T-Budding
T-budding is most commonly used for summer budding of apples, crabapples, dogwoods, peaches, and pears.
T-budding will be done best when the bark will "slip." Slipping means that, when cut, the bark easily lifts or peels in one uniform layer from the underlying wood without tearing. The exact time when this condition occurs depends on soil moisture, temperature, and time of year. It varies with species and variety. Dry or excessively hot or cold weather can shorten the period when bark slips. Irrigation can be valuable in extending the T-budding season.
Since budding is usually done during the warm summer months, two other precautions
are commonly taken to ensure success.
First, buds should not be added when the air temperature exceeds 90oF.
Second, buds should be inserted on the cooler
day of the time.
Preparing the Stock.
Budding knives usually have a curved tip (Figure 10), making it easier to cut a T-shaped slit. First, insert the point of the knife and use a single motion to cut the top of the T. Then without removing the point of the knife, twist it perpendicularly to the original cut and rock the blade horizontally down the stem to make the vertical slit of the T.
If bark is slipping properly, a slight twist of the knife at the end of this cut will pop open the flaps of the cut and make it easier to insert the bud. In practice, the top of the T is usually slanted slightly (Figure 11).
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Figure 11. T-Shape cut on rootstock. |
The bud to be inserted is often just a shield of bark with a bud attached or a very thin layer of wood with both the bark shield and bud attached. Various techniques can be used to make these cuts, but the shape of the cut remains the same.
Begin the first scion cut about 1/2 inch below the bud and draw the knife upward just under the bark to a point at least 1/4 inch above the bud. Grasp detached leaf between the thumb and forefinger of the free hand. Make the second cut by rotating the knife blade straight across the horizontal axis of the bud stick and about 1/4 inch above the desired bud. This cut should be deep enough to remove the bud, its shield of bark, and a thin sliver of wood (Figure 11).
Caution: Straight lifting rather than the sideward motion will separate the bud from the bark rather than keeping it intact. Shields removed this way are useless!
The cut surface of the rootstock and bud must stay clean. Do not touch these parts with your fingers. Also, do not set buds down or put them in your mouth.
Figure 12. Removing the bark shield with the bud
Inserting the Bud.
Insert the bud shield into the T flaps of the stock and slide it down to ensure that it makes intimate contact with the rootstock (Figure 13).
Figure 13. Bark shield with bud inserted into T cut.
Securing the Bud.
Pull the cut together by winding a 4- or 5-inchlong budding rubber around the stem to hold the flaps tightly over the bud shield and prevent drying (Figure 14). Secure the budding rubber by overlapping all windings and tucking the end under the last turn. Do not cover the bud.
Figure 14. Wrapped bud.
