To preserve and spread this delicious fruit tree variety, young trees are grafted. After just a short time they will delight you with juicy fruits. In this article you will learn how to do this in just a few simple steps.
How can you successfully graft plum trees?
To graft plums, cut scions in February, store it in a cool, moist place until May and then graft the tree with bark. The sharpened shoots are placed in cracks in the bark and fixed with raffia and tree wax so that they grow within 8-10 weeks.
Preparation
Cut scions in February when the weather is favorable. If the soil is frost-free, cut off annual shoots. You need around two to three per plum tree. These are stored in a cool cellar or hanging in a deep well until the beginning of May. To do this, pound the sand about 10 to 15 centimeters deep.
Selection of shoots:
- Location: from upper part of the crown
- Size: pencil thick
- Features: narrow eyes
- without flower buds
- free from pests and he althy branches
Storage of scions:
- cool but frost-free
- slightly moist
Refining in late spring
On a dry and sunny day, refine your tree directly under the bark. This method is one of the simplest and brings good results.
The first step is to throw off the crown of the plum tree. A higher central branch is shortened at the top for this purpose. A targeted cut is then made at the desired location. Then round the edges with a sharp knife.
Tip:
Select this key branch when pruning in the fall. Adjacent branches are cut significantly shorter. This means that they do not hinder spring growth.
Sharp the underside of the brushwood. To do this, the tree bark is scraped off by around two to three centimeters. The remaining shoot requires around two to four eyes. Ideally, these are already a little swollen.
Important:
Do not touch the interface with your fingers.
They loosen a little bark in two to three places on the tree. One shoot at a time is inserted into the opening. They should seal tightly with the bark gaps. This means that neither air nor water reaches the processing points.
Fixing the shoots
- Bast
- Tree wax
Use raffia to wrap the trunk tightly. Then seal the wounds waterproof with tree wax (€11.00 on Amazon). The shoots grow within 8 to 10 weeks. Cut the bandage open.
Tips & Tricks
Basically, all fruit trees should be grafted on related varieties.
