branch grafting, the binding strip should be cut when the buds on the scion sprout and the shoots grow to 15 to 20 cm. If untied too early, there is little callus tissue, and the scion is likely to fall off or wither; if untied too late, the constriction marks will make the new shoots of the scion prone to wind breakage.

Alright, the above is all the content today about plum blossom propagation methods. If you also grow plum blossoms, you can come to Huinong Network to learn techniques!

Key points for flower management in February

Key points for flower management in February---Weather characteristics in February: This month is the last month of winter, and also the cold period second only to January in the year. By the end of February, the weather begins to gradually warm and transition toward spring, and quite a number of flowers also begin to shift from winter dormancy to the recovery stage. The main flower tasks this month are as follows: first, continue to do a good job of cold protection and heat preservation for potted flowers in protected facilities; second, do a good job of pruning and repotting some woody flowers after flowering; third, do a good job of the early preparatory work for cuttings, grafting propagation and sowing propagation of some flower species.

2. Cuttings
Woody ornamental plant species that can be propagated by outdoor cuttings or by cuttings with plastic film mulching for moisture retention in February include: plum blossom (after flowering, cut one-year-old branches of cultivars such as Gongfen and Lü'e), nandina, cotton rose (southern regions), crape myrtle, daphne (southern regions), edgeworthia, pomegranate, forsythia, winter jasmine, Jasminum, serissa, rose of Sharon, Hypericum (plum), spiraea, mahonia, boxwood types, and Lespedeza, etc. Sand-stored branches of lilac and Chinese trumpet creeper can also be used for cuttings at this time. In early February, branches of Weigela, deutzia, hydrangea, tamarisk, plane tree, grape, fig, etc. can also continue to be cut and stored for cuttings at the end of March.

Key points for flower cultivation and management in December

Key points for flower cultivation and management in December
1. Sowing
Flower species that can be sown in greenhouses in December include: gloxinia, asparagus fern, clivia, tuberous begonia, cyclamen, winter coral, African daisy, etc.; flower and tree species that can be sown outdoors immediately after collection or sand-stored for germination include: rose (such as Elizabeth), nandina, Ardisia crenata, holly types, firethorn, palm, glossy privet, camphor tree, small-leaf glossy privet, soapberry, photinia, and Photinia davidsoniae, etc.

2. Cuttings
Woody ornamental flower and tree species that can be propagated by outdoor cuttings in December include: plum blossom (mainly cultivars such as Gongfen and Lü'e); rose (mainly easy-to-root cultivars such as Elizabeth, floribunda rose, and miniature rose); red-leaf plum, wintersweet (cutting with heel), spiraea, boxwood types, etc. Among them, plum blossom and red-leaf plum cuttings are best using yellow subsoil, rose cuttings are best using a mixed substrate of rice husk ash and fine sand at 2:1, and other types can use ordinary sandy loam, covered with plastic film for heat and moisture retention.

3. Grafting
Excellent plum blossom cultivars such as Guhong and Zhusha can be grafted in December using seedlings of apricot, fruiting plum, peach, etc. sown in the same year. After digging up the rootstock, perform cleft grafting or cut grafting, then plant them on the seedbed at a certain plant and row spacing, bury the soil above the grafting site, even covering most of the grafted scion. Be careful not to let water seep into the union when watering. Cover with plastic film for heat and moisture retention. In the following spring, after the scion sprouts, remove the covering film. Use dug-up wild rose plants to bud-graft excellent rose cultivars; or use robust branch segments of the Elizabeth rose cultivar (10 to 12 cm long), cut-graft or cleft-graft excellent rose cultivar scions on the upper end, and then insert the grafted Elizabeth scion segments into a loose seedbed. The grafting site can be buried together in sandy soil. Do not let water seep into the joint when watering. Cover with plastic film for moisture and heat retention. In the following spring, after the scion sprouts, remove the covering film. Only after it has completely survived can a blade be used to cut the binding strip at the union. In addition, red maple can also be side-grafted indoors with bagging for moisture retention.

4. Layering
Flower and tree species that can be propagated by layering in December include: Buddhist pine, plum blossom, camellia, osmanthus, michelia, Chaenomeles speciosa, purple magnolia, snowball, weigela, gardenia, winter jasmine, forsythia, hydrangea, snowbush spirea, Chinese snowball viburnum, Spiraea thunbergii, pomegranate, etc.

5. Division
Herbaceous flower species that can be propagated by division in December include: autumn zephyrlily, dwarf lilyturf, Reineckea carnea, hosta, purple hosta, red-flowered oxalis, Aspidistra, Jianlan orchid, Chunlan orchid, Huilan orchid, sword fern, blackberry lily, iris, large-leaf lilyturf, Ophiopogon, Rohdea japonica, Bryophyllum, and Guangdong evergreen. When cutting off the offsets at the base of a large variegated bromeliad for division, it must be a small plant that has already grown on the mother plant for three or four months; otherwise, the colored bands of the divided offset are likely to disappear, which should be given special attention.

6. Collecting seeds
The herbaceous flower seeds that can be collected in December are generally those of herbaceous flowers moved into greenhouses or cold rooms, such as scarlet sage types, globe amaranth types, marigold, French marigold, cyclamen, clivia, etc. Clivia seeds are best sown immediately after collection.