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Has anyone ever grown out rootstocks to see what they produce? I have some B118, M111, and OHxF97 with failed grafts, wondering if they'll produce something deer will like if I just let them go? Otherwise I'll regraft or turn into stool beds.
Post 94 in a locked thread is where Lois E. Brenneman FNP has a few paragraphs about B118 and how it is a red fleshed crab and edible. I believe she mentions it in another thread.
Could a moderator add that part of her post or posts to this thread?
The USDA GRIN pear repository in Corvallis OR has many dozens of pears that were evaluated as rootstocks. I grafted some of the later ones last spring.
They have 40 OHxF crosses but I've read that testing shows there really wasn't any F. Instead of Farmingdale, these are likely crosses of Old Home with Bartlett.
So for Gunfun, I'd say you are fine to let the MM111 and OHxF97 grow out as those are later ripening ones that should be good deer draw. Unless you want some very early apples, regraft the early ripening B118 or make a stoolbed to produce more B118. Bu
My experience with growing rootstocks out involves only 4 rootstocks - (2) MM-111 and (2) B-118. I planted them and cared for them the same way as all our other apples and crabs. After 4 years in the ground, they were about 4 ft. tall and were only starting to make branches. I yanked them all to re-plant known DR apples in their place. I don't have years to wait for question marks !!
This one is by my garden, but I have two or more top works and some bench grafts that are starting to produce the last two years or so.
Also one or two grown from a piece of root.
I recently came across what I assume is a pear root stock from an old homestead on public land. It was dropping the first two weeks of November, which is GOLDEN. I’ve got to decide which way I’m going to go, either rooting cuttings, or grafting onto something else.
There is no telling what root stock it may have been, but it is at least proof that the idea can work.