If you go the route of buying trees, can I suggest from our experience with our orchard, plant the trees, in year 1 pull 90% of the Apple buds off, year 2 pull 75% of the buds and year 3 pull 50% off - what this does is cause the Tree to “stress the Tree out” and think there is something wrong and it will then switch gears and push the tree to build more roots and more limbs. Each year you doing this will increase the chances the Tree will make it. We did it for the first 3 years of our orchard and have had awesome results with very strong trees that have been productive for us. Cool project - thanks for sharing
Ha I was just saying the same thing in a comment It does not stress the tree out just so you know. It's actually just letting all the nutrients grow roots. This lets the tree gather more nutrients to feed the growth of the fruit Same thing if you want Harty plants that give off bunches of flowers Creat a root system then let them go nuts. We always add new trees each year to start the process and this also secures that we always have fruit if one of the trees that 100 years puls has problems
If you want some real fun cut a branch off one tree and drill a hole in the truck of another to put the branch in. But sap in the hole so the two can grow together. I have trees that have 2 or more different apples growing on it by using this method It really screws people up to see 3 or 4 different apples hanging from one tree ;)
ive always had good luck rooting cuttings in perlite with a rooting compound. i can also say the quality and amount of roots is always better than rooting in just dirt.
what happens above the soil isn't as important as what's happening below the soil. you can have it bud and shoot out nice leaves just from the energy left in the stem but if the roots don't develop it will just die off. sun is also not required until there's actual leaves with root support. as a test you can always check one that seems to be doing the best to see if any roots developed. usually it takes a good 1-2 months for any significant roots to develop.
We have a similar story -- but unfortunately we have no video of the early years. Our family lived in a 10' x 12' shed from the beginning of June to November while my son and I built the house. But as far as the cuttings go, mix 50/50 peat and sand and put into the bottom of a black storage bin with holes in the bottom. Take the cuttings in the winter when the tree is dormant, then dip in the hormone and push into the mixture in the soil in the bin. Keep very warm, and leave the lid on. Total darkness. This forces rooting before budding. After a couple of weeks, you should see white buds sprouting. That is when you remove the lid. I'll be showing the transfer of a bin full of grape vines to plastic bag pots in about a week. I'll post a link when I do. Keep up the good work!
If you cover them with any type of humidity dome, the success rate skyrockets...especially after buds start opening. Slow the transpiration to preserve the moisture in the cuttings.
Heath, I am happy to see the update on your trees. And hear how good they are doing for all the effort you put in those cutting. At first I thought you was wasting your time and being crazy in do it... Boy was I wrong !! Looking forward to the next update
i have two apples that made it through winter! started from seeds a couple of years ago, but not much bigger than the size of those sticks! neat that they are growing...mine was just an experiment, so im not expecting anything much =) I have some lemon trees also, done same way from seeds as experiment...all just fun!
Any fresh cutting with dormant buds will push out leaves if kept a bit moist just like flowers in a vase, but that does not mean they will ever make roots. some might with rooting hormone or if they are subjects that root naturally like willows. I have tried apples and pears many times taking them at various times of years. Never any success despite leaves growing when the season is right. I will be interested to see how many of your cuttings actually succeed.
You could try making a compost tea and watering the trees with that to give them a little bit of nutrition just to get them through until they get into bigger pots
Keep going I"m watching to see the out come. Because I did the same thing with my cherry tree clipping , they bud out and small leaves with little roots, but they don't make it but i'm hoping they work. if they do I will give it one more try. I'm on your side hoping they work
Apple and Peach trees are a lot of work. Will you be able to get seasonal help up at the ranch when they begin to bear fruit? I see a vegetable/fruit stand in your future!
There is enough energy stored in those sticks to leaf out but they will put out those leaves and then dry up because plants lose moisture through their leaves but there wont be enough root system yet to resupply that water loss. If you cut the top off it will use its energy to build roots and not all its energy in producing leaf & new top growth. Goodluck, im doing the exact same thing.
Thank you for the video. I am in to bonsai and have plans to mostly go for fruit trees, and with use of cuts it make it much more easy and save me a lot of time to get samples and this video make me more positive about that idea :)
I was able to get peach tree and apple tree starts from friends. Only one of the peach trees (out of 3) made it. I need 2 to pollinate so I took cuttings off of the one this year and going to try to get a few more. The apple tree starts are new to me this year. I only need one of those for my small property... wish me luck! 😊
Just to confirm, the cuttings need to be from a different genetic line in order to cross pollinate. 3 cuttings from the same tree won't pollinate each other as the pollen will be the same from all 3.
nice going red; apart from the fruit tree nursery stocks you mentioned maybe your states DNR has a selection of tree shoots (green ash, oak, maple, walnut, cherry, etc) for purchase that you could plant then harvest for such things as split rail livestock fencing, r/s board footage for outbuildings and projects.
For me it does not matter what type of cutting I do , when the roots are coming out the bottom of the pot that’s when I take them to the next level because their roots are plenty and strong enough to handle being planted out , that’s just how I do my cuttings ,it works for me , small cups for pots for cuttings are to small to give them a fair go at developing lot of roots I think , bigger pots makes a big difference.
Don't pull them out to check for roots. Instead, slip the stem between your middle and ring fingers with your palm against the lip of the cup. Then dump it all into your hand to check for roots. Also, think about adding mycorhiza to the soil. And get some light on those plants. It should alleviate the mold/mildew problem (get on top of that or risk losing all starts) and they'll die without it. 2 - 4' LED shoplights with a K value of 5000 (ish) will give them plenty of good vegetative light.
As an apple grower I would recommend you buy grafted maidens. Or better still two year olds As the tree will grow to a known size and will produce quickly. And have known restistance to various diseases. And really they aren't expensive buy the cure of varieties you want and some rootstock and you can produce many more clones.
I like fresh peaches during the season (like right now!) Last year I discovered the White Peach. To me the White Peach doesn't have much of a peach flavor. Anyway, I had White Peaches from Texas (near Johnson City) last year for the first time, When a fresh white peach is ripe, it is the sweetest thing you will ever grow. It is the best thing I have ever had in my mouth. Nothing can touch it. If I were you I would plant nothing but white peaches. They are awesome. I'm not a big fan of peaches but this white peach should be called something else. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about them. Now that they are in season I pretty much eat nothing but the white peach, morning noon, night & sleep walking. I truly eat almost nothing but white peaches from August to September. I can eat a dozen everyday and they are so lightly flavored, I don't get sick of them. Anyway, a new discovery for me. Grow some White Peaches! You'll build a tree house on a white peach tree and live there as they fall to the ground. I know I would. They are Yum yum good! GO 🍑 !
You want the roots too build up to each cup before you transplant and also make them thrive to the bottom for water which will push the root grow then transplant to bigger buckets ...
Hydroponics is the answer I used to be a legal grower and the lights are very expensive to run but I'm thinking your smart enough to get around the electric bill with a generator or solar but the outcome with some nutrients will blow your mind and the smartest thing you did was using the cloning oil because it works great and while your at it mix a peach with an apple I've done it and it's my favorite fruit I ever tasted. Good luck
I second another comment about permaculture orchard. Has tips on what trees to grouping together. I don't have any experience though. Just a recommendation from other videos I have seen. Good luck
Surprisingly and many would say it's a crazy statement but in the world of growing to see roots and not blossoms or leaves is a good thing.It takes more nutrients to grow roots then a leaf or a bud.When I do what your doing any levels or buds I pull off so then roots grow faster and stronger.After about 6 months of root growth I would let the stems start to do their own thing.Over 2 or 3 years of not letting the tree produce fruit ( average hight of tree around 5 to 6 foot ( hummm just like you buy ))Then let the tree have a year to produce fruit and enjoyGrowing from nothing is a life cycle not like buying from the store as they did the 2 or 3 years work for you
I have a Granny smith tree that's about 3 years old that has that grey fuz on the new growth, do you know what that is? I thought it was powdery white mildew at first but it doesn't appear to be.
@Red Poppy Ranch Heath, the next thing to worry about for those young tree starts will be the deer up in the hills nearby your ranch. Do you have any plans or ideas about how to protect that many trees from being critter eaten?
if you use a metal tray to hold you cups would a bulb about 100w underneath maybe several if a big tray the bulbs will put off heat if its too hot lower them it might work .
Can you please do a follow up video on this even if it was a complete failure? It's extremely important to do a follow up video to provide educational closure, otherwise the videos were pointless. Thanks in advance. P.S. you will gain a subscriber if you do so 😉
Hey Dude, have you got an update? I am in the southern hemisphere and we are just coming up to spring so would like to have a crack at this myself, if it works that is.
I might think.. Are they putting to much energy into bud production Instead of root production.. And maybe take X amout to check out that theory.. By not allow them to bud.. And then check the root developement.. And run X amount on a heated table
Billy Roberts : If you hate pears why would you buy and plant a pear tree in the first place??? Seems counter productive to buy and plant what you hate. ~\_ (0,o) _/~ .
