Anyone start fruit trees from cuttings?

[Paddy]

I just planted a Nectarine tree and trimmed it up. I have seen where you CAN start new trees from cuttings. The little branches I cut have started to leaf out. I removed the 2 leaf buds on the lower part. Am I too early, too late?

There may be a down side to all this even if they grow. Often the growth of the tree is driven by the root stock. Also how resistant the tree is to disease?

Anyone try this?

 

[CajunRider]

I've done many fruit trees from cuttings. They will produce fruit sooner and can do well. However, I find their root system to be a little less robust and they won't grow to be as big as those planted from seeds.

You are not too late but you need to get your cuttings some root hormone and into the rooting environment asap. If you don't get any roots on the cutting soon, those buds are not likely to survive. For citrus tree I prefer to do air layer and get some roots on the branches before I cut them down and plant them.

 

[Paddy]

CajunRider,

I have them in water now. Is that OK for a day? They were cut and in water within 5 min. I also scratched up the bottom a bit, I saw where that helps. I just added some root hormone to the water.

Should I remove most of the leaf structure but the top?

 

[CajunRider]

A day or two won't hurt, I've gone as far as 3 days taking cutting from out of state while on travel. With a very clean knife peel the bark off about 3/4 from the cut (the roots will grow right out of the edge of the bark later). Dip that 3/4" section in rooting hormone powder and put it the soil. Water the soil just enough to get it wet then cover the whole thing in clear plastic to keep it moist and place it a semi shade place. The branches should take roots in a few weeks.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I've grown lots and lots of grapes from cuttings. Actual trees are usually grafted to rootstock which is grown from seeds.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Yes, they need to be grown covered so they don't dry out. The air around them needs to be moist. Standard trees (not grafted) will be slower to mature and set fruit, but will live much longer. My parents had standard apple trees when they bought their farm 67 years ago, and they were 6" diameter, mature trees at the time. They were still healthy and fruiting when my mom died a couple years ago. Of course, we kept them pruned, but did very little else. They were probably almost 100 years old, and still productive.

 

[Paddy]

CajunRider,

Thanks for all the tips, and everyone else.
Mine have a lot of leaf action, should I remove some of them?

 

[CajunRider]

CajunRider,

Thanks for all the tips, and everyone else.
Mine have a lot of leaf action, should I remove some of them?

Remove all but two or three and even then use a pair of scissors to trim them to 1 inch square each. Too many leaves will draw out too much water and your branch doesn't have the root system to support the water draw.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I've had good results with a "Clone King" brand cloner that I bought on Ebay. It bathes the base of the cutting in a constant mist while the top is kept dry and exposed to light. Allegedly the massage action of the mist on the base stimulates root growth. I've used it both on leafed out cuttings and dormant ones.

I think I must be the only person in the world not using it for marijuana. It came shipped in a plain brown wrapper.