Propagating Clonal Rootstocks

Propagating clonal apple rootstocks in a stoolbed for grafting new apple trees onto.

[@helentc]

Wow, very informative. So much to learn with grafting. Thank you for sharing.

[@EileenMKeyes]

Thanks so much for this video. I have a small antique orchard which is over a hundred years old. Most of the trees have died, but the few survivors make the tastiest apples. I think I can use "suckers" from the bases of them to make rootstock like you show here and graft scions from the branches, to continue the line with new trees. Bless you for sharing!

[@stevec1015]

Great video. I grafted a few apple trees for my own use here in Shropshire, England and plan on doing more in the future. I bought MM106 rootstocks and have a few left over where the grafts didn't take, so now I know what to do with them ! Often wondered how rootstocks were created - now I know.

[@LindenRanch]

This is awesome. I will be giving this a try. Grafting the rootstock saving a year is another awesome bonus. So cool.

[@samalemu7508]

This is the man who solved what has been a mystery for me. Wherever you are thank you!!

[@paulmontagna3996]

My favorite video so far, thank you so much

[@hh1917]

Informative, clear and awesome video. Thank you!

[@josemarquez8413]

The best educational channel on apples!😀

[@cooper68ns]

Thank you very much for this.I ordered rootstock for this spring,and planed on saving out 3 to propagate off of.this helped a great deal,all the best.your spring is early,ours is not until April or May.3ft of snow and -15 right now :).

[@RiverHayes]

Loved this video. Very informative!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@kuffelcreek]

This container is what we call 15-gallon trade size. You let the mother tree grow first and then cut it to pot level, add the ring, and then add sawdust as the suckers grow. The new suckers root into the sawdust; no cutting needed.

[@helentc]

@kuffelcreek What is the benefit of using sawdust compared to soil? I would have thought it would reduce nitrogen availability. Is it just because it is a loose growing medium? Thank you in advance.

[@MrWhiltetail]

Thank you for your help!

[@crazyamazondude]

Fantastic video, Thanx fo posting!

[@aainds]

Thanks for the video dint know that you could do that ,we also have 3 ft of snow here cant wait for spring !

[@BenzoneKennedyFSepe]

Love the idea on rootstock propagation im also copying this and the trench layering. Thank you from the Philippines i grow apples here from seeds...

[@kuffelcreek]

@mmaaxx1198 Yes, I've heard it as mound layering, ground layering, and stoolbed. I think containerized mound layering is probably the best description, as a stool bed has the trees tied down horizontally.

[@marko176schneider5]

Super Video.Danke!

[@honeydropfarm1605]

Thank you! I am going to order some dwarf rootstocks right now and try this!

[@David-kd5mf]

great info!

[@Bridgestreetnursery]

I have enjoyed watching your videos. Lots of information and well done. I'm curious about your project of tropical apples. sounds interesting.

[@camillanielsen2415]

Very helpful! Thank you! :)

[@shabirahmad843]

very excellent work ..I will also grow in same way...

[@ngoctran-kl4tw]

thanks you so much

[@stephenpeppin5537]

Thank you!

[@kuffelcreek]

@mmaaxx1198 No, its just plain sawdust; for the pots a combination of peat moss and perlite is also used and has been tested to be the most productive. The stoolbed farms use shredded bark from the local sawmills. They fertilize the tree roots.

[@sharad842]

Thank you

[@tonihoelzer]

thank you very much for this video, this is what i needed.greating from thuringia

[@badistikoud8093]

thank you for the quiqe response an other question if not bother whats your advice's about rootstocks what's the best ones we have in my country only 109 and 106 rootstocks in grafted trees

[@joeae6297]

Thank you for such a great video. One question: for those stool beds do you need to provide them with a rooting hormone? Thanks in advance.

[@user-lu1md8jk4u]

Great video. I have been interested in this topic and came accross your video. Can you do the same with a pecan tree?

[@radrickdavis]

My rootstock is starting to open buds below the graft. Wondering if I should pinch it off now to help promote the graft to bud, or instead can I let the bud on the rootstock grow until winter, then prune and plant as a new rootstock cutting? Do cuttings root?

[@QUARTERBAT]

@ProfKSE I took the plunge and planted my mm106 and St Julian "A" root stocks and cut them of at ground level I sealed them by melting a little bees wax on the top which are about 25mm in diameter . Just have to wait and see what happens next year.

[@MrWhiltetail]

Thank you for the quick response! Finding information on propagation from cuttings has been difficult. I live in zone 5 so I could let winter take care of the 800 chill hours couldn't I? I have thought about trying intermittent mist too. What are your thoughts on this?

[@brianmitchell535]

It is March here in Tennessee and was wondering if I should go ahead and cut my M111 rootstock back for the first time so it will start to send up shoots? So to be clear, I have let my M111 grow for 2 years and am ready for the next step. Is this the right time of year to cut it back to ground level to stimulate shoot growth? Also, does this method work for a Bud 9 as well? Love your videos by the way!

[@ghouliegrrrl]

Great video! Do you know if this will work on mariana plum rootstock? I have a huge sucker coming out from my weeping santa rosa.

[@pedroaguirre5464]

Great!

[@kuffelcreek]

@usc5299 Yes, provided the tree you took the branch from produced good apples.

[@mickharr]

Do you need to fertilize the base tree? If so at what level is recommended? Thanks!

[@kuffelcreek]

Spring won't arrive until April, this is pretty much our winter, and Dorsett Golden is a Winter-flowering apple. It is hardy to Zone 4 but never fruits there. Thanks for your comments.

[@bcdender]

How big is that container? So if I understand well you have to wait for the 'mother' tree to come out and than put the ring with saw dust? Will the new rootstocks get roots from theirself or do you need to cut them a bit?

[@QUARTERBAT]

@kuffelcreek very good videos. I've just been given a mm106 apple and a St Julian' A 'plum stock . I want to propagate them as in the video . It's winter here in England with lots of frost to come . when is the best time for me to cut the root stocks down to ground level and plant them . there in 5inch polythene plant pots at the moment.

[@badistikoud8093]

can you explain can I get a rootstock from a big tree already grafted in a 109 rootstock

[@bcdender]

When do you cut it at ground level or pot level? When do you take of the ring and cut the new rootstocks?

[@rynophiliac]

great video! When you say cut the tree off at ground level... should I cut it right at ground level? or should I leave a 2-3" stump there? Seems like right at ground level might let some disease in there

[@jojinapigkit2022]

good day, what about those cuttings after the rooted stocks, can we still graft a Scion on it and claim grafted seedlings on a rootstock? thanks.

[@scottsdalepsi]

Does your clonal rootstock method only work on apples? Or does it work on other fruit varieties I.e. citrus. Thanks

[@kuffelcreek]

Not so much the rooting media for the plant itself, but for the media surrounding the shoots a 50% mix of peat moss and perlite gave the highest number of shoots, more than sawdust or shredder chips. However because of the cost the peat/perlite is not used for large scale propagation. The roots will adapt fine to clay soils for the mother plant, but it would present problems if used above ground around the shoots, which need a looser media.

[@stuartt5822]

Do I have to wait for the stems to lignify before covering them or they may be herbaceous

[@KwaiTerk]

Hi I have a red/purplish crab apple tree that I want to get rid of. Instead, I would like to try to propagate rootstocks from it. You said to cut it to the ground level, exactly or above ground little? How long before it start sprouting from the stomp? I remember cutting one of my healthy tree(not apple) down and it never sprouted. Do I need to water it? When is the best time to cut? I live in Iowa.

[@kuffelcreek]

You cut it to pot level during dormancy, which is the same time you harvest the new rootstocks.

[@rickywrenn]

Will this method work with Citation plum/apricot rootstock?

[@alejandrochavez5314]

What size containers are those? Is it possible to do this in 5 gallon home depot buckets?

[@OLARADENISH-ul4gy]

How long can i leave the mother to grow before cutting to th potting level and add sawdust?

[@andreahudson4661]

Hi I was wondering..... is it possible to pile sawdust around a mature already grafted tree to get more rootstock from the original base of the tree? (the rootstock)

[@sharad842]

Is there any effect of rooting media on number of shoots ? What if we use clay soils as rooting media ?

[@usc529]

okay little confused. so you plant a seed, let it grow a lot of roots then take a branch from another tree and graft it to the tree i grew from seed then it will produce good apples???

[@Buzzy1960]

Hi Kuffelcreek, where do you get the bucket top that has no bottom in it....the one you pull out to get to the root stock? thanks

[@MrWhiltetail]

Can apple tree root-stocks (like MM 111 & BUD 118) be propagated as rooted cuttings?

[@greatmooselake]

Where is a good place to buy my initial M111 EMLA rootstock? Perhaps I should just sacrifice a purchased grafted tree and cut it off below the graft?

[@MyRcGoSlow]

were you buy man thanks liked the video man

[@kingskawn]

Did you also try to plant apple cuttings?

[@ericogayon1986]

Hi sir Kevin.if I buy m111 rootstock from nursery and grow it,it is possible to harvest the same as m111 rootstock?or there is a selected mother tree which can I get m111.thanks.

[@kuffelcreek]

The protocol I have is from the East Malling Research Station, which calls for 2.5grms of IBA in 500ml of acetone to which 500ml of water is then added; dip the cuttings 5 seconds in it and allow to dry, then place on the damp sand bed with 21 C. bottom heat. Keep the bark on top damp, watering every couple days. It says nothing about misting. The cuttings are held in a bundle by Saran wrap, and the bark keeps them standing upright. When you see green buds, check for roots.

[@ProfKSE]

Kevin, I have an apple tree I suspect is a rootstock. I thought it was a Red June so I transplanted it but the apple is NOT a Red June. Have you ever heard of a description of a MM111 apple?

[@vernlb1759]

Can you propagate new pear trees the same way.

[@travisrist3218]

I've had good luck doing this with apples but I'm having trouble getting pear suckers to root. Any suggestions?

[@ajones8699]

For pear Use quince they are very easy.

[@MrStoneyone]

is cedar sawdust ok my soil is very clay

[@sumanbharti4688]

Nic

[@yankeeapple5615]

Keep in mind that a virus may have been introduced during the initial graft on the rootstock "That didnt take" or when the the shoots were bud grafted before they were detached. I've been burned by viruses this way before and unknowingly given contaminated material away to my friends. I now even sanitize my pruning shears etc before moving on to a new tree when pruning.

[@metisrick5946]

Great Video, were there any special nutrients/hormones added to promote rooting?

[@kuffelcreek]

No, this variety of rootstock readily roots in just about any moist media as long as there are roots below pushing it. It is much hard to root hardwood cuttings from it with no roots to start with.

[@tggardeners404]

​@@kuffelcreek the temperature of my area does not fall below 10 degree Celsius is it possible to grow Anna Apple?

[@cactusfarmer]

wunderbar

[@paparoot6694]

Does this method work for any kind of tree you are wanting to graft on?

[@jasonvieira222]

PapaRoot needs to be from the same species. i.e. drupes, citrus, etc.

[@badistikoud8093]

I want know if I can get rootstock to propagate it from a tree same I buy a tree grafted at 109 rootstock can I broke the scion and propagate the rootstock to get more ones ? we can't find rootstocks in my country

[@kuffelcreek]

Yes, cut the tree off at the ground and pile sawdust around the sprouts that grow up from the roots like in the video.

[@MakePeace123]

Do you add any rooting hormone or will it root on its own

[@kuffelcreek]

No hormone needed, they root on their own.

[@j.t.masters1934]

If I can't get sawdust could I use fine wood mulch? Would sand and soil mix work better? Just wondering what medium gives the best results, thank you.

[@kuffelcreek]

Commercial rootstock nurseries periodically mow the tops of the rootstocks back to 3' tall during the growing season, which is chopped up finely and sprayed back into the layer bed. This mulch builds up over time and is what the sprouts root into. Perlite or sand has been used as well; it comes down to whatever you have, and sawdust is the cheapest and most plentiful in most cases.

[@j.t.masters1934]

@@kuffelcreek Thank you.

[@smezley50]

Great video, I have a two year old root stock but what you don't say is what is the best time to cut it back to ground level?

[@earthneutral4003]

+Les French I cut them back in late Winter, or very early Spring.

[@smezley50]

+Earth Neutral Thank you for confirming my question, I thought it would be then, he just didnt say. Regards Les

[@earthneutral4003]

+Les French Your welcome

[@glaucouswingedgull]

+Earth Neutral Thank you for your informative replies. I also was wondering about the timing. I understood the scion wood is kept in a refrigerator, and as soon as the root stock just begins to break dormancy, then you graft the scion to the rootstock. However, in late winter, or very early spring the rootstock has not begun to break dormancy, so do you replant the rootstock and wait a month or two before you dig them up again and do your grafting?

[@csanad_kocsis]

+John Steed There's no need to dig them up again for grafting. Plant it where you like and graft when it is time.

[@ThomasShue]

where can I buy the base tree root for the M111 shown in the pot?

[@kuffelcreek]

You can try www.cumminsnursery.com

[@Jay-tk7ib]

www.centuryfarmorchards.com/

[@chrisdunlevy5350]

Does this method work for mm102? What would happen if you planted the left over parts of the rootstock that you cut off, would they grow?

[@earthneutral4003]

I planted out ten cuttings, they all grew for a few months, but started to struggle as the weather warmed up. In the end 9 died, but 1 grew to over a metre tall, and established a root system. I was able tot transplant it and it is growing very well.

[@healthygardens5236]

+Earth Neutral how is it going now?

[@earthneutral4003]

Very strong, it is Spring here in Australia and it is just starting to blossom. It is one year old and over a metre tall

[@MrWhiltetail]

Will this work just as well with the Budovsky rootstocks equally as well?

[@kuffelcreek]

Yes, but they won't grow as vigorously.

[@MrWhiltetail]

kuffelcreek Thank you for the quick response. I will order some tomorrow.

[@RohruAbhiAbhi]

Pls tell me about mm111 and m9 who is much better

[@olddave4833]

a little late but..M111 is a better rootstock giving you a larger tree,- more roots to hold it to the ground and is about 16 feet high. M9 is a dwarf root stock about s 10 ft high tree.. to get a strong tree that is still dwarf , graft an M9 root stock to a M111 root stock and then graft the apple scion that you like onto the M9.. hope this makes sense.. look up inter stem grafting.

[@johnt6530]

New to this. so are saying these can only be rootstock or can you let them grow and be apple trees??? or what?

[@Ch4grin]

They'll all produce apples but they'll be undesirable apples: sour, low-yielding, small, etc. The only rootstock I know of that produces a usable apple is the Antonovka.

[@johnt6530]

Ch4grin Thanks

[@arian40]

can you use the apple rootstock for roses?

[@kuffelcreek]

Sorry, no; only apples.

[@arian40]

@@kuffelcreek if I were to use a quite thick and very tall and straight rose branch and use hormones would it work as an solid rootstock? And grow roots? I want to essentially create a thick straight branch and have quite few roses grafted to make a circle bundle on top if you know what I mean.

[@arnoldromppai5395]

were can we get these good apple tree grafts sticks from? pls don't leave us hanging with just a tast

[@kuffelcreek]

Yes, but it's tough; you have to cut shoots off and include the collar where it attaches to the trunk, chill them 800 hours, dip them in hormone, bundle them up in a circle and place on top of a damp sand base surrounded by compost and apply bottom heat. Northern Spy is a lot easier, but neither is commercially viable doing it this wey.

[@chikambambam3492]

Am back

[@kuffelcreek]

Yes, they're nasty; very coarse.

[@shabirahmad843]

very excellent work ..I will also grow in same way...