Plant Propogation and Nursery Management

Time of Budding

Budding time usually depends upon the availability of well developed budwood of the desired cultivar. In most plants, these conditions exist at three different times during the year:

1. Spring budding

• In spring budding, the bud must be dormant and the rootstock just begins to start growth as soon as the bark slips easily on the rootstock.
• The period of spring budding is short and should be completed before the rootstock has made much new growth. Due to combination of dormant bud and active growing buds on the rootstocks, the bud sprouts and develops easily.
• The bud sticks are collected well in advance of actual budding operation and stored at -2 to 0⁰C temperature to hold them dormant by wrapping them in moist jute cloth or sphagnum moss.
• The rootstock top is cut after 2-3 weeks of budding, when healing has taken place, by giving a slanting cut. Spring budding is commonly done in citrus.
2. June budding

• June budding is done in early part of the growing season i.e. mid-May to mid-June. Budding is done in the early part of the growing season and the inserted bud is forced to sprout immediately.
• The bud is taken from the current season’s growth. This method is preferred in areas having relatively long growing season. June budding is used mostly to produce stone fruits (peaches, nectarine, almond, apricot, plums, cherry, ber and aonla etc.).
• A seedling of 30 cm height, 3-5 mm diameter can be used for budding. June budding should not be done after late June, so as to obtain nursery plant of satisfactory size.
• In June budding, the rootstocks are smaller and have less stored food in them. Usually, 3-4 leaves are also retained below the bud.
• The healing of bud usually takes 2-3 weeks under normal environmental conditions. If leaf stock or petiole drops off cleanly, it is a good indication of bud union and if it has adhered strongly and starts shriveling and darkens, it indicates budding failure.
• The rootstock is immediately cut after healing process, leaving at least one leaf above the bud and several below. Other sprouts should be rubbed off or discouraged to ensure fast growth of scion bud.
3. Fall budding

• Fall budding is particularly important in northern areas and cold deserts where the growing season is short. Fall budding is done in late summer, and not in autumn.
• The rootstock are large enough by late summer to accommodate the bud and the plants are actively growing with the bud bark slipping easily, should be moderately vigorous, actively growing and containing healthy bud in the leaf axils.
• As bud sticks are selected, the leaves should be cut off immediately, leaving only a short piece of leaf petiole attached to the bud to help in handling the bud while performing budding.
• The best buds on the stick to be used are usually on the middle and basal portion. Buds on the succulent terminal portion of the shoot should be discarded as they are immature.
• After the buds have been inserted and tied, nothing needs to be done until the following spring. If the budding operation is done properly, the bud piece should unite with the rootstock in two to three weeks, depending upon growing conditions.
• Even though the union has formed, buds on most deciduous species usually do not grow or push out in the fall, since they are either in a physiological rest or inhibited by apical dominance.
• By spring, the chilling winter temperatures overcome the rest influence and the buds start growing. Most of the tropical, subtropical and temperate fruits like aonla, mango, guava, ber, bael, jackfruit, stone fruits, walnut, chestnut and hazelnut etc. are propagated during this period.