How and why to graft fruit trees for the winter: the benefits of grafting

Growing fruit crops by grafting is an excellent way to obtain the desired plant variety. There's no need to wait until spring to do this. Experienced gardeners prefer to graft in winter and grow the seedlings in a greenhouse or indoors. If done correctly, the resulting plants will be strong annuals in the fall.

Features of winter grafting

To quickly produce strong seedlings of a varietal crop, grafting is done during the winter months. Before the procedure, gardeners prepare the grafting material. All work is performed indoors in comfortable conditions, not outdoors. Therefore, this type of plant grafting is also called indoor or tabletop grafting.

Shrubs and any fruit crops can be grafted in winter. However, it's important to remember that particularly sensitive varieties have a low survival rate. Grape, apple or pear trees do not cause problems, but certain varieties of cherry have a very difficult time taking root.

Necessary tools

During the work, the gardener will need special tools. For the job, you will need:

• a sharp knife or a special knife for budding;
• garden saw or hacksaw;
• special tape or plastic bag for tying;
• garden varnish or oil paint.

Benefits of grafting in winter

Winter is a relatively quiet period for gardeners. By this time, all gardening chores have been completed and the harvested crops have been processed. Therefore, it's possible to complete some of the necessary spring chores right at home in the comfort of your own home. Buds grafted at this time show a high survival rate and are not damaged by frost. Furthermore, this method of grafting significantly accelerates seedling growth. By autumn, they are large and strong enough to be transplanted to their permanent location.

Preparing material for grafting

Depending on the region's climate, winter grafting begins in late December or January. This process is completed with the arrival of spring and the onset of warm weather. However, preparatory work is completed much earlier. Experienced gardeners begin preparing scions and rootstocks in the fall. This is usually done in October or early November. Until the main work is completed, the prepared material is stored in special conditions.

Harvesting rootstocks

Only strong young plants are selected as rootstocks for home grafting. This determines the height and longevity of the new tree or bush, as well as the number of fruits. According to the cultivation method, they are classified as seed-grown or vegetative. In the former case, the seedlings are grown from seeds, while in the latter, they are rooted from cuttings.

One- to two-year-old specimens or mature clonal plants are dug up before the first frost in October. Select specimens with well-developed roots and a trunk thickness greater than 7 mm. They are pruned to a length of 30 cm. The prepared rootstocks are placed in boxes and sprinkled with a moistened mixture of sand and sawdust. The containers are then transferred to a darkened room with a temperature between 0 and 3°C (32°F and 36°F). A basement or cellar is ideal.

Preparing scions

Scions are also prepared in the fall, before the first frost. They are taken from the upper shoots of trees of a suitable variety. The scions are made 10-15 cm long with 2-3 live buds. If grafting several varieties or cultivars, the scions are collected in separate bundles and tagged with their names.

Before planting, place the cuttings in a box filled with moistened sand, either vertically or at a slight angle, with the bottom one-third buried. Another storage option is to wrap the cuttings in plastic and tie them shut. Store the scions and rootstocks together in a basement or cellar.

Step-by-step instructions for vaccination

Fruit crops are grafted using several methods. If the branches being joined are of equal thickness, improved copulation is a good option. In this case, the rootstock seedlings are transferred from the basement to a warmer room, where the temperature should be between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. They are laid out on any moist surface and inspected. Any weakened specimens are discarded, and any rotted or damaged roots are removed.

The scions are brought into a warm place 24 hours before the scheduled time of work. To awaken and stimulate sap flow, they are soaked in water or a weak solution of any growth activator. Three hours before work, the scions are removed, dried, and brought into a warm room, laid out horizontally.

Direct winter grafting of fruit trees is carried out as follows:

1. Using a sharp knife, make an oblique cut at the rootstock's root collar. The cut should be three times the scion's diameter in length.
2. A tongue is cut across the cut.
3. The scion cutting is cut in the same way.
4. The cuts are aligned by inserting the tongues into each other.
5. The connection point is tightly wrapped with polyethylene.
6. Cover the top cut of the scion with garden pitch to prevent it from drying out during storage.

Methods of winter grafting

If the rootstock is twice the diameter of the scion, Khudyakov's method is used. The scion scion is then processed in the same way as for copulation. The rootstock is cut on both sides to form a triangular wedge. A cut is made in the direction of the grain on one of the exposed sides and connected to the scion. The connection is tightly bound with electrical tape, and all exposed areas are covered with garden pitch.

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When the scion is much thinner than the rootstock, it's easier to graft it behind the bark. In this case, the bark on the rootstock should peel away from the wood fairly easily. Then, make a small cut along the bark from the top cut and peel it away with a knife in both directions. Then, make a long, diagonal cut on the scion and place it in the prepared spot on the rootstock. Tightly tie the junction and treat with garden pitch.

If the bark separation is insufficient, a cleft graft is performed. An incision is made in the center of the rootstock and the scion is inserted at an angle, aligning the bark layers. The edges of the cleft are then tightly tied with tape and the graft is sealed with garden pitch.

Winter grafting of apple trees

Varietal apple trees are graftedWhen the seedlings are dormant. Gardening experts recommend performing this procedure at the end of January. However, the timing largely depends on the regional climate. In areas with frosty, harsh winters, it's recommended to postpone grafting until spring to avoid significant losses.

All the described grafting methods are suitable for apple trees, but improved copulation is more commonly used, joining the scion and rootstock with oblique cuts to the scion. To increase the survival rate of seedlings, gardeners often use paraffin waxing. This involves dipping the grafted scion in paraffin preheated to 60 degrees Celsius. The plant is then removed and placed in boxes filled with sand. This procedure improves the fusion of the cuts and reduces the risk of premature bud growth.

Storing plants after grafting

After grafting and paraffin treatment, the seedlings are wrapped in plastic and placed in boxes filled with damp sand or sawdust from deciduous trees. To disinfect them, they are steamed with boiling water or doused with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Peat or sphagnum moss are also suitable for covering. A moist environment is very beneficial for rapid healing of the cuts.

The seedling boxes are left in a warm room, where the temperature is 20°C (68°F), for three weeks. During this time, the tissues of the scion and rootstock will fuse and form a callus. This is a whitish growth that heralds the formation of roots.

When the buds begin to swell, the seedlings are moved to a cooler room with a temperature of 4 to 6 degrees Celsius. This will slow the growth of the shoots. A basement or a warm cellar can be used for this purpose. The seedlings are kept in this condition until planting.

Planting grafted plants in the ground

Plants are transplanted to their permanent locations after warm weather has fully set in and the soil has warmed. Freezing temperatures increase the risk of seedling death. Therefore, they are planted only after the threat of frost has passed.

The plants are planted in areas with fertile soil. When planting, the seedlings are buried deep to the staking site. Then, peat is laid down, covering the trunk up to the first bud of the scion. After planting, the plants are watered. They are then monitored and any emerging shoots are promptly removed.

Planting seedlings in a plastic greenhouse yields excellent results. This can be done two weeks earlier than planting in the ground. Maintain a distance of 15 cm between seedlings and 45 cm between rows. You can also transplant seedlings into special containers or special heavy-duty bags. These plants grow actively during the summer and by fall reach the optimal size for planting in their permanent location.

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In conclusion

Winter grafting simplifies gardening and saves time. Plants are planted in the ground in the spring, and by fall, they are ready for transplanting to their permanent location. The advantages of winter grafting allow for bold experimentation and the rapid development of desired fruit plant varieties.