growing your own rootstocks

[sean_0]

Hi, I'm interested in having a go at grafting my own apple trees. Does anybody know how rootstocks for apple trees (M26, M9 ect) are propogated? Are they raised from pips or rootcuttings or by some other mechanism?

Thanks

[il_cacciatore]

In short, the commercial way to do it is cuttings. A useful journal artical can be found at this link: Temperate Fruit Tree Rootstock Propagation PDF Good luck

[SueA]

Blimey that's a bit long-winded! Basically it seems to imply that you can take softwood cuttings in spring if you want to produce rootstocks from your existing trees though - I think!

[il_cacciatore]

Yes although the major problem is that you need to have space to have a rootstock and let it grow into a tree.

[nick the grief]

There are some interesting pages on here. And as an added bonus your not far from either Piglet or Me if you go here

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/apple40.html