What is finishing anyway?
When grafting a tree, a part of another tree is "transplanted". A noble twig or a noble bud is used for this. While the first tree only serves as a base from now on, the crown develops according to the new genetic material. This is to ensure that the tree is different or bears the desired fruit.
also read
- Apricot tree cuttings - a possible way of propagation?
- Successfully refine an apple tree yourself
- Refining pear trees - tips for refining pear trees
Advantages of finishing
This method creates an identical copy of the apricot tree that provides the grafting material. If the tree were to be propagated via seeds, the result would always differ from the mother tree. In this way, however, the desired properties can be retained.
The base can also be selected for properties that are useful. Most of the time, their root system is more resilient and better suited to the nature of the soil than that of the noble variety.
Suitable base
To refine an apricot, you need a tree that is suitable as a base. This fruit tree goes well with every variety except cherries. Usually, however, it is refined to a plum or cherry plum.
Optimal time
The best time for inoculation, as the process of refinement is known by experts, depends on the substrate used.
- on plum: July to early August
- on apricot and peach: in August
- on almonds: August to mid-September
Note:
Travel refinements can also be done in spring. However, this is more demanding because the edible veins can dry up quickly.
Noble bud
This is cut from an apricot tree that has already been grafted and whose fruit properties are to be adopted by the tree to be grafted. It must be carefully separated from the shoot, whereby a piece of the shoot or the bark has to stay attached.
Tips
It is possible to refine several types of fruit on a single base. This enables the space-saving cultivation of different varieties.
Refinement agency
The base can be refined in different places. Above the point, the tree will develop according to the genetic material of the noble bud. A distinction is made between:
- Root grafting
- Crown resp. Head finishing
- Framework refinement (within the crown)
Process of finishing
The bark of the base is scratched at the selected finishing point. The two styles are arranged so that together they form the letter T. A special graft knife is helpful here.
- Score 3 cm vertically and 2 cm horizontally
- Remove both bark wings from the trunk
- Free the precious eye from the wooden sign
- eye Insert firmly into the prepared opening
- Cut off protruding remnants
- Put the bark flap over it again
- Connect the inoculation site
It takes about six weeks for the planted material to grow. If it loses its green color in the meantime, the refinement has failed. If the eye keeps drifting, you know it was worth the effort.
