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Transcript of What is Top Grafting - The Permaculture Research … · What is Top Grafting ? ... scion is about...
Fa
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What is
Top Grafting ?Top Grafting ?Many people would like to plant
fruit trees, but often can't find goodtypes. Sometimes the seedlings maycost too much, if you have limitedincome. But difficulty in findinggood fruit trees shouldn't stop youtrying to get them - the solution to theproblem can be found. Raisingrootstock seedlings in the nurserymay take 2-3 years. After grafting, itwill take a few more years beforethey bear fruit. So let's learn an eveneasier way to grow grafted fruit trees.This is called Top Grafting (or topworking).
Top grafting is a method ofgrafting cuttings (scion) fromimproved fruit trees onto appropriatetypes of wild trees which are alreadygrowing in the fields and forests,without needing a nursery. This method is very cheap andeasy, and produces good quality fruit trees which give fruitquickly.
Pear, top graftedonto a wild pear tree
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
WhyWhy doTop Grafting ?
2 3
HowHowMaterials Needed to do Top Grafting
to doTop Grafting ?
• You can grow fruit trees on your own land• You don't have to make a nursery• Many types of less useful wild fruit species
can be made into improved varieties• Trees will fruit sooner and give more fruit than
otherwise• Waste resources can be made into useful ones;• Fruit trees can be grown easily in the forest
You can eat the fruits ofyour labour with fruit trees
plastic
sawrootstock
Healthy, diseasefree, wild fruittrees are called
rootstock.
sharptools secateurs
knife
scion
A cuttingfrom agood fruitingtree is calleda scion.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
!
4 5
The methods of top grafting are very similar to that ofgrafting. But while grafting is normally done in a special fruitnursery, top grafting can be done directly on the farmland orin the forest, wherever the appropriate wild fruit trees arefound.
Which types can you top graft onto ?
Local Type What to graft
peach, plum, apricot, almond
Local Type
Local peach
Wild pear
Wild apple(crabapple)
Wild cherry
pear
apple
cherry
What to graft
plum
pear
apple
cherry
apricot
All plants have tiny channels which take water and nutri-ents up to the leaves and down again. These channels areinside the bark but outside the woody part of the stem. Theyform a greenish band around the stem called the cambium.
seen fromabove
wood
cambium
bark
Cross sectionof the inside of
a wild tree
Close-up ofthe cut endof the Scion
wood barkcambium(green)
Cambiumsplits when
bark ispeeled
wood
pith
How does grafting work ?
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting6 7
To succeed attop grafting,the cambiumof the scion
and the root-stock mustbe exactlymatched
ScionR
oots
tock
Scio
n
This is how thecambiums are
joined
cambium(green)
cambium (green)
Where to Top Graft ?On farmland, grazing land, or in the forest, wherever
there are suitable wild fruit trees, such as wild peach, wildpear, wild apricot, etc.
When to Top Graft ?Top grafting is usually done when trees have lost their
leaves, in the winter. In lower, warmer places this may be inJanuary (Northern Hemisphere). In higher, colder places thismay be February or March. It is best to top graft about 2-3
weeks before new leaves sprout on the trees.
Top Grafting Method
1. Selecting and preparing the rootstock
• Top grafting can be done on any appropriate local wildfruit tree. The tree shouldbe strong, healthy andfree of disease.
• The cut should be straight and clean.
• After selecting the tree tograft onto, clear awaybrush and weeds fromaround the base, and cutoff any small branchesgrowing from the base.
• Cut down the tree anywhere between 4 inches up to 3feet high above the ground, according to need and theshape of the land.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting8 9
Let's SeeLet's See
1
The scion is selected from a good fruiting tree. Thescion is about pencil thickness, or the thickness of yourlittle finger.
2. Choosing and selecting the scion
3. Grafting the scionThere are 3 ways to graft
shown in this chapter. They areshown with photos on thefollowing pages.
4. Binding the graftPlastic is used to bind the
scion to the rootstock so air andwater can't get into the graft. If avery large rootstock is used, aseparate piece of plastic is neededto cover the cut section while thescion is bound. This is shown on page 11, photos 6 and 7.
Let's see the 3 methods of top grafting
On the next 7 pages, 3 methods of top grafting are shown.The first method is called bark top grafting, and is on the first4 pages. After this, the second method is called tongue topgrafting, and is shown on 1 page. The third method is calledsplit top grafting and this is shown on 2 pages.
Selecting therootstock
Cutting therootstock
Method 1.
Bark TopGrafting
The cutsection iscleaned
how to doTop Grafting
how to doTop Grafting
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting10 11
2
3
4
6
5
7
From thetop, make a
1-2 inch longvertical cutin the bark.
The scionshould
have 3-5buds on it.
Make a 1-2 inchslanting cut on the
lower end of the scion
Insert the cutend of the scion
into the barkthrough the
vertical cut onthe rootstock.
On a bigrootstock, 2,
3 or morescion can be
grafted.
Spread a pieceof plastic overthe top, and
bind the sciononto the
rootstock withanother piece.
Bind tight soair and watercannot get in.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
8
9
2
1
3
12 13
Finally put anotherpiece of plastic over
the top, and bindthis on as well.
This showswhere care is
needed to bind well
Now, graftingwork is finished
on this tree.
When therootstock is
small, as here,only one scion
should begrafted.
The cut on the root-stock and the scionare both slanting andan inch long. In thecentre ofeach cutedge, make a smallnick (tongue). These 2nicks will insert into eachother to hold the graft.
The cambium layerunder the bark of the
rootstock andscion should beexactly aligned
(see p. 5,6)
Bind the graft withplastic, as in theother methods.
scion
tonguerootstockrootstock
tongue
scion
TongueTop
Grafting
Method 2.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
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4
5
2
1
3
14 15
4Method 3.
Cleft Top Grafting
Make a cleft inthe middle ofthe cut stem.
Place a sharp toolin the cleft,
taking care not tosplit the stem.
Make an inch-long cut on both
sides of the scion .
the cu
t is 1 in
ch lo
ng
the cu
t is 1 in
ch lo
ng
Insert thesharpened
scion into thecleft. The
cambium ofthe root stock
and scion mustbe exactlymatched.
Finished topgrafting
Bind thegraft withplastic, as
in theother
methods.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
6
7
16 17
How tomaintain a
top grafted seedling
After Top Grafting is successful
An improvedpear grafted
onto a wild pearrootstock hassprouted well.
After 4 months,the plastic is
removed. Theseedling is
protected fromlivestock.
Apricot, 2years after
it wasgrafted
onto a localpeach
Aftercare for the grafted tree
• Protect the grafted tree from livestock• Make a round trench around the plant, and use this to give
water and compost. Water as necessary, whenever possible• Mulch thickly around the stem• Plant companion plants around the tree• Pinch or cut off any branches that sprout below the grafted
branch
A grafted fruit treeorchard in Jajarkot, Nepal
Here, vegetablesare grown under
the fruit trees.
After Top Grafting is successful MaintenanceMaintenance
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting18 19
Various plants, such as garlic, onion, marigold, basil,mint, lemon grass, comfrey, coriander, fennel, dill and worm-wood can be planted around the fruit tree, which help it togrow well and give better production.
• Companion plants help to protect from harmful pests
• They attract beneficial insects
• They produce vegetables, herbs, nectar for bees, etc.
• They can be cut and used as a mulch
• They can be stacked densely in different layers
• They help to balance the environment
• They help to conserve soil moisture
• They prevent too many weeds from growing
Companion Planting
Benefits of Companion Planting
There is more information about this inthe Fruit Tree Planting Method chapter
Protect the tree from livestock
Darn ! I'd loveto peck at thoseleaves, but no
chanceHow toeat it ?
Make a small trench around the grafted tree.Use this to give water and compost as needed.
There is more information about this inthe Fruit Tree Planting Method chapter
Give water and compost
water compost
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting20 21
Now your fruit treecan grow well. Tohelp it more, pruneit once a year in thewinter. Give it abasket of compostat the same time.
Maintenance needed each year
compostcompost
Pruning the tree
Remove any branches that sprout from therootstock. More information about pruning is
given in the Fruit Tree Planting chapter.
On a big tree, many scions can be grafted
Top grafted branches are shown
One branch from therootstock is left
uncut at first. Thishelps to pull waterand nutrients from
the roots for the newgrafts. After the
grafts have sproutedwell, this branch can
be cut off.
Manyscions canbe grafted
onto atrunk in this way.
The Farmers' Handbook, "The Fields" Chapter 7 - Top Grafting
Grafting and Budding chapters
Information about varioussimple methods to grow improvedfruit varieties at home for plantingon the farm are given in these chap-ters.
Subjects Related to Top GraftingThis book provides enough information for you to be
able to do your own top grafting on fruit trees. However, thisinformation is also linked to other methods. For extra benefitslet's read, learn and practice from other related chapters.
Read On !Read On !
Grafting andBuddingchapters
Fruit Nurserychapter
IntegratedFruit Orchardchapter
Fruit TreePlanting chapter
Top Graftingchapter
Agroforestrychapter
22 23
æææææ
ÆÆÆÆÆ
Mr Tek BahadurKhadka
Farmers'ExperienceFarmers'Experience
From Jajarkot district,Khalanga -5, Pokhora village inNepal, Mr Tek BahadurKhadka has done plenty of topgrafting. Now let's read abouthis experiences.
Tek Bahadur Khadka
I work for the HomesteadProgramme (JPP) in 6 VDCs ofJajarkot district. At first I didn't thinkthis method would work, but aftertraining and starting work, I like it alot. I now teach this in the villages. Istarted by top grafting pear onto the wild pear that growshere. At first we used to cut these wild pear down as wethought they were useless. Now we top graft them and havemade a fruiting orchard out of the forest. Before, you'd seejust a few pear trees in the village. Now there are hundreds oftrees, and everyone knows how to do top grafting - even inplaces where I've never been to teach. And it turns the wildpear into a useful tree. You don't have to buy fruit seedlings,and they fruit quickly. Everyone likes the method in thevillages, it's so easy. You don't need any strange tools, and cando it in your own village area.
Gri
hast
hi C
omm
unic
atio
ns
Integrated Fruit Orchard chapter
Information is given in this chapter abouthow to plant fruit trees with various other multi-purpose trees to give more and quicker benefitsfor less work.
Fruit Tree Planting chapterAfter raising good seedlings in the fruit
nursery, if they're not planted well all the workcan go to waste. Information about fruit treeplanting is given in this chapter.
Agroforestry chapter
Planting trees on farmland can bringfarmers many benefits. But you can't plant anytype of tree, nor anywhere. This chapter givesinformation on how to plant trees withoutaffecting farm yield.
Fruit Nursery chapter
In this chapter learn how to make a nurs-ery and grow your own fruit rootstock at homefor grafting and budding.