Top Working Techniques for Rejuvenating Old Ber Trees

Have you ever looked at an old ber tree in your orchard and wished it could be as productive as it once was? Perhaps the tree has been yielding small, tasteless fruits, or maybe it’s simply stopped producing altogether. Before you consider removing it, there’s a remarkable horticultural technique that could give your aging tree a complete makeover-top working. This age-old practice has been used by orchardists for centuries to breathe new life into unproductive fruit trees, and it works beautifully with ber (Indian jujube) trees.

What exactly is top working? 🔗

Top working is a specialized grafting technique where you change a large tree from an old to a new variety by removing most of the existing canopy and grafting superior scions onto the remaining framework. Think of it as performing a complete transformation on your tree-keeping the established, robust root system while replacing the unproductive top with vigorous, fruit-bearing wood.

For ber trees, this technique is particularly valuable because these hardy trees develop extensive root systems over many years. Trees remain productive for 25-30 years, but sometimes older trees become less vigorous due to poor management, disease pressure, or simply being an inferior seedling variety. Rather than starting over with a new sapling and waiting years for production, top working allows you to leverage the existing root system and obtain fruits from the new variety within just one to two seasons.

When should you consider top working your ber trees? 🔗

Top working becomes necessary when your ber tree shows signs of declining productivity despite proper care. Common indicators include consistently small fruits, poor fruit quality, reduced yields compared to previous years, or when you discover that your tree is an undesirable seedling variety rather than a superior cultivar.

The timing of the operation is crucial for success. For ber trees, the best window for top working is during late spring when the bark begins to separate easily from the wood-a condition horticulturists call “slipping.” In northern India, this typically occurs during April-May, while in southern regions, it may be earlier. Grafting is typically done in spring, from the time buds are beginning to open until blossom time.

Preparing for the top working process 🔗

Success begins with proper preparation. Before you make any cuts, gather all necessary tools and materials:

Essential tools: A sharp grafting knife, pruning saw, grafting tape or plastic strips, grafting wax or compound, and a cleft grafting tool or heavy chisel with mallet.

Scion selection: This is perhaps the most critical step. Choose scions from healthy, disease-free mother trees of proven high-yielding varieties such as Gola, Umran, Banarasi Karaka, or Kaithli. The cultivar ‘Umran’ is particularly noted for superior quality fruits. Scions should be pencil-thick, approximately 15-20 centimeters long, and contain 2-3 healthy buds.

Collect scions while the tree is still dormant, before growth begins. Store them wrapped in moist cloth or plastic bags in a cool, dark place to prevent drying until you’re ready to graft.

The severe pruning phase 🔗

Top working begins with dramatic pruning that can seem alarming if you’ve never witnessed it before. The goal is to cut back the tree’s canopy severely, leaving behind the main trunk and primary scaffold branches that will serve as the grafting framework.

Using a sharp saw, cut major branches at convenient heights-typically 30 to 60 centimeters from the trunk. Select smooth, knot-free, straight-grained sections for making your cuts. Make clean cuts perpendicular to the branch to provide a good surface for grafting. Avoid splitting or tearing the bark, as this will compromise the graft union.

Here’s an important strategy: don’t remove all branches at once. Leave one or two small “nurse branches” on the tree to maintain sap flow and provide nutrition while the grafts establish. These can be removed gradually once the new scions begin growing vigorously.

Grafting techniques for ber tree top working 🔗

Several grafting methods work well for top working ber trees. The choice depends on the diameter of the branches and your skill level.

Cleft grafting 🔗

This is the most commonly used method for top working and is ideal for branches 2-6 centimeters in diameter. After making your cut, split the stub down the center about 5-7 centimeters deep using a grafting tool or heavy knife. Insert the scions with the thicker side toward the outside, ensuring the cambium layers are in contact.

Prepare your scion by making long, smooth, sloping cuts on opposite sides to create a wedge shape. Insert one scion on each side of the split, carefully aligning the cambium (the thin green layer just beneath the bark) of the scion with that of the stock. This alignment is essential-without cambial contact, the graft will fail.

Bark grafting 🔗

This technique works best for larger diameter branches and can only be performed when the bark slips easily. Make a cut through the bark approximately 5 centimeters long, then carefully lift the bark and insert the prepared scion. This method is gentler on the wood and particularly useful when working with older, thicker branches.

Whip and tongue grafting 🔗

For smaller diameter water sprouts or younger branches of similar thickness to your scion, this technique provides excellent results. Make a smooth cut approximately 3-4 centimeters long on both stock and scion, then create interlocking tongues that fit together snugly.

Sealing and protecting the grafts 🔗

Once your scions are in place, immediate protection is crucial. Cover all exposed cut surfaces with grafting wax or compound to prevent moisture loss and pathogen entry. Check the wax after a few days and again after several weeks to ensure all surfaces remain covered, as cracks can develop as the wax sets.

Wrap the graft union firmly with grafting tape or plastic strips to hold everything in place and maintain humidity around the healing tissues. The wrapping should be snug but not so tight that it restricts growth.

Post-grafting care and management 🔗

The weeks following grafting are critical for success. Here’s what your rejuvenated ber tree needs:

Watering: Maintain consistent soil moisture, but avoid waterlogging. Irrigation at intervals of 3-4 weeks is generally appropriate for established ber trees. However, newly grafted trees may benefit from slightly more frequent watering during the establishment period.

Removing competing growth: The rootstock will likely produce numerous shoots and suckers below the graft union. Remove these promptly, as they compete with your grafted scions for nutrients and water. If left unchecked, they can outgrow and eventually suppress the new grafts.

Gradual nurse branch removal: Once your grafted scions show vigorous growth-typically producing 15-20 centimeters of new growth-you can begin reducing the nurse branches. Remove them gradually over several weeks rather than all at once.

Protection from sun and wind: Young grafts are vulnerable to sunscald and can be dislodged by strong winds. Consider providing temporary shade and wind protection during the first growing season. Staking vigorous new shoots helps prevent breakage.

Encouraging fruiting on rejuvenated trees 🔗

With proper care, your top-worked ber tree can begin producing fruit within one to two years after grafting. To encourage optimal fruiting:

Apply balanced fertilization once the grafts are well established. A fertilizer dose of 750 grams nitrogen per tree supports highest yields, though newly grafted trees should receive proportionally less until they develop full canopies.

Light pruning of the new growth helps shape the developing canopy and stimulates the production of lateral branches where fruits will form. Light annual pruning-heading back about one-fourth of the previous year’s growth-promotes heavy yields and good fruit quality.

Common challenges and solutions 🔗

Even experienced grafters encounter failures. Low success rates often result from poor cambial alignment, desiccation of tissues, or incompatibility between scion and rootstock. Fortunately, ber varieties are generally compatible with each other, so rootstock-scion incompatibility is rarely an issue.

If some grafts fail, don’t despair. You can attempt re-grafting the following season using the same branches or working with water sprouts that emerge from the cut surfaces.

What do you think? Have you considered top working as a way to revitalize unproductive trees in your orchard? What varieties of ber would you choose for grafting onto your existing trees, and why?

References

1. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6971
2. https://nhb.gov.in/model-project-reports/Horticulture%20Crops/Ber/Ber.htm
3. https://extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-fruit-grafting-fruit-trees-home-orchard-fact-sheet
4. https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/1116_17
5. https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/basic-grafting-techniques