Reading a NC university article; and crab apple trees generally tend to root by cutting. Most rootstocks have crab apple parentage. Has anyone tried seeing if those sticks would grow? Or stool or layer them?
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I have read some of the ohxf series are best propagated by cuttings. I forget the series but it was likely a paper I found on here that showed cuttings rooted at different lengths/widths after soaking in 200ppm IBA with some of the average/small size cuttings rooting at 93% although the range was 60-90% mostly around 2/3.
I cant comment towards the apple/crab apple aspects of your post as far as tendency to root but yes I do believe rootstock can be propagated by cuttings. Although success will likely depend on characteristics of the rootstock etc and may vary.
edit: found the source I was referring to. https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/horticulture/osu-nursery-greenhouse-and-christmas-trees/ond070103.pdf
Could probably apply the same technique to apples and see if its successful. Im sure someone else has tried though and will give you a better answer
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This year I had some luck with M-111.
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i have propagated the left over cuttings that i cut of rootstocks used for grafting a few times.
I used to do it like i root fig cuttings (in a box half covered by barely moist coco choir) works fine. But takes a while. I didn’t take notes but from what i remember way longer than figs.
MM111 and M9 worked. If i recall correctly, the MM111 rooted better/faster than M9
Nowadays i just stick pruning’s of rootstock in the ground. And early spring they have some roots.
See picture below of B9 rooted this way.
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Looks like sandy loamy soil, probably really great for cuttings!
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yea, true. i should have mentioned that. It’s really sandy. Top layer 16" or so is sandy with a bit of silt and organic material. Below that is basically white beach sand.
i would not recommend just sticking the cuttings in soil outside, if your in heavy clay.
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Well too; I noticed Treco offers to sell you softwood rooted cuttings to buy if rootstock is not available.
I’m sure rooting apple cuttings/apple rootstock cuttings
can be accomplished.
But, apparently the skill and the conditions needed are not the conditions one finds in a shady location in the garden or in nursery pots placed in the shade outdoors…for
I’ve tried probably 50 or more using 5 or 6 different cultivars and got zero plants.
Stooling…that is much better for success.
I even suspect soft cuttings of apples or apple rootstocks could be rooted in a greenhouse misting operation.
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I had maybe 30% success with m111 and 20% with b118 cuttings 3-4 years ago. Just shoved them in pots of native soil and put them under the dripline of my shop on the north side.
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Well heck. Even with 30% success; stooling them out gives you a lot of free rootstocks in a year our too.
Or you could dig them out, replant and bud chip the heck outta of it.
I may have to try again. It’s the humidity I think. Once leaves form, they dessicate and have no roots.
30% is ‘success’. B-118 is one of the half dozen I tried in vain, though.
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B118s that did make roots for me had much smaller and fewer roots than the m111s. If I was going to try again, I’d go with m111.
FWIW…I tried a bunch of Smitty’s Seedling watersprouts dipped into rooting compound a couple years ago. Zero success
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