How to turn trunk suckers into rootstock?

General Fruit Growing
#1

I have a lot of trunk suckers (from rootstock but above ground, arising from trunk) on a peach tree.

I would love to turn this problem into an opportunity. Do I just throw a mound of mulch around the trunk?

I am willing to risk trunk disease etc, it is not a rare cultivar and I could use the rootstock. Thanks.

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#2

That works. It’s basically air layering at that point. If I have suckers that are close to the ground, I cut holes in the bottom of old pots, slide them over the sucker, fill with dirt, and then remove them in the fall or spring. Then you’ve got a potted rootstock ready to go.

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#3

That is great advice @SMC_zone6 . Thanks for the tip!

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#4

Thanks for the suggestion. I ended up searching for air layering suckers and found a good video. In it he is actually not air layering but actually tip rooting. I did not realize that one can tip root these, and I will try that. If it works, they would be a really easy way to turn suckers from a problem into a source of new rootstock!

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#5

Is the peach tree grafted? and do you know the rootstock kind?

Usualy you don’t see so much growth on the main trunk. It’s probably just fine. But it could be a sign of the graft union problems or heavy pruning.

if they don’t root that well for you. You could also try and let the suckers grow new shoots from below where you burried them, by pruning. Shoots that grow through dirt often root more easy.

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#6

I installed a well late last summer. So I went from underwatering to abundant watering. After that everything in my yard just exploded in growth. I am assuming it is that, and hopefully nothing more.

Good suggestions, thanks. The rootstocks for peach I have in general is Lovell and Nemaguard. I can check and see if there is a pattern of one vs the other.

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#7

I turned my M111 suckers into rootstocks last Feb. They survive.
I’ll do more.

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