I have ordered M9 rootstocks for next seasons grafting.
I would like to keep one and propagate it to be self sufficient with rootstocks. I know that it’s propagated by mounding or layering.
How is this best done in my home garden?
Any advice on this is highly appreciated.
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I havent tried with m9 but i did have a lot of luck airlayering m111. I turned two m111 into 8 or so in the same season i bought the rootstocks.
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I succeeded rooting m111 rootstock sucker fairly easily.
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Pick the one with the most limbs and buds to maximize your number produced. Best to mound it by planting the rootstock with the tree almost flat on the ground. Use some pegs to stake down each limb to the ground. As soon as buds open, you will see vertical growth on your buds. Begin to fill around each branch carefully not covering the tips of growth. Each week add more compost or woodchips until you have covered each branch by at least 4” of growing medium. Water well weekly thru the summer. By fall you should have roots on each vertical. You can then clip them off from the mother rootstock and pot them for grafting.
Good luck
Dennis
Kent, wa
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Thanks! Think I’ll go for DennisD’s approach. Dig a trench and lay it flat.
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This is the best explanation I have seen!
Good luck! I’m attempting this first time too. I’m assuming wherever a bud is will send up a vertical growth which with sawdust can root? Can somebody explain better for me?
Hi Frank,
Some more explanation: The rootstock’s initial main source of energy comes from its roots which need to be fed and watered while it is being stooled. The growth buds on each limb have only one direction to grow since they are attracted to sunlight, so naturally they go vertical. The rooting that develops around each growth bud will occur along the limbs where you have exposed the cambium layer and applied rooting hormone. As the vertical shoots grow you continue to add growing medium around each one each week. Your growing medium should be more than sawdust but contain some form of nutrition for the new roots to grow. A mixture of compost, garden soil ,and spagnum peat moss is highly recommended over sawdust! If you do this and assure the growing medium is mulched and stays moist you will have good results.
Good luck
Dennis
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Do you suggest burying on laying the rootstock and staking to the ground? Have any pics of this stage? It’s a lot easier to understand if I can see it! Thanks for the helpful tips. Also I’m in NY when do you think this should be done laying the rootstock down?
Watch your buds, they will tell you when they are swelling, that’s the best time to plant it so you can get the full growing season of new root growth on each new plant.
Plant it normal depth but leaning so that the tree top is within bendable, without breaking, distance from the ground. Then you weigh down all limbs within 1/2” of the ground. Wait and observe a week or so until you have 3-4” of vertical shoot growth to do the rest. Then scratch the bark of each limb down to expose the green cambium, near each vertical shoot and apply rooting hormone. Then you cover the entire tree with you first few inches of rooting medium as the shoots grow higher you keep adding your rooting medium up to about 4-6” thickness. Keep it wet all growing season.
Good luck
Dennis
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I should add for clarity Frank that once you start covering the original plant limbs with growing medium, be sure to set a market on the location of its roots. Also by now you have covered all limbs with growing medium and you should not see any portion of any limbs uncovered! In the fall or next spring, you will want to go in and cut off each vertical shoot with as much roots as you can. (Segmenting the original tree limbs so that each new plant has adequate roots to grow independently). When you do this, have in your hands a new scion to graft onto the original rootstock and it will still then grow a new top of your selection. This is why you want to clearly mark it so that you can unearth it enough to graft. At that time you just trans plant it in its final location, or pot it to make the grafting easier.
Dennis
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That was an awesome tip right there I appreciate that. So I’ll plan on waiting for the bud to swell before laying it down. I have a few I’m going to attempt it with. I know the first year or 2 will produce little amount but if I see a positive result I’ll be happy. Don’t want to keep having to buy rootstock year after year esp for a hobbyist.
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