root stock

hello

I have read that fruit trees are often (if not always) grafted onto a rootstock to keep their growth in check etc. My question is "how do you get a rootstock?"

are there particular species you can grow from seed and chop off or do you have to buy them from a specialist supplier?

craig

 

Hi Craig!

If you go to www.rhs.org.uk and look under "Advice", there's a document about grafting fruit trees with quite a lot of what you might need to know. Can't seem to find many suppliers though - I suspect most will only sell in commercial quantities. Some are available at Blackmoor Nurseries - www.blackmoor.co.uk. Haven't found any others! You might try googling "buying tree rootstocks" or something....

[ 01. March 2007, 08:52 PM: Message edited by: Hyla arborea ]

 

Deacon's Nurseries do rootstocks and also the grafts
http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/home/

 

I propagated a few apple trees back in the 80s and I used suckers from an existing apple tree that I already had, rooting them one year and grafting the following year.
But thats a long process, so its probably better to buy in the root stocks, but I think you will still probably need to grow them on for a year before grafting.

 

By the way, a good way to get your apple tree, or any other for that matter, to sucker is to dig around the roots near the surface and bruise a good thick one.
It will then send up suckers near to the bruised area.
Something most sensible gardeners try to avoid. :D

 

thank you for the help. I found them on blackmore and was surprised how cheap they are, although the delivery means its probably better to order a few. Haven't yet found them on deacons but I'l keep trying. I'm guessing once I have one I can wait for suckers to develop and use them? maybe wishful thinking.

 

My method is a bit unorthodox craig, most would use the puchased root stock to produce the one tree, and that would be enough.
I just like to play around with these things. :D

 

With Deacons its on the pricing page.
http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/prices/
about half way down. they sell the rootstocks individually and the grafting wood. They also do a kit of 3 trees of one variety that includes everything bar the knife.