How to propagate an apple tree: cuttings without grafting, air layering, root branches

Most often, the question of propagation arises when the time comes to rejuvenate the garden or increase its area by planting seedlings from time-tested trees. Thanks to the wide variety of cultivation methods that a fruit tree provides its owner, propagating an apple tree can become a very exciting and even exciting process.

Apple tree with red apples.

Apple tree propagation methods

To understand which method is best to use, you need to understand how the apple tree reproduces in cultivated gardens. Some methods will require maximum knowledge and skill and can only be done by experienced professionals; other methods are available even to novice amateur gardeners.

There are several options for propagating apple trees vegetatively:

broken branch method;
apple tree cuttings;
dropping;
air layering;
eyes.

Each has advantages and disadvantages. Only after studying each method in detail can you begin to propagate your favorite tree. Experts often recommend using several methods to ensure the best result.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Basic tips for growing apple trees from experienced gardeners:

For better rooting, constantly monitor the moisture content of the workpieces.
Use only clean and treated garden tools.
June is considered the most suitable time for harvesting planting material.
Fertilizers are applied carefully, observing the required dosage. If it is exceeded, the plant may die.
To obtain high-quality planting material, the cut is made early in the morning.
When rooting, cuttings often lose leaves. This is not scary, because just one sheet is enough.

New tree from a branch

To the question: is it possible to grow a varietal apple tree from a broken branch, the experimental gardener N.P. answered. Fursov. He developed and proposed the broken branch method. This method is based on stimulating the increased formation of growth-activating substances at the fracture site, which enhance the growth processes of the plant. It makes it possible to obtain several easily rooted cuttings simultaneously from one branch.

Reproduction of an apple tree from a branch.

This method turned out to be one of the most effective for cuttings at home:

A couple of months before the start of sap flow (the timing of this procedure depends on climatic conditions), you need to find a two-year-old shoot on a tree and make a break, trying not to damage the bark (closed fracture).
The break point is fixed in a slightly bent position using a piece of wire and electrical tape, which is used to wrap the wire to the branch. The electrical tape is wound with the non-adhesive side facing out so as not to damage the bark of the branch.
If several cuttings are needed, then as many breaks are made on one branch as the length of the branch allows. The distance between breaks should be at least 15 cm.
At the end of March, the binding is removed, the branch is cut off at the break point with a sharp knife. If there are several breaks, cut the cuttings strictly according to the places where the breaks are.
Each potential cutting should have four lateral buds.
A cut is made to the upper bud, which will subsequently become the apical bud of the shoot.
To root the cut cuttings, they are placed in an opaque or dark-walled container filled with approximately 6 cm of snow water with the addition of two tablets of activated carbon.
Phytohormones accumulated in places of fractures will accelerate the process of regeneration of damaged tissues and regrowth of roots.
When the roots grow 6 cm in length, the apple tree cuttings are moved to a permanent place in open ground.

Optimal timing for summer cuttings

The best time to carry out the procedure is June and July, when the shoots have not yet completely become lignified (they are more likely to produce roots). These months have the longest daylight hours. In addition, the cuttings will have enough time to take root (2-3 months) and grow stronger. Subsequently, they will survive the winter painlessly.

At a later date, when the growing phase of the plant comes to an end, almost a third of the shoots for harvesting lose their ability to take root safely.

Favorable days

Knowing the favorable days of the lunar calendar, it is much easier to plan an event that will make it possible to obtain a decent harvest of juicy and tasty apples. Days by month:

June – 1-4, 22-30;
July – 1-4, 21-31.

How to propagate an apple tree from cuttings

Propagation of varietal apple trees by cuttings is available in two ways:

green cuttings without grafting;
grafting a lignified cutting onto a rootstock.

Vaccinations are considered the most productive method. But this is a more complex and labor-intensive method that requires long-term preparation and can only be used at certain times of the year. Green cuttings can be rooted throughout the summer, until the growth of young shoots on the trees stops.

Apple tree propagation by cuttings.

Green cuttings

This cutting method is the simplest, but not 100% effective. Non-lignified green shoots of the current year are suitable for propagation:

for cutting, shoots 15-20 cm long are selected and cut from the main branch;
professionals recommend cutting off a green shoot with a “heel” - a small piece of branch bark captured during cutting;
cutting is done early in the morning, until the moisture from the shoots begins to evaporate under the influence of sunlight;
the “heel” is cut in several places - it is believed that this contributes to better regrowth of the roots;
the “heel” is treated with a biostimulator of root formation, the shoot is left in water at room temperature on a sunny windowsill;
a complete water change is not required, you just need to top it up regularly (following this rule will increase the chance of a favorable outcome);
roots should appear in 2-3 weeks;
when the roots grow by 5-8 cm, the finished seedlings are planted outside in a schoolhouse with a nutritious soil mixture and grown to one or two years of age;
Having received seedlings with a completely lignified stem, they are transplanted to a permanent place in open ground.

How to get a seedling from an old apple tree

You can get seedlings from your favorite but already old apple tree using all of the above methods. It should be remembered that old apple trees do not graft well. Therefore, it makes sense to try several methods at the same time: green cuttings, grafting with eyes, dropping, air layering, broken twig. This will give you more chances for a favorable outcome.

Basic mistakes in cuttings

Even a novice gardener can easily grow a varietal apple tree from a cutting. The main thing is not to make mistakes that will reduce all efforts to nothing:

it is recommended to cut the stalk under the bud, leaving a “tail” of about two centimeters;
on green cuttings you should leave no more than two or three leaves to avoid excessive loss of moisture;
It is better to take cuttings in cloudy weather or early in the morning;
Cuttings are cut only with sharp, clean tools;
Fertilizers and mineral fertilizers should not be used until the roots appear and the seedling is planted in the ground;
if the mother tree received excess nitrogen, the cuttings will take root extremely reluctantly;
Regular watering and protection from direct sunlight are necessary.

Planting ready-made cuttings

When the roots reach 5-8 cm, the cuttings begin to prepare for planting outside. Holes are dug in an open area and filled with earth and sawdust. Sprinkle a 10 cm layer of dry sand on top, which will prevent weed germination and improve soil aeration. Any covering material or plastic containers are placed on top.

The trench method is often used (planting seedlings in trenches prepared in advance and filled with fertilizers), because the more numerous the plantings, the greater the chances of getting a full-fledged apple tree. After planting in the ground, the seedlings are fed with chicken droppings or nitrogen fertilizer, watered abundantly, loosened and the soil is covered with a layer of mulch, which saves moisture.

Rooting apple tree cuttings

There are two ways to root cuttings at home.

Rooting apple tree cuttings.

In water:

you will need an opaque or dark-walled container approximately half the height of the cuttings;
water is poured into the container to a height of 5-6 cm, so that it slightly covers the lower bud of the cutting;
to stimulate root development, biostimulants are added to the water;
When the roots grow 6 cm, the cuttings are planted in the ground.

In the ground:

in the spring season, a peat-sand soil mixture is poured into the container in a layer of no more than twenty centimeters;
Before planting, cuttings are treated with root-forming biostimulants;
insert cuttings into the soil to a depth of 5 cm;
the soil mixture is moistened, covered with film, or a plastic bottle with a cut off neck is placed over each cutting, creating a mini-greenhouse;
the container is left on a warm windowsill;
when stable warm weather sets in, the box with cuttings is taken outside;
When roots grow 5-7 cm long, the cuttings are planted in open ground for growing.

Propagation by root cuttings

Reproduction in this way can be done in two ways:

With the help of a scion, which can even be used as wild varieties. The preparation of cuttings should be carried out on the same day as the procedure itself. All leaves should be removed from the cuttings.
Using root seedlings. Harvesting should be carried out before the buds open or in the spring. The optimal height of the cutting is 15-18 cm. The distance between plantings should not be less than 30 cm. It is recommended to bury the cutting site no more than 2 cm into the ground. Another important condition for the healthy development of the apple tree is mulching the soil.

Important! You cannot prepare cuttings in advance. It is better to cut as much as you plan to plant.

Propagation of apple trees by air layering

A reliable method that allows you to obtain cuttings from an old apple tree while preserving the varietal characteristics of the donor tree. Propagation by air layering, as well as obtaining cuttings using the broken branch method, is based on stimulating damaged tissue to increase the formation of phytohormones, which accelerate root formation. This is where the similarities end, and an interesting process begins. The best time for the operation is spring.

Preparation for reproduction

To carry out the operation you need to prepare the following:

opaque plastic sleeve or bag 30-40 cm long;
dark plastic bottle 1.5-2 l;
special soil.

As a soil mixture, you can use garden soil with the addition of sand, humus, and moss. A mixture of garden soil and vermiculite is also suitable for this purpose. The main thing is that you do not need to add any fertilizers or mineral fertilizers to the soil mixture.

Apple tree propagation by air layering.

Choosing and preparing an escape

As a future cutting, you need to choose a healthy, unbranched branch 2-3 years old, bearing fruit last year, with fresh growth. The thickness of the branch should not be greater than the diameter of the neck of the bottle.

In the spring, before the leaves appear, a plastic sleeve is put on the chosen branch, both edges of which are secured to the branch with electrical tape. A greenhouse effect is created under the film; the bark of the branch softens under such conditions. Softening makes further manipulations easier.
In June, the sleeve is removed from the branch: the electrical tape securing the upper edge of the sleeve is unwound and the film is folded down towards the trunk.
Find last year's growth on the branch, move 10 cm away from it towards the trunk and cut off a 1 cm wide ring of bark around the branch. Then several oblique cuts are made on the bark below and above the ring. These cuts will speed up the root formation process.
Then they begin to assemble the structure in which the process of forcing the roots will take place. A bottle with the bottom cut off is placed on the branch with the neck down (towards the trunk). The ring cut on the branch should be located closer to the neck of the bottle (but not close).
The sleeve is put over the bottle and tied to the neck with electrical tape. It is recommended to fix the branch with the bottle in a vertical position.
A root-forming biostimulator solution prepared according to the instructions is poured into the bottle. The upper part of the sleeve is tied to a branch above the bottle. After 2–3 days, the solution is drained through the hole in the sleeve and the prepared soil mixture is poured into the bottle. The sleeve is wrapped again.
Throughout the entire period of rooting the cuttings, you need to monitor the moisture content of the soil mixture in the bottle and under no circumstances allow it to dry out - moisten the substrate as necessary.

How to root air layering

After carrying out all the procedures, you need to regularly check whether roots have appeared. It often happens that the roots grow poorly and only white buds are visible instead. If the cuttings remain in this state for a long time and there is no development of roots, then you can try to transplant them into open ground. This can trigger increased root growth.

When the bottle is completely filled with roots, the cuttings are shortened by half. After a week, the cuttings are cut off from the branch along the lower edge of the sleeve. The sleeve and bottle are removed carefully so that the earthen lump remains on the roots.

If you plan to plant cuttings in open ground, then first prepare a hole for the seedling. Before planting, the soil must be shed.

In unfavorable weather conditions, rooted cuttings are first planted in temporary containers with a soil mixture of garden soil, peat and sand. Planting in a permanent place takes place next spring.

Suitable apple varieties

The correct choice of variety for propagation is one of the main criteria for obtaining a good apple harvest.

Altai ruddy

Altai ruddy
Apple tree of late summer ripening, obtained thanks to the work of breeders of the Altai region. Externally, a beautiful tree with a medium-sized trunk and a compact spherical crown. The branches of the apple tree are large, powerful, directed vertically upward. Rings grow evenly on them, on which the crop is formed and ripens.

The fruits are small - from 55 to 100 g. The color of the apples is light red with cream inclusions. The pulp is light yellow in color, tastes juicy, sweet and sour with a pleasant light aroma. If the temperature is maintained correctly, the fruits can be stored for a long time (up to 60 days). The variety is endowed with good winter hardiness.

Zhigulevskoe

The apple tree is a late-autumn variety. It became famous as a large-fruited crop. A tree of regular shape with large flowers, leaves and fruits up to 200 g, sometimes up to 300 g.

The skin of apples is smooth and durable, unevenly colored: golden yellow with a reddish striped blush. The shelf life of the fruit is 2-3 months, the yield is high - up to 250 kg per season from one tree.

Pepin saffron

The variety, familiar to almost all gardeners in Russia, was bred by the great breeder I.V. Michurin. Thanks to its ideal taste and adaptive abilities, it has become a leader in demand in private gardening. The tree is medium-sized - up to 3 m.

The apples are regular round-conical or oblong-ovoid in shape, very tasty and attractive in appearance. When ripe, they acquire an even crimson hue. The fruits are well stored fresh and when transported over long distances. The weight of apples ranges from 90 to 130 g.

Productivity is regular and very high: at a young age - 50-70 kg, maximum - 305 kg.

With your eyes

Another name for this method is budding. Budding is a method of grafting a fruit tree with a bud (eye) cut from a cultivated tree. Carrying out this procedure correctly will make it possible to obtain an apple tree with several varieties of apples.

Apple tree propagation by eyes.

Most often, budding is carried out during the period of active sap flow: in spring or summer. Spring budding has many inconveniences, so vaccination is most often carried out in late July - early August. For grafting, a bud that appeared this summer is cut off. A T-shaped cut is made on the rootstock branch, the bark is lifted, a bud is inserted into the resulting pocket, covered with bark and the wound is tied.

Timing and features of apple orchard propagation work

To grow healthy fruit trees, rejuvenate old ones, and breed new varieties, certain procedures are performed on the site each season.

in winter

In the coldest period of the year, they shovel snow up to the tree trunks and whiten the trees if they didn’t have time to do it in the fall. At the end of February, experienced gardeners begin pruning.

In summer

In July and August, apples ripen, and it’s time to harvest and prepare the harvest. This season, only dry and damaged branches are removed; healthy shoots are not shortened, but pinched to limit growth.

in spring

Most work occurs in March and April. The garden area is cleared of debris and the soil is loosened. Until sap flow begins:

form a crown;
carry out maintenance pruning;
Spray the trees with Bordeaux mixture.

To whitewash the trunks, mix chalk, casein glue, and copper sulfate. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied to the soil.

Transplant method

This method is perhaps one of the simplest. It does not require special knowledge, tools or gardener training. It is carried out in early spring, 3 weeks after the snow cover has completely melted.

The essence of this technique is that root shoots are dug up and transplanted to another place. They are easily separated from the root, take root well, are distinguished by early fruiting and high yield.

Apple tree propagation by transplantation.

The only problem: not all varieties of apple trees pass on their qualities to offspring obtained in a similar way. In this case, the resulting seedling can be grafted from the same mother tree. Then you will get an improved fruit-bearing tree: it will gain better winter hardiness and resistance to diseases.

Seeds

Propagating an apple tree by seeds is a very interesting way, because... allows the gardener to follow the process of growing a fruit tree from the very beginning. Children will be especially interested in growing a real apple tree from a seed. The disadvantage of this method is that not all apple trees transmit their varietal qualities through the seed.

Growing apple trees from seeds.

In the fall, when picking fruits, choose a large ripe apple and remove the seeds from it. The seeds also undergo a serious selection process: they need to be properly shaped and colored, with greenish tips. Selected seeds are washed, soaked, stratified and planted in a school.

In indoor conditions, seeds can be planted at any time of the year. Planting in a permanent place is carried out only when the seedlings reach the age of 1–2 years.

Features of cuttings depending on the type of apple tree

The apple tree is classified as a hard-to-root crop. Wild species and rootstocks, when propagated, produce a decent number of seedlings, but domestic varieties take root and take root less well.

Among all varieties, the columnar apple tree stands out. She has earned great recognition from gardeners. The apple tree has a compact crown, making it ideal for small gardens. The process of growing an apple tree from cuttings is the same as for other types of crops. The difference lies in the need for rooting only in summer. In autumn and winter, planting cuttings does not end with a positive result.

Columnar apple tree

Depending on the region

In the northern regions, cuttings are carried out in the first half of July. This way the seedling will have time to form a powerful root system and gain strength before the onset of cold weather.

In the middle zone and southern latitudes of Russia, cuttings are carried out in June or July.

How to grow an apple tree seedling in other ways

Since an apple tree can be propagated in different ways, many gardeners begin to experiment, eventually finding the most convenient one. Dropping is also a simple, almost labor-intensive and quite convenient method. To do this you need:

select a young, low-lying, flexible branch on a varietal tree;
dig a small hole under it, 5-7 cm deep;
place the middle part of the branch in the hole and secure it with a wire shackle so that the branch does not straighten;
fill the hole with earth, compact it well
if the ground is dry, you need to first water the hole and then water the buried branch.

After it has been possible to root a branch of a varietal apple tree, the finished seedling is cut off from the mother branch and planted in a permanent place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5IhVgi6iSw

Why is it important to propagate your apple trees?

Unfortunately, nothing on earth lasts forever. The time has come for the apple trees to grow old, having served their considerable life. And you need to replace them with new ones. But is it worth running to nurseries and buying newfangled varieties that don’t know how they will behave in our area? Isn’t it easier to trust those varieties that have pleased us for many years, let them grow again on the plot? What is needed for this? To do this, we need to multiply our old apple trees, get children from them, and return the old varieties to the plot to the delight of the owners.

If for some reason your apple trees are no longer suitable for propagation, but your neighbor has exactly the same varieties, young and healthy, growing, then why not ask him to help you propagate this apple tree by planting it on your property?

Apple tree propagation time

The timing depends entirely on natural conditions, as well as on the chosen propagation method. Basic recommendations:

grafting with cuttings is best done in winter or spring, grafting with eyes - in summer;
seeds germinate at any time of the year, but seedlings are planted in spring or autumn after 1–2 years with a completely lignified stem;
digging is done in the summer, the seedling is transplanted in the spring of next year;
air layering is obtained in the summer, rooted seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place in the fall or spring of next year;
green cuttings are cut in the summer and planted in a permanent place in the fall or spring the next year.

The most suitable moisture-retaining materials

To propagate an apple tree in such an unusual way, you need to prepare the following materials in advance:

1.5 liter plastic bottle;
thick plastic bag;
special substrate.

The soil mixture for air layering may be different. It is made from:

sawdust, garden soil, moss and finished compost;
humus and rotted manure;
from garden soil and vermiculite, which retains moisture well;
sphagnum moss, which should be moistened regularly.