Apple tree cuttings: spring, summer, autumn, video for beginners

Content

1 Is it possible to grow an apple tree from a branch?
2 Timing of propagation by cuttings
3 Rules for taking cuttings
4 How to properly propagate an apple tree from cuttings
5 Basic mistakes
6 Conclusion

Apple tree cuttings can be done in different ways. One of the popular options is to obtain green shoots at the beginning of summer, plant them in a greenhouse, and then transfer them to a permanent place. Instead of growing, you can also graft onto an adult apple tree. The main methods of reproduction are described in detail in the article.

Is it possible to grow an apple tree from a branch?

It is quite possible to take cuttings from an apple tree at home. To do this, a shoot is prepared from a healthy, well-growing and fruit-bearing tree and grafted onto the rootstock. For cuttings to be successful, it is necessary to choose the right timing. It is recommended to start work strictly in the fall, not in the spring.

Another important point is that in order to grow an apple tree from a branch without a root, you need to carefully select the tree. Both young and old apple trees with valuable varietal characteristics (high yield, good taste and presentation of the fruit, high winter hardiness, etc.) are suitable for the procedure. The selection criteria for cuttings are the same:

Select those shoots that grow at a certain angle to the trunk or other branch. If the shoot grows perpendicularly (top), it will not work.Despite the fact that such cuttings also take root, they do not form an ovary for a long time.
To successfully propagate an apple tree by cuttings, it is best to take shoots not at the beginning, not at the end, but from the middle part of the crown. The apical layers are quite thick, while the lower ones are weaker.
Also, when choosing layerings for cuttings, it is better to focus on those shoots that have short internodes. They are settling in well.
Sprouts for cuttings should not be thick enough. Cuttings with a diameter of less than 7 mm are definitely not worth considering; they do not take root.
You need to cut the shoots so that the top cut is above the “eye”. For proper cuttings, all buds must be smooth and healthy in appearance. They should fit snugly to the shoot.
The cut is clean and the wood is moist and light. The length of the shoot is at least 15 cm.

Timing of propagation by cuttings

The procedure is usually started in the fall or even winter. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid early swelling of the buds, as well as the formation of the first leaves. Work begins in the middle, second half of November, when the flow of sap in the vessels finally stops.

In the southern regions (Stavropol, Krasnodar Territories, North Caucasus, Crimea) work begins in the first ten days of December. When choosing the timing, you need to focus on the temperature. You can work after the first frost. A drop of up to -10 degrees is allowed, but no more. You need to start harvesting shoots for cuttings from an apple tree before the soil freezes.

Green shoots for cuttings are obtained in early summer

Theoretically, the scion can be prepared earlier, for example, in October.But it is better to wait for the first frosts, because they help harden the shoots and increase the chances of survival.

It is possible to propagate the apple tree by cuttings in the spring. This case is suitable for obtaining green shoots. They are cut off, planted in a greenhouse or vaccinated.

Rules for taking cuttings

In order to properly propagate an apple tree with branches, they begin to take cuttings in late autumn. They can be cut from both old and young trees. Several shoots are taken from the middle part of the crown. They are cut so that the length of each is at least 15 cm. After this, a straight upper and oblique lower cut is made.

Shoots for cuttings are stored in a cool, dark room - temperature no more than +3 °C, humidity within 70%. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of freezing (temperature below -10), as well as damage by rodents and other pests. Periodically spray the cuttings with water to prevent them from drying out.

If it is not possible to provide such conditions, the shoot for cuttings can be stored directly outside (when the winters are not too harsh). They are tied together, wrapped in damp cloth and kept in the refrigerator until snow falls. After this, the fabric is removed, the sprouts are allowed to dry, taken outside and covered with a large amount of snow.

There is another way of storage - right on the tree. To take cuttings from an apple tree, choose a one- or two-year-old healthy shoot without damage to the bark, break it a little and fix it in this position with a plaster. In the spring, they are cut at the place where the break was made, after removing the plaster. Place the shoot in a bucket of warm water and crushed activated carbon for three weeks.After the roots appear, you can plant the apple tree in a greenhouse using cuttings without grafting. It is grown in fertile soil (turf soil with humus, peat and sand 2:1:1:1), periodically watered. From late September to mid-October, they are transplanted to a permanent place and carefully mulched for the winter.

Important! After preparing an apple tree cutting for rooting at home, it is important to treat the cut with garden varnish.

This is a reliable prevention against contamination, the penetration of fungi and other infectious agents.

Shoots for cuttings are cut with pruning shears or other tools with sharp blades

How to properly propagate an apple tree from cuttings

Rooting an apple tree can be done using different cuttings - green, lignified and root. The main work steps for each case are described in the following sections.

Apple tree propagation by lignified cuttings

If the shoots for cuttings are already lignified, they can be used for propagation both outdoors and at home. For example, it is permissible to plant it in a box, place it in a warm, well-ventilated room, and water it regularly. In winter, transfer to a cool room with a temperature no higher than +10 °C. If the shoots are actively growing, they are shortened, leaving several pairs of lower leaves.

When growing in open ground, the rules are approximately the same. Shoots for cuttings are planted in fertile soil, covered with a bottle, periodically watered and ventilated. For the winter, hill up and lay a layer of mulch at least 10 cm high.

Attention! Rooting woody apple tree cuttings can also be done in potatoes.

To do this, select a large tuber, stick a shoot into it and dig in. Cover with film, maintaining high humidity.This method is suitable for any apple trees; it is especially successfully used for columnar varieties.

Apple tree propagation by green cuttings

Green cuttings of apple trees are carried out in the summer. The peculiarity of this method of propagation is that it can only be carried out at home or in a greenhouse, since the young shoots have not yet become strong. Even if they are left for the winter in the southern regions, in the first 1-2 years they can be severely damaged by frost.

There are two growing technologies:

Grow the shoot at home or in a greenhouse until a developed root system is obtained, and then transplant it to a permanent location.
Graft onto the rootstock in a cleft, by budding or under the bark.

In the first case, they act like this:

At the beginning of summer (possibly at the end of May), several green cuttings at least 15 cm long are cut.
Make an oblique lower and straight upper cut.
Place in a container with warm water (preliminarily settle for a day).
Add a few drops of a growth stimulator, for example, “Kornevin” or “Epina”.
Place it in the light in the room or outside if it is warm enough. Water is periodically topped up (it is not advisable to completely change). In this case, it is better to use a separate bucket for each shoot.
After the root shoots appear, they are transferred to a small greenhouse with a nutrient mixture - turf soil with peat, humus and sand 2:1:1:1.
Cover with film or a bottle, periodically moisten with a spray bottle and ventilate.
Grow at home for two years, periodically feeding and watering.
Then they are transplanted in the fall to a permanent place. To make cuttings successful, the seedling and roots are carefully mulched. For this purpose, sawdust, hay, straw or other materials are used.

Also, green shoots can be grafted in late spring or in the second half of summer. If cuttings are carried out by grafting into a split, the lower part of the shoot is cut off so as to obtain a sharp wedge. An even split is formed on the rootstock and a blade is installed in this cleft. Carefully fix it with tape and wait until it takes root (1.5-2 months).

Seedlings grown from green branches for cuttings take root well

Growing seedlings from root cuttings

If you propagate an apple tree using this method, it is important to take into account that the seedling is rooted, i.e. obtained not from grafting, but taken directly from the “native” tree. The apple tree itself must be young and produce good harvests.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

In mid-spring, the tree is pruned and dug up a little, forming a small earthen rampart around it.
In a few weeks, root shoots will appear.
Of these, offspring are selected - those shoots that are located at a remote distance from the apple tree itself.
They are observed for 1-2 years, after which they are cut off from the parent tree in the spring or early autumn and transferred to a new place.

This method is quite simple, but it is important to take into account that due to damage to the root system, the mother plant is greatly weakened. Not all offspring will take root; it is necessary to prepare as much planting material as possible.

Basic mistakes

Cutting an apple tree is a simple procedure that is quite accessible even to novice gardeners. But in practice, summer residents sometimes encounter some difficulties that can lead to the death of the graft. The most common errors are:

Sometimes propagation of apple trees by cuttings at home is carried out in the spring, in the belief that this way the grafting will take root faster.In the fall, they are afraid to take cuttings due to unfavorable conditions - extreme frosts in winter, temperature changes. But in fact, it is better to plan cuttings of apple trees in the fall. Otherwise, the shoot draws nutrients from itself and dries out and then dies.
To successfully propagate an apple tree with a broken or regular branch, you only need to work with it with a very sharp tool - a knife, scissors or a sector. Dull blades damage the bark and tear it up, which is why the graft does not take root and dies off quite quickly.
The blades of tools for cutting apple trees must be treated with an antiseptic to prevent infection. For the same reason, they are not even touched with fingers - you can only touch the branch itself (the bark).
To obtain cuttings, only healthy trees are selected and regularly pruned. If the haircut is practically not done, the shoots are less tenacious - then cuttings from an apple tree will most likely end in failure.
On the eve of grafting, cuttings should be prepared. If they were previously stored in a cool room (cellar, refrigerator), they cannot be vaccinated immediately. First, they are allowed to lie in a warm place for at least a day, and if they were previously frozen, then for 3-4 days.
A grafted apple tree (rootstock) needs special care. Therefore, during cuttings, it is watered weekly. Fertilize every 2-3 weeks. Natural precipitation alone will not be enough.

If you take good care of the seedlings, they will quickly produce a harvest.

Conclusion

Apple tree cuttings are one of the effective and relatively simple ways of vegetative propagation of a tree. It allows you to 100% preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant, including the yield, taste and appearance of apples.It is important to note that cuttings, unlike an adult tree, require special care. They are carefully covered for the winter, regularly watered and fed.