When and how to plant a pear correctly
Miscellaneous / / April 13, 2023
Detailed instructions will help rejuvenate the garden or acquire new varieties of fruit.
When to plant a pear
It all depends on which method you choose. The so-called copulation - the connection of sections of the cutting and rootstock branches - carried out in early spring, until sap flow has begun and the tree is at rest. In most regions, this time falls on March, but the weather is not always predictable. Focus on the condition of the kidneys on the pear branches: if they are not swollen yet, you can proceed with the procedure.
Grafting for the bark is carried out in the stage of active sap flow in the tree - from the moment when the buds swelled, until the leaves were fully opened and the buds began to set. Depending on the climate, this occurs from March to May.
Wait until the daytime temperature becomes consistently positive, and at night the thermometer will not fall below 0 ° C. Otherwise, the grafted cutting runs the risk of freezing before it has time to take root.
How to prepare cuttings for pear grafting
You can stock up on cuttings in late autumn or early spring, while the buds are on tree didn't swell.
Choose the pear variety you like that you want to plant, and cut branches from it 30-40 cm long and no less than a pencil in diameter. For better survival, one-year-old shoots should be preferred - young and even, without branches.
Cuttings cut in autumn should be saved until spring. To do this, wrap them in a damp cloth or sawdust, put them in a plastic bag and make several holes in it for ventilation. Store blanks in the basement or cellar, where the temperature is kept within 0-5 ° C, or in the refrigerator. You can do the same with shoots cut in the spring if you do not plan to immediately start grafting.
If the cuttings are slightly dry after storage or the bark is wrinkled, immerse them in water at room temperature for a day on the eve of vaccination.
How to choose and prepare a rootstock
It is optimal to plant cuttings on seedlings aged from 1 to 3 years - this way the pear will take root faster. But you can choose mature trees to rejuvenate your garden.
Grafting on the trunks of young plants is done as close to the ground as possible. The lower, the better the cutting grows together with the tree. On mature specimens, choose branches that grow at an angle of 45–60 ° to the vertical, and cut no more than 40–50 cm from the trunk.
By the way, it is not necessary to graft a pear on a pear. Rowan (common and chokeberry) is also used as a rootstock, quince and cotoneaster.
How to graft a pear by copulation
Select an annual branch on the rootstock tree, about the size of a pencil. Step back 15–20 cm from the trunk and make a smooth oblique cut 2.5–3 cm long on it.
Mark the middle of the cut. From this point, step back about 5 mm upwards. Set the knife blade at an acute angle and make a notch about 1 cm long.
Choose a cutting whose diameter will approximately match the diameter of the rootstock branch.
At the bottom of the cutting, find a live, dry kidney. Step back from it about 2 cm. Make an oblique smooth cut and make sure that its length approximately matches the cut on the rootstock branch.
Determine the middle of the cut, rise 5 mm higher to the pointed end of the handle, point the blade down and make a neat cut-tongue about 1 cm long.
From an oblique cut, count two or three kidneys and make an even cut at a distance of 2-3 mm above the top.
Connect the oblique cuts of the cutting and the rootstock branch, while driving the notches-tongues into each other.
Wrap the inoculation site tightly with tape.
Coat the cut of the cutting with garden pitch to protect it from drying out and penetration. infections.
Put a tight plastic bag over the branch. Tie it with string above and below the grafting site. The greenhouse effect will help the pear to take root faster.
When the buds begin to swell on the handle, the shelter can be removed. This means that it has taken root and the wood grows together at the grafting site.
How to graft a pear by the bark
This method is used to graft cuttings onto thick branches and tree trunks. Moreover, several shoots can be planted in one place at once.
First, carefully cut down the trunk or branch where you will be grafting.
If there are shoots near the cut down place, delete them using a secateurs.
Then prepare the cuttings. Under the lower bud of the shoot with a sharp knife, make a smooth oblique cut 2.5–4 cm long.
Count three or four kidneys from the bottom cut. Step back 2-3 mm from the top and make an even cut with a pruner.
On the rootstock branch, cut the bark by 3-4 cm and slightly push it apart with a knife, slightly separating it from the trunk.
With the sharp end, insert the cutting into the incision under the bark.
Top cut cutting should be at the level of the cut of the rootstock branch, as in the picture below.
Wrap the grafting site with tape, pressing the cutting against the trunk as tightly as possible.
To make contact with the stock even tighter, tie the place with twine.
After that, carefully cover the cuts on the branch and on the handle with garden pitch. Such protection will protect the wood from drying out and infections.
Put a tight plastic bag over the branch. Tie it with a rope in two places: below and above the vaccination. hothouse help the wood grow faster.
As soon as the buds begin to swell on the handle, remove the bag. This usually happens after about 10 days and indicates that the pear has taken root.
How to care for a pear after vaccination
Periodically inspect the vaccination site. If the wood begins to dry out, brush it with an additional layer of garden pitch. After about 2-3 weeks, after the buds have fully opened on the new branch, remove the twine and tape from the grafting site.
Remove all young shoots on the rootstock branch. Otherwise, they will take food from the grafted cutting and interfere with its growth with the tree.
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