Refining a chestnut is possible using various methods. They sometimes differ very much from one another in terms of the procedure and/or the material used. What is particularly important is that the rootstock and the finishing variety are well compatible with each other.
How can you refine chestnuts?
Chestnuts can be grafted using various methods such as plating, chipping, copulation, oculation, bark grafting and cleft grafting. This can be done in spring or summer with scions, improves resistance and fruit quality and is an exciting project for hobby gardeners.
Refining is usually used for chestnuts. The aim is always to achieve an improvement by combining the advantages of the rootstock with those of the processing variety. For example, the base should be resistant to fungal attack so that diseases such as chestnut bark cancer or ink disease have no chance.
The chestnut used for grafting may produce particularly large and/or tasty fruits, or it may also have a particularly long harvest time. Various factors determine the success of the grafting process, such as the method or the right time, but also the correct cutting of the scions.
How does the finishing work?
In winter or early spring (around March), scions are collected for spring grafting; summer grafting is best achieved with fresh scions. The base and scion are then cut to size and the cut surfaces are connected so that they can grow together. With some methods the cut areas have to be exactly the same size, with others not.
While most grafting methods work best in spring, grafting is done in summer. The base must stand well in the sap and the bark must be easy to remove. The scions are only slightly woody, but not too hard. The scion does not sprout until spring.
Various methods of finishing:
- Anplatte
- Chipping
- copulation
- Occulation, in summer
- bark plugs
cleft plug
Can I graft a chestnut myself?
Refining a chestnut is not always easy. When refining rice, you need warmth and moisture, but at the same time you have to prevent the formation of mold. This danger does not exist when chipping or inoculating. If you have enough time and desire, just try out the different methods.
Tip
Although it is easier to buy a chestnut that has already been grafted, for committed hobby gardeners, grafting a chestnut may be an exciting long-term project.
