Fruit tree rootstocks

I've ordered some apple and Plum tree rootstocks (3 of each).

I know to get them into a bucket to re hydrate straight away, but should I heal them in, in the polytunnel or outside till Spring before final planting. Or just plant them in position now.

Steve...

 

I would plant now in the final position, unless the ground is frozen or waterlogged.

 

Many thanks Nigel.

Steve...

 

Agree, plant now Steve R if you can
I have heeled fruit trees in for up to a week but outside. They can be simply laid on their sides together and covered with soil. They can also be wrapped in compost, straw, etc. to keep roots moist

 

Cheers Verdun..

Steve...

 

Do you really mean rootstocks? Which are used for grafting at this time of year, and I've grafted the scions (cider apples), potted them up, and placed in a polytunnel.

Or do you mean bare rooted Plums? (Which I've also always potted up).

 

Yes rootstocks, for grafting my own later on. MM106's for the apples and StJulien for the plums.

Steve...

 

If Ihaven't had scions ready for grafting, I've planted the rootstocks in individual pots and manhandled those when getting around to grafting.

I then put them in a polyunnel after grafting and achieved nearly 100% success rate.

The trouble with ordering can be a mis match between the size of rootstock stems and your scions. I've taken my scions twigs of identical size into the GC selling rootstock to match them up as sizes can vary greatly.

 

On the farm they buy in new young trees every year for replanting the orchards.

I'm amazed how they just let the trees hang around, often a few days or more in a barn waiting to be planted, the bare roots of hundreds of trees just exposed to the air.
If it gets really dry, at this time of the year, they might spray them with a hose before planting.

These things are much tougher than we realise.

 

I have fruit trees from rootstock - 1 x cordon Apple, an espalier Apple and and a pear. I can remember when they arrived, they looked like dried twigs, one of which had even been damaged in transit. I never thought they would even grow, never mind bear fruit. But they did grow and bear fruit and are over 6’ high now.

This was one of them

 

I have no scions yet, but they wont be difficult to find and I am in no rush. My intention is to propagate the rootstocks over time to increase numbers for future planned projects.

Thank you all.

Steve...

 

I've seen how a Devon apple grower does that, cutting off above ground level and mounding soil around the new shoots so they send out roots into it.

 

Does any one know a good source for rootstock?

Somewhere in Eastern Central Scotland or that delivers nationwide would be preferable.

Also I've heard the scion wood needs to be cut in the winter and grafted in the spring, is this correct, if so I've missed my opportunity this year!

 

I've previously bought from here ROOTSTOCKS FOR APPLES. Fruit. and as I'm fairly local, I've visited and selected rootstock to suit size of scions.

But I reckon you're well past time for grafting.

 

Thanks for that. I've just had to do some pruning and have a load of scion wood. Would be a shame for it to go to waste.