Content
Walnut grows and develops slowly, so the first fruits can be tasted 5-6 years after planting. You can speed up the process, but for this you need to learn how to propagate a tree. There are 2 most effective ways of grafting walnuts that allow you to enjoy delicious kernels after 3 years.
Is it possible to graft a walnut
In addition to the fact that the nut develops slowly, it also has one more feature - during seed propagation, the varietal characteristics of the tree are not preserved. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to graft a walnut. This method allows you to grow a seedling identical to the parent, which will begin to bear fruit much earlier.
Grafting walnut seedlings is practically no different from the reproduction of fruit crops by this method, but it has some nuances:
- For the stock choose varietal seedlings of young walnut, which are not yet 3 years old.
- The diameter of the rootstock stem should not exceed 1.5 cm.
- Young shoots of this year, cut from well-bearing trees, are suitable for the scion.
- The thickness of the scion branch in a diameter should not be more than 0.8 cm.
The rootstock variety should combine well with the scion and have the same frost resistance and other characteristics. How to properly vaccinate a walnut can be found in the video below.
Experienced gardeners are advised to select for the stock such varieties of nuts that give a good harvest, quickly take root in a new place:
- Dawn of the East;
- Harvestable;
- Five-year plan.
Rock walnut and hinji seedlings can be used for grafting. However, not all soil is suitable for these varieties, and they do not tolerate low temperatures in winter. However, they are highly resistant to various diseases.
How walnuts multiply at home
Walnuts can be propagated in other ways besides grafting. All of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, they are not particularly complex. A novice gardener can also cope with reproduction at home.
Propagation of walnuts by nuts
Reproduction by the fruits of walnuts is used to breed new varieties, which are subsequently taken as a rootstock for grafting. The method is suitable for the northern regions of the country in order to obtain a seedling that is maximally adapted to the harsh growing conditions.
Fruit propagation is started in the fall in order to minimize labor costs. Cracked nuts that are not suitable for storage are selected and planted in fertile soil. Work is planned for November. This is where all the actions end. During the winter, the seedlings will root well and begin to grow actively in the spring.
If there is a need for spring planting, then the nuts are preliminarily subjected to stratification, after which they are germinated in wet sand in a cool place for 2 months. Fruits are planted in loose soil. You should not expect good germination, since walnuts germinate tightly in spring.
How to propagate walnuts with branches
Vegetative propagation is distinguished by the fact that it always produces a seedling of the desired variety, which retains all the characteristics of the mother tree.To do this, use the coppice branches of the current season, which are located at the bottom of the trunk. For rooting you need:
- Prepare a groove 15-20 cm deep near the tree trunk.
- Tilt the walnut branch, wire it or break it, pin it to the ground.
- Cover the growth with fertile soil and water abundantly.
Seedlings are separated from the mother tree next spring. Immediately planted in a permanent place, since the nut does not tolerate transplantation.
Propagation of walnut cuttings
Propagation of walnut by cuttings is not much different from cuttings of fruit trees at home. To begin with, shoots are harvested:
- Cut annual, healthy branches 35-40 cm long.
- Cuttings are cut, the length of which is 15 cm, and the thickness is no more than 7-15 mm.
Shoots are placed in wet sand and stored in a dark place at a temperature of 0 ... + 5 ° C. In winter, the cuttings are examined, if the humidity is not enough, then the sand is additionally sprayed from the spray bottle.
Features of grafting walnut
Grafting on a walnut takes root worse than on other fruit trees. The seedlings will have to work well.
Usually, walnuts are grafted in the summer. This is the best time to work. The timing may differ in different regions, but it is best to start in the first ten days of July. 2-year-old seedlings grown independently from cuttings or fruits are used as a stock. A fresh bud, which is cut from the desired variety, serves as a graft.
Spring and autumn grafting of walnuts is also possible, but this is rarely done. The survival rate of seedlings is low.
More often, gardeners prefer winter walnut grafting, which is carried out at the end of winter. However, the stock and cuttings for the scion are harvested from the end of autumn. This method is more suitable for experienced gardeners who are already familiar with the grafting method.
How to plant a walnut at home
Grafting a walnut is not an easy matter, the survival rate of planting material is not always high. However, it is worth taking the risk in order to end up with a varietal seedling that will begin to bear fruit early and will be adapted to the local climate.
Summer budding
Inoculation with an eye or kidney is called budding. It is carried out according to the instructions:
- On the green handle, circular cuts are made with a special knife with two parallel blades. The kidney should be between the incisions.
- On the reverse side of the cutting, a horizontal incision is made so as to carefully remove a piece of bark with a bud.
- Dirt and dust are removed from the stock, the same incision is made at a distance of 7 cm from the ground and a piece of bark is removed.
- A half-ring with a bud is placed on the stock, well wrapped with foil so that the peephole remains visible.
The walnut graft is left for 15-20 days. If during this time it remains green and does not dry out, then you can judge the success. After that, the bandage can be loosened, the film is completely removed after 2-3 months. During this time, the stock will grow well with the scion.
Winter vaccination (copulation)
At the end of winter, the harvested walnut seedlings and cuttings for grafting are brought into the heat. The room temperature should be at + 15 ° C. After which they are left to warm up for several days. Next, the instructions follow:
- Prepare the Epin solution and place the scion cuttings in it for 20-30 minutes.
- Cut off the lower ends of the scion and rootstock obliquely. The bud on the scion should be located on the back side of the cut.
- Having retreated 1.5 cm from the cut, cut the bark on the rootstock and scion to form a tongue.
- Connect the inoculation so that the tongues go into one another.
- Fix the grafting site tightly with foil or twine.
Leave the grafted seedling indoors for 2-3 weeks, but raise the temperature to + 20 ° C. After that, transfer the walnut to the basement and store until spring. In April, plant the seedling in open ground.
How to plant walnuts in spring
In the spring, grafting on a nut is rarely done, since sap flow begins early and you can miss the moment. However, seedlings for budding can be prepared in late autumn and stored in the basement. It is best to choose annual, ripe shoots that will give good growth.
A few days before budding, rootstock seedlings are soaked in water, to which sugar or honey is added. This procedure stimulates the nut to grow. Next, prepare the scion as described above, and proceed according to the instructions.
Post-vaccination care
After grafting, walnut seedlings need careful care. After the dressing is removed, the vaccination site is checked. It must be dry. If several cuttings were used as a scion, then it's time to choose the strongest and most developed one. It is left for further growth, the rest are shortened. Cut them out after the tree has taken root well. Experienced gardeners recommend leaving the strongest shoot that grows from the lower bud, which is closer to the grafting.
In the next 3-4 years, the crown of the tree is being formed. All thickening shoots are cut out, which speeds up the laying of fruit buds. In addition, the tree needs more moisture during this period. The soil is maintained in the right condition and freed from weeds... Moisten the area of the trunk circle 50-60 cm deep. It is watered mainly in the summer. In autumn, the soil is not moistened, otherwise the growth of grafted seedlings is difficult, and their winter hardiness decreases.
Fertilizers affect the growth of walnuts more. After grafting, the seedlings need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium supplements. They are brought in according to the instructions:
- At the beginning of summer, dry nitrogen mixtures are distributed around the trunk circle. For 1 sq. m consume 20-25 g of top dressing.
- In autumn, 130 g of superphosphate and 35 g of potassium chloride are introduced under the digging. This is the norm for 1 sq. m for a tree up to 10 years old.
With the age of the tree, the amount of dressings is increased by 20 g. In the dry season, all fertilizers are applied in liquid form, while in rainy weather it is better to switch to granules.
How quickly a walnut will develop after grafting depends on the condition of its leaves. Therefore, the gardener should pay special attention to the fight against diseases and pests. The leaf cover of the tree must be healthy. For young seedlings during this period, chemical agents are contraindicated. It is better to use traditional methods of prevention and prepare an infusion for diseases yourself:
- Pour onion peels, chopped garlic, 2 tbsp into a 3 liter container. tobacco. The mixture should take up 1/3 of the volume of the bottle.
- Pour boiling water over the container and leave for 7-10 days in a dark place.
- Strain the finished solution. Dilute 10 liters of water before spraying trees.
This infusion is used in early spring, in the closed bud phase and along the "green cone".
The following method will help to cope with pests after grafting a walnut:
- Pour 500 g of yarrow herb and the same amount of wormwood in a 5 liter bottle.
- Pour boiling water over the container, leave to infuse for 2 days.
- Drain the infusion, boil for 30 minutes, cool and dilute with 10 liters of water.
The mixture helps to get rid of moths, aphids, ticks, caterpillars and other pests. Spraying is repeated every 10 days.
Experienced gardening tips
Do not rush to uproot the walnut if you do not like the variety or the tree dies. Gardeners claim that it can be saved by vaccination. It is enough to master the skills of budding.
Walnut grafting is a good solution for residents of the Northern and Central regions of the country. Any frost-resistant tree variety can be grafted with a southern shoot that you like, which will take root well and bear fruit.
For the grafting to be successful, the seedling must be planted in the correct place.After that, take good care of it for 2 years, and only then use it as a rootstock.
Conclusion
The two most effective ways of grafting a walnut will quickly produce a seedling with the desired characteristics. It is enough to strictly follow the instructions, then the result will not disappoint.
