cuttings

tadhg11

hi all, is it possible to take a cutting from apple and plum and damson trees? and if so how?
thanks for anyh help you can give

looksee

The short answer is yes, take semi-ripe cuttings, dip them in hormone rooting powder or gel, and plant in pots of compost.

The much longer answer is that there are all sorts of provisos depending on the type of tree etc. I suggest you have a look around the internet, google for 'apple tree propagation' etc, and see what they have to say. You will find all sorts of information about root stocks and grafting etc, and also more straightforward advice about taking cuttings. Some trees root very
readily from cuttings, others are harder to get going. I think you will find fruit trees are rather more difficult.

bored_newbie

I took some cuttings form a cooking apple tree last autumn and three or four of them have some life in them.

I'm wondering if anyone has done this recently, it doesn't seem to be a common thing to do.

I know that grafting is popular but is that an absolute must with cooking apple trees?

They are currently in a raised bed with only about three inches of soil but I suspect they don't have roots as such. There are new buds coming but that doesn't mean roots yet I don't think. Any advice to when I should move them? Should I put them into separate pots straightaway?

Jim_Hodge

Generally cuttings lead to a much too big tree if not grafted to a suitable root stock. Ungrafted can be very susceptible to disease as well. Transplant to cuttings if and when some leaves actually open. You'll never know what you'll get until you try.