Key points of grafting Qingye Qilin
Today's introduction to common knowledge of flower cultivation focuses on Qingye Qilin. Here are the key points of grafting Qingye Qilin, and I will introduce them to you in detail below.
Qingye Qilin is an excellent grafting stock for cactus seedlings, so we often use it for grafting. The reason for grafting is that the cactus seedlings are too small, the natural environment is slightly poor, or the management is not good, leading to death. Grafting improves the environment, making it easier to manage and increasing the survival rate of seedlings. When the cactus seedlings fail to root, the roots are weak, the seedlings are damaged or diseased, or the seedlings lack chlorophyll (usually pink or yellow), grafting can save their lives.
What I need to tell flower friends is (1) not to indulge in grafting落地; (2) grafting should be small, and落地 should be early.
Preparation for grafting Qingye Qilin:
A few days before grafting, the stock should not be watered, allowing the potting soil to dry out. This is mainly to reduce the pressure of the vascular bundle. Watering makes the cut surface too smooth with excessive sap, and the stock with more water content resists the scion more than the stock with less water content (the opposite of落地). Blades, workbenches, and other items that are easily infected with fungi need to be cleaned and disinfected.
Grafting process of Qingye Qilin:
1. Cut off the top of Qingye Qilin about 1.5 centimeters. Ensure the cut is smooth. The cut-off top can be replanted after a few hours of drying, and it will be a new stock in a few weeks.
2. Prepare the scion. Some people use alcohol for disinfection, but it is not necessary. Place it on the workbench and cut off the bottom layer with a knife, keeping the scion always attached to the blade.
3. Use tweezers to place the scion on the stock. A trick: before placing the scion, squeeze the water from the leaves onto the grafting plane. Be sure to be eccentric (the vascular bundles of the scion and stock overlap. Just like blood vessels that are difficult to distinguish in surgery, the vascular bundles are hard to recognize. As long as the center of the seedling is slightly offset from the stock), slightly press to eliminate air bubbles.
4. Quickly move to a humid box. For other grafting, this may not be necessary, but for Qingye Qilin grafting, it is a must! The stock in dry air will wither and reject the scion.
5. Keep it moist for about 7 days. In 4 to 7 days, the scion and stock grow together. Then, proceed as usual with cultivation. During this period, there may also be fungal attacks and other damage to the graft, but generally not. After moving out of the humid box, successful grafts will grow rapidly. Results can be seen in a week, and some may take 2-3 weeks.
6. When the scion grows large, remove the branches of the stock ( preferably with a thin blade).
After germination, the growth is slow. Seedlings grafted onto Qingye Qilin one month after germination are then grafted onto another suitable stock a year later.
Qingye Qilin grafting has not only advantages but also disadvantages, as follows:
Advantages:
1. Most cactus seedling scions have good affinity with the Qingye Qilin stock.
2. The survival rate of scions is very high.
3. The shape of the scion is relatively stable and generally does not change unexpectedly.
4. The growth rate of scions is fast: some varieties can bloom in just 6-7 months from sowing to grafting.
5. There is no need to fix the scion and stock when grafting.
6. Qingye Qilin is easy to propagate, has a strong growth habit, is a fast-growing type, and as a grafting stock, its roots are well developed. It is easy to propagate by cutting.
7. Qingye Qilin can tolerate humidity and still grow healthily in high humidity, consistent with seedlings.
8. Grafting in bulk and management are cost-effective.
9. It can be done all year round.
Disadvantages:
1. Generally not more than 2 years, long-term non-landing, growth slows down, and the scion tissue becomes lignified.
2. Small scions can be grafted, but not large ones.
3. Not cold-resistant, the environmental temperature should be above 12 degrees Celsius.
4. The hard spines of Qingye Qilin are a nuisance: they can easily刺入 the skin (wear gloves); push the scion away;刺入 the scion, causing the scion to lignify.
The above-sharing of the key points of grafting Qingye Qilin is a small experience in green plant flowers, hoping to bring help to you in life!