The month of March is an important time for gardeners looking to diversify their orchard. Indeed, several varieties of fruit trees can be grafted during this month to benefit from an extended and varied production throughout the year. Let’s discover together these 5 fruit trees that deserve to be grafted in March.
1. The apple tree
The apple tree is one of the most popular fruit trees in our gardens, with a wide variety of varieties adapted to different French regions.
The grafting of the apple tree can be done in March, either by the technique of bud grafting or split grafting. The rootstocks are the grafts you can use, and you can choose the scion among the hundreds of existing varieties according to your tastes and geographical location.
Interesting varieties to graft:
- Grey Canadian Reinette: aromatic apple, sweet and slightly tart, good for snacking and cooking;
- Golden delicious: a very popular yellow apple, sweet and fragrant, ideal for fresh consumption, in applesauce or in pie;
- Ariane Apple: red, juicy and crunchy apple, resistant to diseases such as scab and powdery mildew.
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2. The pear tree
The pear tree is also a common fruit tree in French orchards. Grafting in a cleft or bud, performed in March, allows for the transmission of a specific variety onto a rootstock compatible with the soil and climate of your region.
Interesting varieties to graft:
- Williams Pear: yellow, sweet and very fragrant pear, consumed both fresh and in processing;
- Beurré Hardy Pear: rustic pear, melting and juicy, slightly acidic, excellent taste quality;
- Conference Pear: elongated pear, thin reddish skin, tender and juicy flesh, ideal for processing (applesauce, jam, etc.).
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3. The cherry tree
The cherry tree is another fruit tree appreciated for its beauty and its delicious sweet fruits. The different varieties of cherries can be grafted in March onto rootstocks suited to your soil, particularly using the complex English grafting technique.
Interesting varieties to graft:
- Burlat Cherry: bright red cherry, fleshy and very sweet;
- Napoléon Bigarreau Cherry: bicolor white-red cherry, juicy and fragrant, resistant to diseases and pests;
- Montmorency Sour Cherry: small tart cherry particularly suited for cooking in jam, pie, or in the famous clafoutis.
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4. The plum tree
The plum tree is an interesting fruit tree for its versatility and its adaptation to different rootstocks. There is a large diversity of varieties of plums that can be grafted in March to extend your fruit production.
Interesting varieties to graft:
- Ente Plum: violet plum, juicy and fragrant, excellent taste quality, mainly used for the making of Agen prunes;
- Mirabelle de Nancy: yellow-orange mirabelle, melting and very sweet flesh, ideal in pastry, jam or simply enjoyed raw;
- Quetsche: elongated plum, slightly tart, very productive, ideal for both fresh consumption and preserves or compotes.
5. The Apricot Tree
Finally, to complete your orchard, consider grafting an apricot tree in March. The bud grafting is the most suitable for this species and several varieties of apricots are interesting for their taste and productivity.
Interesting varieties to graft:
- Bergeron Apricot: orange-yellow apricot with a slight red coloring, firm, sweet and fragrant flesh;
- Red Apricot from Roussillon: apricot with tender flesh and a slightly sweet taste;
- Orangered Apricot: red apricot, very juicy and sweet flesh, excellent taste quality, resistant to sharka virus.
To diversify and improve your orchard, do not hesitate to graft these 5 fruit trees in the month of March. The various grafting techniques such as budding or cleft grafting will allow for better adaptation of the fruit trees to your soil and climate, which will inevitably result in a significant improvement in the diversity and quality of your crops.