[Bodger]

The small apple trees that you see on sale at garden centres, how do the commercial growers set about cultivating  and marketing them ?

[muntjac]

most apple trees today are grafts ,using a quince as the parent plant . they leave em to grow once grafts have taken for 2/ 3 yrs depending on what type and then market them in huge numbers .so called family trees .those with 2/3 types of apple or pear on the same rootstock are easily obtained and can give massive returns ,woolworths do a great range and i can vouch for the returns having planted a kitchen orchard on the estate i worked on

[Bodger]

Any idea where and how they get their rootstock ?

[WG.]

Any idea where and how they get their rootstock ?

I'd be guessing but why wouldn't they simply sow quince seeds?

[muntjac]

no idea bodger you could ccontact a few of them and ask for information and help ,grafting is an easy practice  you could try doing your own . google  grafting fruit trees and im sure there will be lots for you to digest  

[WG.]

Test tube babies is another way!  http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20043101057 In vitro micropropagation of quince rootstock BN-70