How to propagate your own rootstocks

Here is a technique that you can use to propagate your own apple tree rootstocks - these can then be grafted with other varieties thus increasing your range of apples throughout the year- learning how to propagate your own rootstocks can save you a lot of money too!
Create your own orchard, easily and cheaply by following these simple propagation techniques and move towards self sufficiency!

[@GreenSideUp]

Hi Woody, new subscriber here, I have some rootstocks to move in this next couple of weeks so this is good info for me. Many thanks...Steve...:)

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi Steve, nice of you to subscribe to my channel (subbed back). Glad to hear the video is helpful. Kind regards Woody 👍

[@GreenSideUp]

@@cumbrianhomestead I bought 6 rootstocks early last year, 3 mm106 and 3 StJulien, I will be moving them soon. The idea has always been to graft onto two of each saving the third to propagate further rootstocks. It's just unfortunate that I have to move them all now before starting the process. I love the bucket idea of mounding up.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@GreenSideUp Steve, that sounds like a good plan. I put the bucket over a tree grafted onto M26 that had snapped off at the base in a winter storm. I'm sure it will work okay with a younger rootstock. You could replant at a 20 degree angle and pin down the stock with tent pegs and gradually cover with soil once vertical shoots start growing strongly.

[@GreenSideUp]

@@cumbrianhomestead Thank you Woody, I will plant one of each type at 20 degrees when I move them all this next week. Assuming I get favourable conditions, I assume it will be next Spring before I am dividing up rootstocks as you have in this video?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@GreenSideUp Could be two years Steve, depends on how much growth they make. 8-10 mm is a good diameter.

[@friedrichdostoyevsky491]

Awesome. Juuust awesome

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks so much 🙏👍

[@friedrichdostoyevsky491]

genius! thank you brother! I will put this idea to much use. I'm thinking Hazel nut prorogation.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks so much for your kind words If you check out my playlist, there's some videos there on how to propagate hazel nuts. Best regards 👍👍

[@EssayonsFG]

Thanks for the tutorial on propagating root stock, Woody. We will be doing more as we clear land for planting more fruit trees. Cheers, Rob

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks Rob, well you have enough land my friend! Best wishes 👍

[@shabirahmad843]

Wow simple

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thank you 🙏

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

Morning, well 6 AM here lol. Just watched James Cameron's latest video. He said to soak the roots for a couple hours. Then he buried the "based" under the ground surface by creating a well for water to collect. He also added fungi? Just wondering you thoughts? Maybe a great video idea for you !! Anyways, great video. Looks like a great propagation method. Cheers

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hey Clive I think James's video might reflect the much drier conditions in the south of the UK. No need to soak ( unless they arrive dry) or create reservoir as our soil at that time of year is usually very wet. Just dig a hole deep enough to cover the roots. I've never added fungi btw. Appreciate your time to comment mate 👍

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

@@cumbrianhomestead ok perfect!! Speaking from experience, as new gardeners it's easy to "over-love" plants and kill them lol Cheers

[@trollforge]

I really like the bucket idea Woody! My stool layering experiments were not too fruitful. I'll be trying this for sure!

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks Tim, yes give it a go my friend, I'm sure it will work for you 👍

[@3FeathersFarmstead]

Very nice demonstration. I am doing this on a slightly smaller scale with one of my "runt" rootstocks...

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thank you for your kind comments. Hope yours turns out well. Best wishes 👍

[@terrykingsallotmentgardening]

Excellent tutorial Woody and an experiment that will pay dividends for years to come. ♻️Happy Gardening........🥕Terry King 🥕

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks Terry, I believe that I'll be able to harvest that stool indefinitely as long as the roots are alive. Will be good to graft some trees f on my own rootstock. Cheers mate 👍

[@terrykingsallotmentgardening]

@@cumbrianhomestead 👍😁

[@idahogardengirl942]

Thank you for the video! Very interesting!

[@cumbrianhomestead]

you're very welcome my friend - and thank you for stopping by, lovely to hear from you :-)

[@RidgeLife]

That’s a great thing. Thanks.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

You're welcome friend, thanks for watching 👍

[@Mrsnufleupagus]

Wow buddy, you pack a shed load of teaching in some simple vids. Thanks for that, I found that very interesting))

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hey Ryan, you are very welcome my friend - you should be able to replicate this on your farm mate - just make sure you have the right rootstock for your climate - I would plant a few in a corner somewhere out the way - there's another method which is still the same principle (see my upload on wednesday) cheers pal :-)

[@giantdormouse]

Great information, Woody. Found it very useful, mate. Cheers!

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks Mike, appreciate your kind feedback mate👍

[@PrairiePlantgirl]

Good thinking on this one. Free rootstock.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks PPG, you can't beat free! 😉 Thanks for watching my friend 👍

[@Ginnygardener914]

I tried this last year and it only shot up 1 new stock. Wasn’t sure if I did it right so i didn’t try to root it. Would love to propagate my own rootstock. A few decent KZbin videos on it but very rare to find a tutorial video on mound or trench layering.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

What size rootstock were you using? It's worth persevering with! Best regards and thank you for watching the video 🙏

[@philomath387]

Nice haul for a first year stoolbed! I’m also in a first year trial (G.222 stock) and hopefully the results are as good as your. Thanks for the video👍🏻

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hey friend, its a pleasure to hear from you! I am very pleased with the outcome of this. I'll look forwards to seeing the results from your G.222 best regards

[@alaskansourdoughwormsgarde4392]

That was really an interesting video. I have seen suckers on other trees here and wondered about grafting. I believe you said you have a video on grafting, if so I’m gonna check it out. Thanks👍🏻

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi Cathy, yes I've several videos on grafting in my playlist. Next video will be on the results of "layering". Have a great week ahead my friend 👍

[@MuddyBootz]

This has explained a lot.....I always wondered how rootstock was created........I really did believe in the Rootstock Fairy 🤣👍 🌻 Nigel .......MuddyBootz Allotment 🌻

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hehehe 😁 Thanks mate, I'm glad it's helping your understanding. Try and catch my next upload on Wednesday, it's a follow up on "layering". Cheers mate 🍺👍

[@KellysKitchenGarden]

You aren’t half clever Woody! I’ve always wondered how this was done. Patience is a virtue isn’t it. If I remember to, I’ll put a clip in my next video of the gooseberry and redcurrant cuttings I took from my friends bushes. They were pretty overgrown and haven’t been pruned in many years, so it was a case of cut a few branches and hope for the best! We shall see. The plan is for cordon gooseberries like you showed me 👍🏼🌱

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hey thanks for your kind words Kelly, I'll look out for your cuttings video. Check out my next upload ( on Wednesday) a follow up on propagation by layering. Cheers 👍

[@KellysKitchenGarden]

Cumbrian Homestead oh fantastic!

[@williamcolemansgardenandal9017]

Fascinating as always Woody. There's no rush on these things eh? A really long game, but I suppose that getting things started is two thirds the battle. 🍺🍺🍺

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Absolutely mate, you could sacrifice an apple tree in a corner somewhere, put the bucket over once shoots emerge and forget about it for a couple of years. In theory, as long as the root stays alive you can harvest stocks indefinitely. Cheers mate 🍺🍺

[@jacknanuq6119]

3 years later. How did it work out?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

I no longer have the plot, but I got a lot of rootstock of it and it's a really good way of getting free rootstock if you are patient for a couple of years. Thanks for watching 🙏

[@ThedawnchorusPlot]

Hi Woody, that’s interesting, I’ve very often pulled off a sucker from my fruit trees, not any more, trees of your choice for free , potentially you have rood stock donor for life, Many thanks for sharing, kind regards alan🌿...............THE DAWN CHORUS PLOT

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hello Alan, thank you for your kind comments mate, I love plant propagation and this method can be used by anyone. Best wishes 👍

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

Look like good root stalks top me. 👍👍 I like the price too. Best wishes Bob.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hehehe 🤣 cheers Bob, free has got to be the best price. Cheers my friend 👍

[@phillipche8727]

Normally it takes ho long time from you put the bucket to make the root stock to you harvest the rock stock?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

About 3 years before you start harvest rootstock

[@valpan7700]

I recover only one root sucker from an m26 grafted apple(for sure it's from m26 rootstock because it was 25-30 cm below grafting point) .I wonder if i can apply this method to multiply or will be a waste of time ?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

I think it will work for you 🙂

[@valpan7700]

​@@cumbrianhomesteadThanks for your fast answer....I will try this method.... hopefully good results will come.

[@markwoten6679]

So if I get it right, you got a group of apple root stock. To graft something onto it, it must be a variety of apple? Thanks

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Yes that's right Mark. You gather the variety of apple that you want to graft in January when the trees are dormant. They are called 'scions' - wrap them in cling film and keep in the fridge. You then graft them into rootstock in late march/early April. ATB 👍👍👍

[@BenniLkitchengarden]

Making your own root stock. This was interesting, Woody. I have an appletree with growth under the grafting point on one of my Gravenstein. Is that possible to make a root stock out of? Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Woody.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi Benni, it is certainly worth a try. If it's long enough I would probably try layering it ( scrape the bark to expose the cambium layer then pin it down onto bare soil, if it roots, cut it off the mother and then you could then try raising stocks from it. I've a video on this process in my playlist and a follow up coming next Wednesday. Have a great evening my friend 👍🤗

[@BenniLkitchengarden]

Thanks👍

[@AilexLoveMix]

Woow nice video hi new friend here thank you

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hey thanks so much for watching and subscribing 👍

[@AilexLoveMix]

@@cumbrianhomestead welcome,

[@user-jd7tl8ph5h]

😊😊42like, 👍👍hello friend

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks for visiting

[@mariecurrie7657]

Was the tree snapped off in 2019? Could you do this by wrapping the base of a healthy/productive tree if you didn't have a damaged specimen? I hadn't considered that good record keeping of the original stock would be important either 👍👍👍 Excellent video & a massively useful technique. Thank you very much for sharing this Woody!

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi Marie, The tree was snapped at soil level by a gale in 2018. Once I noticed shoots sprouting from the stump, I knew it was still alive and put the inverted bucket over it. Two years later, and rootstocks 😀😀. Sometimes, fruit trees will send up shoots around their base or a little away from the trunk, if you can lift those with roots on they will make rootstocks. You could buy a couple of rootstock and plant them at 20 degree angle in the soil ( I'm showing that on Wednesday), they'll send up vertical shoots.

[@mariecurrie7657]

Perfect! I've created a new folder for these videos to save them for future reference. 🌳🍎🍏🍐🍒🍋

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@mariecurrie7657 Awesome my friend 👍🤗

[@rajuazad7478]

Hi...very knowledgeable and informative vedio...can I propagate same year of plantation...

[@cumbrianhomestead]

yes, you can propagate the harvested rootstock in the same year - thanks for your kind comments and question. very best wishes!

[@kosmosjk]

That's a brilliant video Woody, one I will definitely come back to in the future. Thanks for sharing, you are helping to demystify the rootstock world :-)

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thanks Julia, I really appreciate your kind feedback! I'm also glad to hear that you have found it useful and something to come back to. Have a great week ahead in your polytunnel 😉😉👍

[@keithwiggins8240]

Hi Woody, love the videos. I am a newby to trying to graft new apple tree so advice please. I bought rootstock last year and put in a nursery bed so that they can be moved later. Do I dig up the stock now and then heel them in so that I can bench graft in late March or do I leave them and attempt to graft onto the stock whilst its in the ground. Hope that makes sense. Thanks Keith

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi Keith Personally I would dig up the stocks now and heel them in for bench grafting in March. You could graft in situ of course but it's easier on the bench. If you check my playlist, you'll see a number of grafting videos there. Best wishes 👍👍

[@keithwiggins8240]

@@cumbrianhomestead Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. After grafting can they go in their final position? PS I am just down the road in chilly Lancs. Keith

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@keithwiggins8240 You're welcome mate. After grafting I pot mine up ( use Morrison flower buckets) that way I can keep an eye on things.

[@keithwiggins8240]

@@cumbrianhomestead Again many thanks for the advice

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@keithwiggins8240 Anytime 👍

[@markwoten6679]

What was that container you used?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Mark It was a plastic bucket ( the type supermarkets use for putting flowers in). I inverted it and cut the bottom out. Hope that helps ATB 👍👍👍

[@McCoysOakHillFarm]

Nice :) How did you determine what you wanted for root stock?

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Hi there, I was looking for the thicker stems ( 8-10mm) as these will be more aligned to Scion wood diameter, that will make a better graft. Hope this helps 👍

[@McCoysOakHillFarm]

Thank you that makes sense to do. I was thinking more in the variety types you may have picked for hardiness, disease resistance,etc. Just curious :)

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@McCoysOakHillFarm Well I choose M26 and M9 originally because the plot is not that big ( so trying to max out the space available). On the micro orchard I used a mix of M9 and M26, and am gradually replanting with mm106, so will have larger but fewer trees which can cope with grass grows up to their trunks ( M9/M26 can't compete). Bigger rootstock don't need staking, take a bit longer to start fruiting, but will fruit for much longer than smaller rootstock. Does this help? Cheers 👍

[@McCoysOakHillFarm]

That is interesting. Thank you :)

[@cumbrianhomestead]

@@McCoysOakHillFarm You're welcome friend 👍

[@SouthpawDavey]

Was just thinking of this been out having a fire and I have my plumb stocks outside..

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Should work fine with plum stocks mate 👍

[@storiesfilm-kristianwolski7950]

You have nice content - we should be YT friends - You have my sub!!

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Thank you!

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Great stuff Woody (change the name from stool bucket LOL 😎 Not too long to wait before the sap is rising.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

LOL, " slop bucket" 🤣 Yes, things are getting nearer mate. Hope you're having a great weekend 👍

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

@@cumbrianhomestead Cheers mate - yep, all good here at present. 6kg lost on the low carb lifestyle change (can't call it a diet LOL) not bad for 2 weeks. Yes I know a lot of the initial loss is water but it is still six bags of sugar that I'm not carting around all the time 🙂

[@MrMockingbird1313]

When you make a video, please speak English. I'm sure you would get more likes.

[@cumbrianhomestead]

Which part is not English?