How to Propagate Plum Blossom? Detailed Guide to Common Propagation Methods

Plum blossom can be propagated by grafting, cuttings, layering, and sowing, but grafting is the main method, followed by cuttings and layering, while sowing is rarely used.

Grafting propagation among plum blossom propagation methods

Grafting is a commonly used method for propagating plum blossom in China. Rootstocks for grafting can be peach, apricot, wild apricot, and plum seedlings, among which apricot, wild apricot, and plum are the best rootstocks. The grafting methods commonly used are bud grafting and cut grafting. Bud grafting saves scion material, is simple to perform, and is suitable when both the rootstock and scion are thin, with a relatively high survival rate. For bud grafting, the "T" shaped bud grafting method can be used. The specific method is to select plump axillary buds from the middle and upper parts of vigorous 1 to 2 year old branches as scions, make a horizontal cut about 0.5 cm above the axillary bud, reaching deep into the xylem, then make a vertical slanted cut 0.5 cm to the left and right of the axillary bud, so that the bud shield is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, with a smooth cut surface, remove the woody part inside, and cut off the leaf blade leaving only the petiole. On the base of the rootstock seedling, 5 to 6 cm above the ground, select a smooth bark surface and cut a "T" shaped incision, with length and size similar to the scion. Then immediately insert the bud piece into the incision so that the cut edges fit closely together, and finally bind and fix it with plastic strips, leaving the petiole and bud exposed. After grafting, pay attention to care, promptly prune the leaf buds sprouting from the rootstock and cut off the rootstock.

Sowing propagation

Direct sowing with the stone is used. It must be noted that fully mature fruits should be collected from superior mother plants with large fruits and small stones. Generally, autumn sowing is better, and the specific time can be in late September. Water thoroughly and cover with fine soil or sand. In the following spring, when the seedlings grow to 10 cm to 15 cm, they can be transplanted from the seedbed. If propagating by sowing in spring, then after the seeds are washed and dried, they should be stratified and stored in moist sand, and taken out in early spring for drilling sowing. Plum trees propagated from seed are drought tolerant. They have vigorous growth and are suitable for planting on hillsides. However, plum trees grown by this method have unstable heredity and great variation.

Grafting propagation

Stem grafting

In addition to plum seedlings, peach, mountain peach, plum, and apricot can also be used as rootstocks, with plum rootstock being the best. Splice grafting or cleft grafting can be carried out. The so-called splice grafting is to cut the lower end of the scion and the upper end of the rootstock obliquely into a horse-ear shape with a sharp knife, then align one side with the green cortex and bind them tightly together. The so-called cleft grafting is to cut the lower end of the scion into a wedge shape, split the rootstock, insert the wedge-shaped scion, make sure to align one side with the green cortex, and bind tightly. Both splice grafting and cleft grafting use the stem grafting method, usually carried out in early spring before the sap flows.

Bud grafting

During the growth period of the plum tree, bud grafting can also be carried out on plum or apricot seedlings used as rootstocks, that is, at the base of the rootstock stem, use a budding knife to make a "T" shape deep into the xylem, gently lift the bark, cut the bud eyes on the branches of the plum blossom variety to be propagated into shield-shaped bud pieces with a little wood, quickly insert them into the "T" shaped bark of the rootstock and bind tightly. After 15 to 20 days, when the bud eyes of the scion have healed with the rootstock, the binding can be loosened.

Whether stem grafting or bud grafting is used, after survival they should be cultivated in the nursery for 1 to 2 years, and then used for planting.

To quickly obtain large plum blossom trees, transplanting can be used. After survival, heavy pruning is carried out, and in the following year the required superior plum blossom varieties are grafted onto the newly sprouted branches. Using peach as the rootstock makes grafting easy to survive, and it is currently widely used in production.

A commonly used method is the root burial method. When peach is grafted with plum blossom, growth is fast and flowering is early, but after three years the "large and small feet" phenomenon is prone to appear. You can first use peach rootstock to graft plum blossom, and after one year of grafted growth, dig them all up. When planting, make the grafted part lower than the ground level, 4 to 7 cm into the soil, use a sharp blade to make several longitudinal cuts at the grafted part of the plum blossom, reaching deep into the xylem, and use a 25 ppm ABT rooting powder No. 2 solution mixed with mud to wrap the wound. Then cultivate soil 15 cm to 25 cm, and pay attention to preserving moisture. After 1 year of growth, the plum tree can develop roots. In this way, after the plum blossom tree grows up, it can form two layers of roots, the upper layer being plum tree roots and the lower layer being peach rootstock roots. When potting or planting in the ground for landscaping, the upper roots play a role, and the lower roots can be removed, so that the plum blossom can maintain normal growth.

Cutting propagation

Cutting propagation of plum blossom is simple to perform, and the technique is not complicated. Quickly dipping the cuttings in 500 ppm indoleacetic acid or 1000 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid aqueous solution increases the survival rate, and can also promote rooting in varieties that are difficult to root. For plum blossom cuttings, November is better, because at this time the leaves have fallen and the branches store sufficient nutrients, making rooting and survival easier. Select vigorous one-year-old branches 10 cm to 12 cm long as cuttings. When inserting the cuttings, bury most of the branch in the soil, leaving only two or three cm above the soil surface, and leave one bud exposed. The cutting site requires loose soil and good drainage.