Fruit Cuttings

mellowmick · « **on:** August 22, 2006, 08:49 »

My first cutting, which was a blackcurrant taken in February, is growing well; quite bushy and over a foot high. I've just taken cuttings of an apple tree, cherry tree and purple gooseberry bush and am trying to get them to root in glasses of water (which worked for the blackcurrent). Is this the best method? I tried with raspberries a couple of months ago and all the cuttings just withered and died. Is growing from cuttings reliant on season, growing medium or variety?

Judymac · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2006, 09:20 »

Blackcurrant, redcurrant, blackberry, raspberry and gooseberry will all be very happy with this method, my grandmother was very successful with it.
I however have problems rooting in water, so I take the cutting, dunk the bottom in hormone rooting powder, and grow on in a good general compost. Keeping the compost moist but not waterlogged.

You can grow apples and cherries from cuttings or seeds, but you may not like the results. Many fruit trees are now grafted onto smaller stock so that they don't grow so high. If you grow from a cutting or seed you will get the tree as it is meant to be, very very tall. If you want to reach your fruit easily it may be best to buy on dwarf stock.

I had a look at your view, makes me feel homesick :cry: but from the picture you must suffer from the wind on your plot. Even more reason to go for a smaller tree, I'd recommend M9 or M26 rootstock both approx 3m high when mature.

John · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2006, 09:24 »

I know with apples, pear and cherry trees you buy there are two components.

The rootstock and the fruitstock, which are grafted together to form the plant.

Buying a tree on dwarfing rootstock enables you to have what would be a large tree as a small tree in the garden. Without a rootstock you might find you have a large tree.

mellowmick · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2006, 12:45 »

Quote from: "Judymac"

I had a look at your view, makes me feel homesick :cry:

It's west facing but the worst winds come from the North, and I'm protected by a large hedge.

Thanks for the advice. The whole process looks a lot more complicated than I thought.

Jake · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2006, 13:15 »

apparently grafting is easy. I am determined to try it one day. Apples I believe can be grafted onto hawthorn but it is more usual to use crab apple rootstock.

James · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2006, 21:49 »

Quote from: "john"

I know with apples, pear and cherry trees you buy there are two components.

Sometimes three components. Particularly with ornamental cherry trees, sometimes they have a particularly ornamental trunk. So you have a double-grafted tree - rootstock to dwarf; trunk to look pretty all year round, and a suitably pretty top.

mellowmick · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2006, 14:13 »

Feels like I'm reading the Island of Doctor Moreau :!:

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