Creating your own duo apple tree requires a method called grafting, in which you join a shoot or bud (scion) from one apple variety to the rootstock (the root system and lower trunk) of another. This process allows you to have two different varieties of apples growing on the same tree. Here’s how to do it step by step:
Step 1: Select the rootstock
- Choose a healthy tree: Select a healthy, disease-free apple tree to use as rootstock. This tree will provide the root system for your duo apple tree.
- Compatibility: Make sure the rootstock is compatible with the apple varieties you want to graft.
Step 2: Choose Scion wood
- Selection: Choose healthy, disease-free and well-developed scion wood (shoots or buds) from the apple varieties you want to graft.
- Harvest time: Harvest the scion wood in late winter or early spring, when the tree is dormant, and store it in a cool, moist place until grafting.
Phase 3: preparation of the rootstock
- Time to Graft: Graft when the rootstock is coming out of dormancy, typically in early spring.
- Cutting: Make a clean, oblique cut on the rootstock where you want to add the new variety.
Phase 4: Preparing the Scion
- Cut: Make an oblique cut corresponding to the base of the scion.
- Triming: Cut the scion so that it only has 2-3 buds.
Phase 5: grafting
Step 6: Healing and protection
- Support: Stake the scion to provide support while the graft union heals.
- Protection: Protect the grafted tree from extreme weather conditions until the graft union has healed and the scion begins to grow.
Step 7: Care of the grafted tree
- Watering: Water regularly to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
- Fertilization: Apply a balanced fertilizer to promote healthy growth.
- Prune the tree to maintain its shape and remove any growth below the graft union.
Phase 8: Monitoring
- Periodic inspection: Regularly check the scion union for any signs of disease or parasites.
Creating a double apple tree through grafting can be an enriching and fulfilling experience. It allows you to grow two different varieties of apples on the same tree, maximizing the diversity of the crop in a limited space. Keep in mind that successful grafting takes practice, patience, and precise execution, but the reward of enjoying two types of apples from a single tree is worth the effort.