How to propagate an apple tree with green cuttings and air layering at home

Many summer residents have a desire to increase the number of fruitful trees or renew old plants. In order not to spend extra money on acquiring new seedlings, it is enough to know how to propagate an apple tree and get new trees. In order for new apple trees to take root and bear fruit, it is important to observe a number of nuances of cuttings and create suitable environmental conditions.

Pros and cons of propagating apple trees from your garden

In practice, gardeners meet with a number of both positive and negative aspects of apple tree propagation. Benefits include:

1. The ability to propagate trees indoors and outdoors in several ways.
2. Increased apple harvest at no additional cost.
3. No need for specialized equipment.
4. Reproduction of any variety of apple trees, including columnar.

Air Layering Technology

To breed apple trees without using the grafting procedure, you can use an alternative method. The use of air layering makes it possible to form new roots in the damaged area of trees.

A cutting is considered a part of a branch capable of fruiting. The principle of reproduction is to stimulate the growth of roots artificially. To propagate a tree through air layering, you must follow a simple instruction:

• choose a branch with a diameter of 1.5-2 cm with young green growth;
• wrap a place free from leaves on a branch with electrical tape to create a greenhouse effect;
• at the beginning of the summer period, make cuts on a branch and build a container with a stimulating solution around it;
• leave the container for a couple of days, then drain the liquid and fill the free container with a moistened substrate;
• at the end of August, cut off a branch with pruners and transplant into open soil.

Growing apple trees from seeds

The easiest way to propagate apple trees is to germinate from seeds. To do this, in the fall, seeds are removed from fresh fruits and washed thoroughly in water. After digging holes 2 cm deep, the seeds are laid out at a distance of 20 cm from each other.From above, the seed is covered with a layer of soil and mulch so that the seeds lie in the ground until spring.

Throughout the next season, seedlings require regular supervision. Sprouts with small leaves and weak stems are screened out. A year later, the growing seedlings are dug up and planted in a permanent place. When transplanting, you need to pinch the root so that the tree does not grow excessively tall and begins to bear fruit faster.

It takes several years to grow a seed-planted tree, which is the main disadvantage. However, apple trees grown from scratch have a longer lifespan and higher yields.

Instructions for tree propagation by cuttings

The process of grafting apple trees is carried out without grafting trees. You can harvest cuttings at any time of the year, with the exception of winter. Cuttings harvested at the beginning of summer form roots faster, because they do not have time to completely lignify.For cuttings, you should choose the growths that appeared on the tree in the current year.

The cut of the cuttings is carried out in the early morning, when the maximum amount of moisture accumulates inside. The length of the separated parts should be 15-20 cm. Taking into account the likelihood of damage to the seedlings, it is recommended to cut several copies. The propagation process by cuttings is carried out according to the following instructions:

1. The stalk is disinfected and kept in water in a lighted place until roots grow 5-8 cm long.
2. The seedlings are transferred to the ground and fertilized to stimulate growth.
3. The plant is regularly looked after, watered and loosened the soil so that the branches take root.
4. The area around the trunk of a growing tree is covered with a thin layer of mulch to retain moisture.
5. By the beginning of autumn, seedlings are formed from the cuttings, which are planted in a permanent place.

Features of growing an apple tree from green cuttings

Another method of propagation by cuttings involves the use of green branches. To do this, it is enough to cut off the green stalk and place it in water for the development of the root system. It is important to prevent the sprouts from rotting at the base, so the following points must be considered when keeping in water:

• when rooting a branch, it is better not to change the water, but periodically add as it evaporates;
• liquid should be warmed up to room temperature;
• in one container, only one sprout is rooted at the same time;
• to accelerate the development of the root system, it is allowed to add stimulants to the water with cuttings.

After the roots have grown, the seedlings should be transplanted into a nutrient soil mixture for the purpose of growing. Not earlier than after 2 years of growth, the apple tree is transplanted to a permanent place.

The main advantage of propagation by green cuttings is that seedlings can be obtained over a long period of time, as green shoots appear on apple trees throughout the spring and summer. Planting cuttings allows you to update productive tree varieties and significantly increase yields.

Breding from a broken branch

If the reproduction of an apple tree through cuttings did not bring the desired result, one should resort to the method of breeding from broken branches. The method consists in artificial stimulation for the formation of the root system.

For reproduction, it is necessary to find an escape in winter and break it so that the bark does not burst.Then the branch is fixed in a bent position by wrapping the fracture with the back of the electrical tape to the wire. In mid-March, the tape must be removed and the branch cut off in the fracture area. On the lower base, it is enough to leave 4 lateral buds and make a cut at the top of the shoot.

In order for the branch to begin to form roots, you should put it in a container with a solution of 2 tablets of activated carbon and melt water. The container should be on the windowsill to influence the branch of natural light. Within 3 weeks, a callus influx forms at the base of the branch, protecting the sprout from bacteria, after which roots gradually grow.

You can transplant a seedling into open soil when the roots reach a length of 6 cm.

The method of growing a new apple tree from a broken branch differs from others in its increased likelihood of sprout survival. From a rooted sprout in the ground, it is possible to grow a full-fledged seedling, ready for transplanting to a permanent location.

Bringing apple trees with eyes (budding)

Propagation of apple trees by budding involves grafting with a single bud - an eye. Since tree grafts are sensitive to bacteria and dirt entering the incisions, the instructions for budding should be followed exactly. To grow new apple trees through budding, you need:

1. Select a rootstock on the tree and make a T-shaped incision on its surface with a sharp blade.
2. Bend the ends of the bark to the sides to partially remove the top layer of wood. Insert part of the cutting with the kidney and bark into the hole.
3. Tightly fix the free part of the cortex on the edges of the kidney attached to the incision. Tie the bud and wood carefully to the surface of the trunk. It is important to keep the growth bud free when fixing the cortex.
4. After a week, check how well the created eyes take root. In a positive case, the eye becomes greenish.

To achieve a successful result, budding should be done early in the morning or in the evening when the heat subsides. It is also worth considering that the survival rate of the eyes depends on the time of year, and a high probability is observed in the autumn period.

The main advantage of budding is the ability to obtain fruits from one apple tree that have different taste characteristics and other properties. The disadvantages include the impossibility of budding in rainy and dry weather, as well as the impracticality of breeding new trees in the spring.

Basic recommendations for growing an apple orchard

Regardless of the chosen method of propagation of apple trees, you should follow some recommendations that will help you achieve the best result. To increase the number of fruitful trees and get a quality harvest, you should pay attention to these tips:

1. Cultivation of apple trees by cuttings is not performed in the spring, as the cuttings begin to grow actively and draw out nutritious juices from themselves. As a result, the sprouts dry out and do not take root in the ground.
2. It is better to prepare cuttings for propagation in summer, when they are filled with useful trace elements from fertilizers.
3. On trees growing more than 5 years, it is allowed to do several graftings at once. It is recommended to fix the scion at a distance from the trunk.
4. Vaccinated apple trees must be constantly looked after, fertilized, watered and pests removed. For proper tissue fusion, stable moisture is required even with occasional rains.

Compliance with simple rules will help get rid of problems when breeding trees. Minor nuances of tree propagation can significantly increase the number of fruits ripening per season.

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