How to graft grapes on an old bush

Old grape bushes can no longer bear fruit as before, but do not think that the only way out is to remove it. In no case do not do this, because the roots of perennial grapes - it's a great system for engrafting young cuttings of other varieties.

What are the benefits of grafting grapes on the old bush

Planting another grape variety on the old stock, the gardener gets a good harvest much earlier than planting a new plant, which will take a long time to develop its own root system. And it will take only one or two seasons, so that the grapes begin to bear fruit, and the third can already get a full crop. Also, grafting grapes on an old bush is good because it is possible to use not very compatible varieties, which is a plus for beginners in grafting.

Time for the vaccination procedure

The time when the graft vaccination will pass best, can not be determined exactly. But the main thing is that the earth and air should be warmed up to certain indicators. Experienced wine growers advise: the air temperature should keep at least 15 degrees of heat, and the earth - at least + 10 ° C. So grafting grapes on an old bush in spring, summer, autumn - in any of these seasons is quite real and feasible. But if you decide to get vaccinated in the spring, the main signal for this will be the separation of the leaves on the log.

The grafting process - where to start, what are the main actions

The two main stages are the preparation of cuttings and the cutting of the trunk of the old bush - the stem.

Preparation of cuttings

Cuttings can be from five to 15 centimeters long, the main thing is that they have at least one or two eyes. Before the day, when you start the operation, wrap the cuttings with incisions in wet rags, and directly on the day of engraftment, refresh the slices. As for the shape of the slices, they can be different depending on the method of engraftment, the main thing is that they fit snugly and coincide in shape with the stem. For example, here are a few possible ways.

It is important that the shank should be placed in the stem only by its cut-off part.

Preparation of a binder

Prepare the old root for healing. To do this, you will first need to dig a hole about twenty centimeters deep around it. The next step is to remove the ground part of the grapes, and we need to touch fifteen centimeters of the trunk in the dug hole. This, of course, does not really like the plant. But his root system can cope with this shock. Further, the grafting of the grapes on the old bush passes into the stage of actual engraftment. The essence of the process is to split the trunk of the old one and insert into it the stem of the young grapes. There are several ways to do this. So, consider the options.

• Grafting grapes on the old bush by drilling. By this method it is necessary to make a hole of the same diameter as the cuttings. The latter, in turn, is simply cleaned from the top layer of the skin. It is not necessary to sharpen it - it is already of the necessary form. Important: to prevent the hole from getting torn, use a smaller bit first, then a larger, required diameter. It is also necessary that the cambium layers coincide. In the finished hole, the shank must enter tightly: so as not to cover the joint. But even in this case it is advised to sprinkle the vaccinated site with wet shavings and cover with glass to create a greenhouse effect. Inside, you must constantly maintain high humidity.

• Grafting grapes on the old bush by splitting. Splitting is the easiest and fastest way. The stubble must be split with a knife, an ax - in general, an object of this type. In the cleavage, you can place one, two or more cuttings, and then tighten the cleavage with a dense fabric, cord or twine. The shank in this case must be sharpened by a wedge on both sides.

The well must be loosened and covered with loose earth so that the stalk is completely covered. This re-vaccination of old grapes ends and goes to the stage of nursing, which consists of removing weeds, loosening the soil, removing the shoots of the old plant, which can "steal" vital grapes from the grafted grapes for full development.