Starting Rootstock From Seed

[SmallChunk]

Hey guys,

I was asked to post this on the fruit forum too. I decided to order up some different seed to start maybe growing my own rootstock from northern hardy varieties. Does anybody have trees grafted to Renetka or Siberian crab? I know lots of people use Antonovka for rootstock grafting in cold climates. Just a little experiment I am going to try! Sorry for the poor quality video, my gf was watching some terrible show in the background!

 

[buckvelvet]

Hey guys,

I was asked to post this on the fruit forum too. I decided to order up some different seed to start maybe growing my own rootstock from northern hardy varieties. Does anybody have trees grafted to Renetka or Siberian crab? I know lots of people use Antonovka for rootstock grafting in cold climates. Just a little experiment I am going to try! Sorry for the poor quality video, my gf was watching some terrible show in the background!

I have bout 20 2 year old trees on Ranetka.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have some pear seeds in the fridge I plan to grow this summer for future grafting. Dont know if its a good idea or not. I am anxious to see what others have to say in this post.

 

[silver_yummies]

Probably a stupid question, but how does one grow B118 rootstock from seed? Can you?

 

[chickenlittle]

Probably a stupid question, but how does one grow B118 rootstock from seed? Can you?

You don't grow B118 from seed. It is cloned in stool beds, a form of layering. Many shoots come up from the mother roots, dirt or sawdust is mounded up the shoots and it forms roots. At the end of the season, the dirt is pulled back and the shoots are cut off with the new roots. Repeat year after year.

 

[SmallChunk]

I have bout 20 2 year old trees on Ranetka.

What made you go with Renetka? How have they grown compared to all of your Antonovka or B.118?

 

[sandbur]

I have two year olds son ranetka, also.

Growth was slow as compared to dolgo seedlings, but the dolgo s had a better root system.


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[yoderjac]

Hey guys,

I was asked to post this on the fruit forum too. I decided to order up some different seed to start maybe growing my own rootstock from northern hardy varieties. Does anybody have trees grafted to Renetka or Siberian crab? I know lots of people use Antonovka for rootstock grafting in cold climates. Just a little experiment I am going to try! Sorry for the poor quality video, my gf was watching some terrible show in the background!

Yes, this thread documents my progress in growing apples from seed and grafting in them: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/starting-apples-from-seed-indoors-how-to.6613/

The first year, I used dolgo and Siberian crab seeds. I don't have any apples yet, but the ones where the grafts took are growing vigorously. Clonal dwarfing rootstock will produce apples sooner but I wanted to see what the seedlings would produce.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[SmallChunk]

I'll be honest, Jack.....I'm a millenial and your posts are wayyyyyy too long for me! I noticed you had apple and different crabapple seeds besides the normal ones that are usually true to seed (I understand Dolgo usually is). Maybe someday I will read through one of your full posts

 

[buckvelvet]

What made you go with Renetka? How have they grown compared to all of your Antonovka or B.118?

SC, Stu turned me on to Ranetka, 2 years ago, i'm transplanting them this week. I will get a better feel in how to answer your question shortly. They are supposed to be quite northern hardy and even though i'm not a zone 3/4 guy, i like to hedge my bets and use big trees that can resist temptation to die from cold. :)

 

[yoderjac]

I'll be honest, Jack.....I'm a millenial and your posts are wayyyyyy too long for me! I noticed you had apple and different crabapple seeds besides the normal ones that are usually true to seed (I understand Dolgo usually is). Maybe someday I will read through one of your full posts

That is why I started with Dolgo. In year two my primary seed was Wickson, but since I had purchased a bunch of apples (both diploid and triploid) for eating from the orchard, I decided to experiment with those seeds as well.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[sandbur]

I'll be honest, Jack.....I'm a millenial and your posts are wayyyyyy too long for me! I noticed you had apple and different crabapple seeds besides the normal ones that are usually true to seed (I understand Dolgo usually is). Maybe someday I will read through one of your full posts

I am one of those guys that no longer thinks dolgo is true to seed.


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[sandbur]

I took a lazy mans approach last fall and put some seeds inside of these home made contraptions.

Two in the garden.

And some in this strip where I have some older trees. I had sprayed these areas with roundup several times during the summer.

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[sandbur]

I have a chestnut crab that was planted in 94 and the rootstock sends up suckers six to eight feet from the tree. I dig them up and plant them . No idea what the rootstock is , but in another location they are reaching six feet or so. If I don’t like them as a Deer crab when they start to bare, I will top work them.

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[yoderjac]

I am one of those guys that no longer thinks dolgo is true to seed.


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Yes, I'm guessing "Truer" may be a better description. Nothing that is produced sexually is identical. I think when folks say "True to seed" they really mean "The offspring often retains most of the characteristics of the parent that I happen to care about".

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckvelvet]

6-8 ft from the trunk? Wow thats weird.....

 

[sandbur]

6-8 ft from the trunk? Wow thats weird.....

That one tree has numerous suckers out sways from the trunk. I often see 5 or 6 per year and have to cut it off from the roots.


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[buckvelvet]

Thats pretty wild Art, I've never seen that before.

 

[Catscratch]

Yes, I'm guessing "Truer" may be a better description. Nothing that is produced asexually is identical. I think when folks say "True to seed" they really mean "The offspring often retains most of the characteristics of the parent that I happen to care about".

Thanks,

Jack

Typo? Probably meant to say "sexually"... but for clarification anything produced asexually IS identical unless there happened to be a random mutation while chromosomes are being copied.

On a side note: I have 8 Dolgo seeds started that I saved from a tree last yr. I hope that they are somewhat close to what I care about when they mature, but if not I will learn to top-work with them. I really had no intention of saving the seeds but ate a couple of the apples and spit the seeds into a bag that I threw in the crisper. Was cleaning the fridge a couple of weeks ago and they were germinating. Put them in some RM-18's and they are growing great. This hobby is an addiction!

 

[Telemark]

How long do they need in the fridge? Can you shorten that with a few days in the freezer?