Tree Peony. Reproduction By Grafting

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The method of grafting a cultivated plant onto seed stocks of the same species has been used for a long time. In recent years, grafting of a cuttings onto a piece of root is gaining popularity

Advantages

The positive aspects of this type of vaccination are:

• there is no need to grow seed stock;

• the root parts of healthy plants of the given species are suitable;

• source material available in large quantities;

• work can be carried out sitting at a table in a comfortable environment;

• Roots of herbaceous species that are more resistant to the harsh winters of the Middle Belt are suitable as a rootstock.

When dividing a bush, transplanting to a new place, a lot of fragments of roots remain. They serve as the starting material. Rhizomes, modified shoots (stolons, xylopodia) are not suitable for these purposes. As they grow, they form numerous wild shoots that dominate the varietal material.

Training

Cultivated species of tree peonies are grafted onto the roots of herbaceous forms. The base is harvested in 2-3 weeks. Spread out in a cool room. The length of the stock is 10-15 cm. Ideal is the coincidence of the thickness of both spliced parts.

The growths of the current year are cuttings. Smooth surfaces, when the cambial layers coincide, grow together better.

Graft

The most suitable method for grafting a tree peony is the options: split or butt. Work begins in early August. 2 buds are left on the cuttings. The bottom cut is made in the form of a wedge. The stock is divided in the middle along the root by 4 cm. Insert the scion, press both parts tightly. Wrap with a strip of film. Open sections are coated with garden pitch.

Evaporation is reduced by removing the leaves completely, leaving the petioles near the buds. For a month, the grafted plants are folded into wet sawdust or moss, and taken to a cool, damp basement.

You can use the second option - to dig the grafted material into a mini-greenhouse, covered with plastic wrap with non-woven material for shading from the sun. Containers with water are placed inside to increase the humidity of the ambient air. Regular watering contributes to the rapid accretion of the grafted parts.

At the end of the aging period, the bushes are planted on the beds at an angle of 45 degrees in the soil well-filled with rotted organic matter, with the addition of river sand for the looseness of the soil. For the winter, they are covered with leaves or non-woven material through boxes.

Vaccination in the butt differs in the form of dissection. At a slight angle, a diagonal cut is made on the scion. The root is subjected to the same treatment. The corners must match. Align the layers. Tied tightly with the reverse side of electrical tape, treated with garden varnish. The rest of the procedure is the same as in the first case.

Method of the Kharkov Botanical Garden

The terms of vaccination are shifted to an earlier date - the month of June. On the roots of herbaceous peonies, a cross section is first made, then split lengthwise by 3-4 cm. The tree-shaped graft contains a bud with one leaf, shortened by half. They retreat from the kidney down by 4 cm, up by 3 cm. The wedge is sharpened. Both parts are connected, the cambial layers are combined. Wrap the root and cross section with foil.

Plants are planted in a greenhouse at an angle of 45 degrees. River sand is used as a substrate. The kidney is not buried in the ground, leaving it on the surface. The grafts are shaded with a non-woven fabric. Regular spraying, watering speeds up the growing process. Green leaves provide nutrition until late autumn, facilitating the survival of the cuttings.

At the end of September, the roots are carefully dug up, the bandage is removed. Transferred to the garden bed. When planting, the bud is buried by 3 cm. It is covered with leaf litter for the winter. A good shoot develops next year.

Surplus of the obtained planting material with good roots can be presented as a gift to friends on a holiday date or shared with relatives. A positive result will help you gain confidence in your abilities, open your own mini-nursery.