Vaccination of a pear is a simple and exciting procedure, but it requires accuracy and a number of rules. First of all, you need to take care of the selection and procurement of vaccine material, to deal with the timing and methods of vaccination. An important moment is also the choice of stock, on the quality of which the result of the whole event and future fruiting will directly depend.
When is it better to plant pears
The success of the pear vaccination is largely dependent on the timing of this procedure. If you adhere to the opinion of experts, then the most suitable period is spring. The event is recommended to be carried out before the sap flow begins. The tree bark is easily separated at this time, which means that it will be much easier to make the manipulation. In addition, air temperature should be taken into account. To prevent the cuttings from dying due to their high sensitivity to temperature changes, the difference between day and night temperatures should not be too large.
The more stable the temperature at night, the better and faster the cuttings will take root.
If for some reason it was not possible to vaccinate in the spring, then the procedure can be completed in the second half of the summer. In the southern regions, the event can be held in early spring, and in the northern regions you will have to wait until the second half of April. In the summer, the most favorable time for the operation in question will be the beginning of July. The work needs to be completed before August, since this month strong temperature changes are possible during the day, which will negatively affect the grafted grafts.
Vaccination of a pear in the spring should be performed before the moment when sap flow begins and flowers appear
How to plant a pear
Vaccination of a pear is possible in several ways, but first you need to take care of choosing the material for the stock.
Root stock - what to vaccinate, graft - grafted graft.
Selection, preparation and storage of cuttings for vaccination
Harvesting pear cuttings can be done both in autumn and spring. If your region is characterized by a harsh winter, then the autumn period will still be preferable, because during the winter the branches can freeze so much that there will be nothing to cut in the spring. When harvesting cuttings in the fall, it is necessary to do the procedure after the leaves have fallen and the tree has a rest period. It is best to complete this operation before the moment of severe frost. With the autumn harvest, you will get a shoot prepared for winter, which will “wake up” at the time of vaccination. In spring, cuttings are cut as soon as severe frosts subside.
For the preparation of grafting material, annual growths with matured wood are used. To do this, it is recommended to choose branches located on the south side of the tree. You should not cut the "fat" shoots, since the time of appearance of the crop on them is significantly increased. The fat shoot of a pear can be distinguished by the greenish color of the bark and the large distances between the kidneys. Harvested cuttings should be about 7 mm in diameter and 30-40 cm long with well-matured kidneys. Cut the shoots with secateurs or a sharp knife.
Fat grafts should not be used as grafts for vaccination, since the crop will not appear on them soon
After harvesting the vaccine material, it is necessary to determine its storage until spring. There are several ways to do this:
- In the snow. In this case, they dig a small hole in the ground with a depth of about 35 cm, line it with lapnik, lay out the cuttings and again cover it with needles. At the end of this procedure, the pit is covered with soil or straw, and when snow falls, a layer of about 50 cm is sprayed on top.
- In frozen sawdust. This option will be most preferable for regions with long thaws (western and southwestern regions). To do this, on the site choose a place on the north side and pour wet sawdust. Then shoots are laid on them and covered with moist sawdust. For some time, such a shelter should stay in the cold. After that, dry sawdust is poured on top and covered with polyethylene.
- In the cellar. The cut shoots are placed in the lower part in moist sand or sawdust, after filling them with a box or plastic bag and making small holes. The temperature during storage should be in the range from 0 ° C to + 1 ° C, and humidity at the level of 65-70%, which will avoid the formation of mold and drying of the prepared material.
- In fridge. To store the cuttings in this way they are placed in a plastic bag, wrapped with a damp cloth, and then a refrigerator is placed, where the temperature will be maintained + 2 ° C.
Video: harvesting and storage of fruit tree cuttings
Spring vaccination in the split
A fairly simple method of vaccination, which can be recommended to beginner gardeners, is a vaccination in the split. The procedure consists of the following steps:
- Selecting a stock, cut it into a stump and use a knife or a small ax (if the stock is large in diameter) to make a 4-5 cm deep cleavage, having previously cut the bark to prevent it from breaking.
Cleavage is made on the selected rootstock using a grafting knife or hatchet.
- On the grafted cuttings, a wedge-shaped cut is made and inserted along the edges of the cleavage so that the cambium is combined.
On the grafted cuttings, a wedge-shaped cut is made and inserted along the edges of the splitting, so that the cambium is combined
- The place of vaccination is protected with garden putty, and the cleft is wrapped with electrical tape.
To protect the splinter, garden putty is used, and for attaching the vaccine to electrical tape
If a thick branch is used as rootstock, then 2 or 4 cuttings can be inserted opposite each other.
The structure of the cuttings consists of a core, wood, feed channels and cambium
On grafted cuttings should be 3-5 eyes. To prevent the cleavage from closing on a thick rootstock, a wooden wedge or, for example, a screwdriver is inserted into it. During the operation, you can not touch the place of cut with your hands, so as not to infect. The procedure should last no more than 30 s, since the cut surface oxidizes rather quickly and dries up. From the experience of gardeners, the best material for protecting the vaccination site is a polyvinyl chloride film, which transmits light well, prevents the evaporation of moisture and is quite durable.
Vaccination for bark
This method of vaccination is resorted to when the diameter of the scion is much smaller than the stock. This method is characterized by a high survival rate of cuttings. Vaccination of a pear over the bark is reduced to the following step-by-step actions:
- A day before the operation, we transfer the cuttings to a warm place, after which we soak them for half an hour in water or a growth stimulator.
- To prepare the stock, we cut off the upper part of the trunk and carefully clean the cut-off spot with a grafting knife.
With a grafting knife we clean the saw cut place on the stock
- We cut the rootstock bark so that its top layer is easily detached, and the wood remains without damage.
When notching the bark, it is important to take into account that its top layer is easily separated from the wood
- On the grafted graft, we evenly cut off the upper part, and the lower one - at an angle of 25-30˚.
On grafted cuttings with a sharp knife, we make slices at an angle of 25-30˚
- Using a knife, we push back the bark and insert the stem under it, tightly pressing it to the stock.
After the stalk is placed under the bark, it should not fall out from under it
- We cover the wound and the upper cut with garden var.
We cover the scion so that it does not dry out and take root more quickly
- Place the vaccine tightly wrap with electrical tape.
For a tight connection of the bark with the scion, the place of inoculation is tightly wrapped with electrical tape
- We put a plastic bag on top and fix it on the stock.
We put on top a plastic bag and fix it on the stock
The bag is used to protect the grafted material from the wind and preserve moisture. After 1-2 weeks it can be removed.
The stalk should take root within two weeks, and the kidneys should swell during this time. If this is not observed, then the vaccine has not taken root. In this case, you can repeat the procedure on another trunk or wait for the summer and inoculate the pear by the budding method (kidney, eye).
How to vaccinate a pear with a kidney
To vaccinate the pear in this way, a kidney is used, which is hooked under the bark on a stock. Crowning is of two types:
- sleeping eye;
- sprouting eye.
In the first case, the vaccine is given in the summer from mid-July to early August. In the southern regions, the procedure is moving towards the end of summer. Crowning with a germinating eye is carried out in spring in areas with a warm climate. A kidney is taken at a time when the first leaves are just beginning to blossom. The sequence of actions for vaccinating a pear with budding is as follows:
- A kidney with a so-called shield is cut from the shoot.
A kidney with a shield is cut from harvested cuttings
- On the rootstock with a knife for budding, a section of the cortex is made in the form of the letter T.
A T-shaped incision is made on the rootstock with the aid of an oculation knife.
- Bend the edges of the cortex and insert a cut eye under it.
A kidney is inserted into the rootstock incision
- The vaccination site is protected with garden putty.
- To fasten the bark, use electrical tape.
To fasten the bark and protect the site of vaccination, use electrical tape
The shield should be about 3 cm in length. With large sizes, it can be trimmed slightly, avoiding damage to the kidney itself.
Video: budding fruit trees
Pear vaccination with a bridge
Vaccination of a pear in this way is considered a therapeutic option and is used for damage to the bark, for example, rodents or hares. If the tree has such a wound, the supply of food to the crown of the plant is disrupted. Therefore, it is necessary to restore power with the help of a bridge, which is used as cuttings. This process, although simple, requires attention. The work is carried out in the following order:
- Make parallel incisions above and below the wound 3 cm long.
- Prepared shoots are inserted into them, the length of which should correspond to the size of the damaged area.
- The vaccination site is covered with garden varieties and the cuttings are fixed with electrical tape.
In case of damage to the bark on fruit trees, they resort to the method of grafting with a bridge
For the treatment of pears in this way on small areas using cuttings in diameter of 4-5 mm. With more serious damage, the shoots should be slightly thicker.
The number of cuttings for grafting with a bridge depends on the age of the tree. For a young tree with a trunk diameter of about 3 cm, only 2 cuttings will be required, and for an adult - about 8. The grafted shoots can be with any number of buds, since they still need to be broken off before vaccination. In addition, the cuttings do not have to be used in the same variety as the damaged tree.
Video: how to plant a pear with a bridge
What can I plant a pear on?
Knowledge of the preparation of the material for vaccination and the sequence of this procedure will not be enough for the successful outcome of this event. It is also important to know which trees you can plant the pear on.
On the mountain ash
Rowan can serve as a stock for the pear, but the grafting on this tree has both positive and negative points. The fact is that these two cultures are quite different among themselves and pear after the operation will need to pay more attention and provide longer care. In addition, it is worth considering that the pear shoots are thicker noticeably faster than the mountain ash. As a result, characteristic thickenings are formed on the branches, which reduce their strength. The vaccine in question also affects the taste of the pear: the fruits can become tart, drier and generally lose the sweetness inherent in a particular variety.
One of the options for stock for pear is mountain ash, which is best suited for regions with a humid climate and marshy soils.
However, mountain ash will be an excellent option as a stock for those regions that are characterized by high humidity and marshy soils. This culture is notable for its unpretentiousness, ability to grow in damp and cold places. As a result of this vaccination, the tree will grow small in size, which will positively affect the harvest and care of it. It is worth noting that the pear can be tied to both wild and varietal mountain ash. However, in regions with an arid climate, sticking a pear on a mountain ash is not recommended.
Video: pear grafted on mountain ash
To the irga and chokeberry
Vaccination of a pear on an irga makes it possible to get a fairly compact tree, which will be just a godsend for a small garden. If we consider the irga as a whole, then this culture is not a very good option as a stock. The fact is that shrubs are characterized by rather flexible and thin branches, which especially stands out chokeberry. As a result, shoots in thickness will develop unevenly, and there is a high probability of the formation of growths in places of splicing. In addition, pear on the plants in question will constantly require support, which will lead to weakening of the tree.
As a rootstock for a pear, you can consider irga or chokeberry, but it should be borne in mind that crops differ in the thickness of trunks
To quince
Quince is one of the common stocks for pears, which is explained by the following positive points:
- reduced tree height and thereby save space on the site;
- the time before the appearance of the first fruits is reduced, and their taste is also improved;
- stunting facilitates the process of care and harvesting.
The only disadvantage of vaccinating pears on quince is low frost resistance. Therefore, for regions that are characterized by harsh winters, it is better to abandon this stock, because plants can freeze.
Video: pear after quince vaccination
On the hawthorn
Some gardeners pin the pear to the hawthorn, but based on experience, no decent results are obtained. The fact is that if the pear shoot takes root, the plant will be covered with thorns, as a result of which harvesting will be difficult. As for the taste of the fruit, it can be somewhat unusual. Therefore, for gardeners who like to experiment, you can consider this option of vaccination.
As an experiment, you can plant a pear on a hawthorn
On cherry plum
Cherry plum is a culture that is a fairly strong stock, both for pome and stone fruits, except for cherries and cherries. As a result of such a vaccination, an unpretentious tree of small sizes with early fruiting will be formed.
To the apple tree
An apple tree is often used by gardeners to plant pears on it. Both cultures belong to the pome crops and grow well together, but sometimes there are situations when the merging does not go completely. Pear is more heat-loving, therefore, the resistance of the tree will directly depend on the variety of apple trees. As a stock, it is desirable to give preference to such unpretentious varieties as Melba, Antonovka. Based on the experience of gardeners, it should be noted that such crossing allows to obtain hybrids with high productivity. However, the tree needs to be given special attention: to normalize the crop, establish supports during the fruiting period.
Video: pear vaccinations on the apple tree
On the pear
One of the easiest options to grow a pear of the desired variety will be vaccination on pear trees, for example, on wild animals. If not a wild tree is used as a stock, but a plant that has lost its varietal qualities, then the scion should be selected according to the fruiting period. If this condition is not met, the fruiting deteriorates and the life span of the tree is reduced. In order for the vaccination to be successful, it is better to use the following unpretentious and cold-resistant varieties as a stock: pear Ussuriysk, Forest Beauty, Severyanka. Trees belonging to the same species are characterized by good compatibility. In this case, experiments can be carried out by planting several varieties on one tree. As a result, you can get a pear that will bear fruit in different varieties.
By planting several varieties on a single tree, you can grow a pear with fruits of different colors and tastes
Vaccination in different regions
In the southern regions with pear vaccination there are far fewer problems, but, as you know, most of Russia is in the risky farming zone. In the middle lane, in the north and in Siberia, gardeners have to deal with weather surprises, temperature changes, early frosts in the fall and late frosts in the spring. In such regions, it is preferable to plant a pear on unpretentious plants that are less exposed to local weather conditions. Such crops can be mountain ash, snow leopard, hawthorn. However, one should not exclude from attention the growth rate of the trunks of these plants compared to a pear. To avoid breaking branches due to the difference in thickness, resort to different methods of strengthening.
Vaccination is an important process in gardening. With this technique, you can achieve many results: develop new varieties or keep rare ones, prolong the life of old trees, heal wounds, and also affect the quality of the fruit. Pear grafting is carried out by both professionals and novice gardeners who are eager to learn something new and achieve success in this branch of crop production.
