Gala wood seams very brittle.
A ice storm years ago , broke many limbs on my gala.
Others,… Not so much
Some of these little trees holding up 50 pounds of apples…no wonder they break.
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@Luongo43 I’m starting over with the stool bed. Last time, I mounted up to much heavy soil all at once killing most of the rootstock. Here is a couple rows of 3yr old M111 I just cut down and started mounding up a bit of lose peat moss over it.
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@39thparallel wow that looks like a legit stool bed. All those in the bushy looking area are all too sticks grown? How long did it take to grow that tall? You put the peat moss down as soon as you cut the main steam? Thank you so much I’m advance
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The stick are just weeds where I used to have a welded wire fence. You could probably let the new growth come up then add some kind of lose compost. You can definitely bury it too deep, soon with heavy soil and kill it.
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Now that I think about it, I will probably pull the peat moss to the side until the new growth comes. I was trying to find something for my kids to do. I made them dump out potting soil from a bunch of old pots.
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Very timely for this thread to be brought back 
I am thinking of trying this with a apple my wife’s family has that makes a very nice sized semi dwarf. I have already grafted some different varieties to it and will know how it responds to them in a few years. I am hoping very well. If so then I will have a very good rootstock to use that is very hardy in the z6b that I live in.
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Good Afternoon,
If anybody is starting a stool bed or has pics of their stool beds I’d love to see them and your process. Hope everybody is being safe
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I am getting some rootstocks ready and will try to plant them in the spot I choose in the Fall I am going to use my Key Apple as a semi-dwarf rootstock and I have some Bud118 apple rootstocks from a couple failed grafts, If I end up with any BET pear rootstock then I may try and stool that as well. I am not sure if I want to just plant out in an area by itself or if I want to try them in a raised bed that I built 
@Luongo43
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Good day!
Hope everybody is enjoying their Labor Day weekend! Just bringing this topic up. Wondering if anybody planted a stool bed this year? I have a few failed grafts I want to stool! Not sure if I should do a ground layer or layer in a pot! Any tips I would appreciate!
Any of above will work if kept moist.
I had intentions of doing some B118, but the summer is gone and I didn’t.
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I grew this M.111 out in the ground all year. Replanted it in a large container. Do I let it go dormant all winter and then late winter I cut it to ground level and the roots should send up mew shooots? First time trying stooling out.
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Has anyone ever tried making a stool bed that started with a persimmon stump?
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Have not. This is my first year attempting a stool bed. I ordered a few persimmon trees for this spring, maybe I will save 1 and try to stool. Are you planning on doing a stool bed this year with a persimmon? Would be interested in your results
Nope, not sure how to go about it, which was why I was asking. I’ve been told it can’t be done for persimmons, but plan to try some experiments anyhoo!
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It can, it’s pre-determined by the genetics of the trees. Either they will root or they won’t. You just need to find one that will (I’ll happily take cuttings when you do!)
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Any suggestions on when I should cut my apple rootstock to ground level? I am located in NY
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I came across this gem and thought it was really helpful.
Propagating Clonal Rootstock.pdf (168.2 KB)
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Awesome article, first time I have seen it. Thanks for the help
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The pictures alone are very helpful on that one. Thanks for sharing.
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