“Transplant” apple tree

[westonwhitetail]

Hey everyone, I am moving in about 2 weeks. We have a couple sentimental apple trees in our yard. I’m wondering what’s a good way to bring them with us. I’m not planning to dig the trees up, but have a couple options in mind to start new trees from these. Bad time of year to try but here’s what I’m thinking.

Option 1- take the smallish apples with and start new trees from seed. I know they won’t be the same tree but I’d plant a crab apple at the new place by the new food plot.

Option 2- there are stickers growing at the base of the trees now. Can these be cut, dipped in rooting hormone and planted in pots or the winter? Picture of the suckers below.

Not sure if either options good, but let me know your thoughts and any other options I may have.

Thanks,
Isaac


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[yoderjac]

Option C:

If their value is sentimental, make arrangements with the new owner to come back in the winter and collect scions. You did not mention if these are grafted trees are seedlings. If they are grafted, taking root suckers will not produce the same tree. They will be identical to the root stock, not the top of the tree. If the tree is a seedling, the suckers would produce the identical tree, but you don't have time to stool them.

If the tree is grafted, I'd simply buy some of the same clonal rootstock it is on next spring. It is probably one of the semi-dwarf root stocks. Graft the scions you collect to it and you will have an identical tree from bottom to top. If you don't know or care about the specific root stock, you could buy one that will do well at your new location. For example, I have heavy clay soil and M111 does better than B118. You can ask an orchard in your new location what rootstock they use.

If the tree is a seedling, you have a couple possibilities. You could grow seedlings from the smallish apple seeds presuming they are viable seeds. After they have at least one growing season under their belts, graft the dormant scions to them. The tree won't be identical below the graft, but it will be close and it will be identical above the graft. If you want to go this route but can't arrange to collect scions in some future year, simply collect them this year and graft them to clonal rootstock in addition to growing out the seeds. In a future year, when the seedlings are the right size, take scions from the grafted clonal root stock and graft them to the seedlings.

Option D:

A tree spade...Doubt the new owner would like that!

Thanks,

jack

 

[sandbur]

Option C:

If their value is sentimental, make arrangements with the new owner to come back in the winter and collect scions. You did not mention if these are grafted trees are seedlings. If they are grafted, taking root suckers will not produce the same tree. They will be identical to the root stock, not the top of the tree. If the tree is a seedling, the suckers would produce the identical tree, but you don't have time to stool them.

If the tree is grafted, I'd simply buy some of the same clonal rootstock it is on next spring. It is probably one of the semi-dwarf root stocks. Graft the scions you collect to it and you will have an identical tree from bottom to top. If you don't know or care about the specific root stock, you could buy one that will do well at your new location. For example, I have heavy clay soil and M111 does better than B118. You can ask an orchard in your new location what rootstock they use.

If the tree is a seedling, you have a couple possibilities. You could grow seedlings from the smallish apple seeds presuming they are viable seeds. After they have at least one growing season under their belts, graft the dormant scions to them. The tree won't be identical below the graft, but it will be close and it will be identical above the graft. If you want to go this route but can't arrange to collect scions in some future year, simply collect them this year and graft them to clonal rootstock in addition to growing out the seeds. In a future year, when the seedlings are the right size, take scions from the grafted clonal root stock and graft them to the seedlings.

Option D:

A tree spade...Doubt the new owner would like that!

Thanks,

jack

After reading Jack’s comments, he seems to assume the tree is on clonal rootstock. In some areas of the country, seedling rootstock is more common. Often it is dolgo in the upper Midwest.


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[homerj]

T-budding would likely be the best way to clone a tree right now.

 

[chummer]

See if you can dig up those suckers. They should have roots. Pot them and keep them watered good until they recover. I did this 4-5 years ago with a tree on a commercial property I was clearing. That tree is now 12’ tall. If those suckers are out of the trunk then it won’t work. You only need a couple roots and a bud or two.

 

[chummer]

I see the tag in the picture. If that is the case those suckers are probably just from the root stock. Disregard above post unless the sentimental connection is to the roots.

 

[westonwhitetail]

Option C:

If their value is sentimental, make arrangements with the new owner to come back in the winter and collect scions. You did not mention if these are grafted trees are seedlings. If they are grafted, taking root suckers will not produce the same tree. They will be identical to the root stock, not the top of the tree. If the tree is a seedling, the suckers would produce the identical tree, but you don't have time to stool them.

If the tree is grafted, I'd simply buy some of the same clonal rootstock it is on next spring. It is probably one of the semi-dwarf root stocks. Graft the scions you collect to it and you will have an identical tree from bottom to top. If you don't know or care about the specific root stock, you could buy one that will do well at your new location. For example, I have heavy clay soil and M111 does better than B118. You can ask an orchard in your new location what rootstock they use.

If the tree is a seedling, you have a couple possibilities. You could grow seedlings from the smallish apple seeds presuming they are viable seeds. After they have at least one growing season under their belts, graft the dormant scions to them. The tree won't be identical below the graft, but it will be close and it will be identical above the graft. If you want to go this route but can't arrange to collect scions in some future year, simply collect them this year and graft them to clonal rootstock in addition to growing out the seeds. In a future year, when the seedlings are the right size, take scions from the grafted clonal root stock and graft them to the seedlings.

Option D:

A tree spade...Doubt the new owner would like that!

Thanks,

jack

Pretty sure it’s grafted, you can still see graft still, just not shown in the pictures. I wouldn’t mind if the tree just ends up being a crab of some sort, it’d still be an offspring from the original tree.

I did think to stop by next winter to ask them about that and may just have to go that route if it’s the best odds. I was hoping to try something while we move in the mean time too.


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[westonwhitetail]

Option C:

If their value is sentimental, make arrangements with the new owner to come back in the winter and collect scions. You did not mention if these are grafted trees are seedlings. If they are grafted, taking root suckers will not produce the same tree. They will be identical to the root stock, not the top of the tree. If the tree is a seedling, the suckers would produce the identical tree, but you don't have time to stool them.

If the tree is grafted, I'd simply buy some of the same clonal rootstock it is on next spring. It is probably one of the semi-dwarf root stocks. Graft the scions you collect to it and you will have an identical tree from bottom to top. If you don't know or care about the specific root stock, you could buy one that will do well at your new location. For example, I have heavy clay soil and M111 does better than B118. You can ask an orchard in your new location what rootstock they use.

If the tree is a seedling, you have a couple possibilities. You could grow seedlings from the smallish apple seeds presuming they are viable seeds. After they have at least one growing season under their belts, graft the dormant scions to them. The tree won't be identical below the graft, but it will be close and it will be identical above the graft. If you want to go this route but can't arrange to collect scions in some future year, simply collect them this year and graft them to clonal rootstock in addition to growing out the seeds. In a future year, when the seedlings are the right size, take scions from the grafted clonal root stock and graft them to the seedlings.

Option D:

A tree spade...Doubt the new owner would like that!

Thanks,

jack

After reading Jack’s comments, he seems to assume the tree is on clonal rootstock. In some areas of the country, seedling rootstock is more common. Often it is dolgo in the upper Midwest.


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Dolgo is a desired crab tree for deer right? I’d be happy with that along my new food plot


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[buckdeer1]

If they are important I would come back and spade them in the winter

 

[westonwhitetail]

I see the tag in the picture. If that is the case those suckers are probably just from the root stock. Disregard above post unless the sentimental connection is to the roots.

Yes I think those suckers are off the base but will look. I wasn’t sure if you clipped them and tried the root hormone would do anything for an apple tree


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[yoderjac]

Yes I think those suckers are off the base but will look. I wasn’t sure if you clipped them and tried the root hormone would do anything for an apple tree


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Apples root easily compared to many trees, but trying to root a scion with rooting hormone is not a high percentage option. The suckers have no more chance of rooting than any other scion if you just cut them off above ground. If you dig one up and get some roots with it, you'll have a better chance. The problem is that the suckers will be whatever rootstock the tree is on (because they are below the graft). It could be clonal or as Sanbur says, it could be seedling rootstock like Dolgo, but it won't be the same tree. It is possible to cut scions and try to root them with rooting hormone, but the chances of success are low.

If you had a tree that was not grafted, once could propagate suckers like that. The best way to do that is stooling. That is how clonal rootstock is propagated. You simply mound sawdust or some other medium around the base of the tree so the lower half of the suckers is covered. If you do this in the spring, by fall the tree suckers should have produced enough roots in the medium. You remove the medium and clip the suckers off below some of the roots and plant them. You probably want to cut the tops back to balance them a bit. This has a good success rate but you don't have time for this and it would only give you a copy of the bottom half of the tree.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Telemark]

Stool the suckers, and collect scions in the winter. Then graft the two together. You'll get an exact copy of your tree.

 

[westonwhitetail]

That's pretty interesting, wish I knew about stooling this spring and could have started it then. I will take a closer look to see if they have any roots shooting down themselves, then I'll clip 'em and try to pot it. Otherwise I'll try from seed and if need be I'll come back for a scion in the spring.

 

[westonwhitetail]

So just wondering what’s the best approach to planting from seed? I don’t think I want to plant immediately, because the trees would be tiny by winter. Would it be best to save the apples in the fridge as long as possible and then start inside in pots in December or January? Then transplant to the field either in the spring or fall next year?


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[chickenlittle]

Personally, I wouldn't use those rootstock suckers for grafting more trees. Yes, they are free, but all your new trees will sucker just like this tree and you'll have to keep all those cleaned off. If it only had one or two, I would say go for it but that rootstock really wants to sucker. Graft a bunch of trees on that and you'll be spending time cleaning off the suckers. You'll maybe wish you'd thrown the suckers in the photo into the compost pile.

When I've pulled up the occasional sucker from ground level or clipped it off, I'll look to see if it has any roots. If it does, I plant it some some pot somewhere and graft it in a year or two.

 

[westonwhitetail]

So an update on this. I dug at the suckers about a month ago before the move and quite a few had roots starting. So I potted up 6 of the best ones and made the move. 3 of them survived and appear to be doing well. Question is, do I keep them outside in pots for the winter and hope they come back in the spring? If so should I mulch them in or put them in larger pots? Or do I put them in the ground this fall? Or do I bring them inside and let them grow over the winter?

 

[yoderjac]

There are different options. The key is to store them in such a way that the roots don't freeze hard and the tops don't get warm enough to break dormancy before spring.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Telemark]

I would plant them.

 

[westonwhitetail]

OK I think I'll plant them then. Can't think of a good way to store them at my new place and make sure they don't freeze or break dormancy. Only option I can think of is burring the pot in the ground to cover the roots and mulch. My wife's grandparents had a nursery where they just mounded sawdust over the pots for the winter. Thanks