How to graft lilac? A detailed guide to lilac grafting methods

There are quite a few propagation methods for lilac, and grafting is one of them, and there are also several ways to graft, including bud grafting, branch grafting and approach grafting.

I. Bud grafting method for lilac

This method is generally done in July and August, and there are also many choices for the rootstock, including privet (Ligustrum), water wax (Ligustrum obtusifolium), fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) and lilac, etc.

1. Generally speaking, for privet you need to cut off its sprouts, and the process is a little troublesome because it grows constantly, but if you do not cut them, then afterward it will not be lilac but privet.

2. The scion we use needs to be a relatively robust leaf bud that grew that year. During the grafting process, the leaves on the scion need to be cut off, leaving only the petiole, then we need to make a horizontal cut about 1 cm above the bud, and afterward cut down about 3 cm from the middle part of the incision, so that the shape it presents is a "T".

3. After that we peel open its bark, then insert the scion into it, the two need to fit tightly together, and afterward plastic film should be used to tie it up.

4. Generally in two to three weeks the petiole on the scion will fall off, and if it falls off, the bud has survived, and at this time we can cut off the plastic strip.

II. Branch grafting method for lilac

1. This time is generally set in early spring, and the length of the scion also needs to be between 8 cm and 10 cm, generally two pairs of bud nodes should be left on it, and then the lower part of the scion should be cut into a slanted surface.

2. Generally the rootstock selected for this needs to be a lilac seedling that has grown for one or two years, and it should generally be cut off 5 to 10 cm above the ground, then a slit should be split vertically from the cut surface, and what needs to be done afterward is to insert the scion into it.

3. These two also need to fit tightly together, and what needs to be done afterward is to tie it up with a plastic bag.

4. In order not to let the cut lose too much water, we need to cover it with very moist soil, and after the buds on the scion grow out, we need to remove the soil covering it.

5. We can collect the scions in autumn and winter, bury them underground, and then do branch grafting in the spring of the following year. Generally speaking, the scion can grow to about 50 to 80 cm that year, and in the second year we need to cut the branch trunk short, so that its side branches will grow better.

III. Approach grafting method for lilac

This is directly cutting a notch on both its scion and rootstock, then tying them together. After the cut grows new callus tissue, cut off the top branch from above the joint, and the part 1 cm below the scion should also be cut.