Rootstock from cuttings?

I have recently taken up grafting and have found it very enjoyable. As I have been using rootstock it has been obvious that the stock has been grown from cuttings. What is the most successful way to root cuttings? I tried IBA root tone and have had very little success. If you have had any experience in that area or could lead me to a good source of information it would be greatly appreciated as I would like to start my own rootstock from cuttings.

The only difference in root stock, that I have been involved with is, JM.To me it seems that cuttings from JM is inferrior to seedlings, as far as the roots go.Every cutting I have ever made from JM is smaller, more like a confined root, as compaired to the spreading, running roots from seedlings. Sorry, I would rather grow my own rootstock, than take cuttings, but of coarse, thats my opinion. Mike

What are we talking about here, fruit trees? Citrus? Roses?

Fruit. Apple, pear, plum, peaches and such.

Mike, what is JM and where do you get the seeds to grow your own rootstock? If you save seeds from fruit you won't neccesarily get the same qualities in the parent will you?

I work at a nursery and I was thinking of taking cuttings from suckers of some of the trees on my favorite rootstocks for this area.

Thanks,
Tina

JM, is Japanese Maple, and I get the seeds from varites I see that I like.Blood Good, etc. The weeping, I believe comes soley from a graft. Mike

I've been told that a tree has a limited life span and starting rootstock from suckers and cuttings means that you have a tree that starts out at the age of the tree it was taken from and so limiting the years you will get from your graft. This why root stock should be started from seed.
I'm not sure if that is 100% true but all of the rootstock I have gotten was obviously rooted from cuttings, also this way you would consistently reproduce desired tree height.

Ok, I did a little research and basically, if you want the same rootstock, or any rootstock that you can be sure will achieve the desired effect, (wether that be dwarfing, more disease resitant or more tolerant of conditions) you will have to grow it from cuttings. Growing from seed produces an unknown fruit that may or may not be superior to the tree you already are grafting it to.

I have not heard of taking a cutting from a tree giving you an older tree. Being in the nursery industry I just can't imagine that being true, considering how many thousands of varieteis MUST be grafted, from cuttings, in order to grow true..as they would not from seed.

Yes you can buy grafts from apple trees documented to have been planted by John Chapman ( Johnny Appleseed ) 200 years ago so I don't buy that idea either at least not for fruit trees.
Back to my original question. What is the best chemical and or process to get these cuttings to root consistently? It has been hit or miss for me and I have a fairly green thumb.

Oh yeah...your original question!! :) I haven't actually done fruit tree cuttings, but I have done lots and lots of other things. I take a piece that is not brand new greenwood, or hardwood yet and remove the bottom leaves. Then I dip the bottom half in rooting hormone and place in a mixture of peat and perlite. I then place the pot in a tray on a heat mat with a clear cover over it to act like a mini greenhouse. I check moisture levels everyday, trying not to over water to avoid fungus. I also try to open it for a few hours a day for air flow. As soon as I see new growth I take it out to a shady part of the yard to "grow on" before it gets gradually acclimated to full sun.

If you are pretty much doing this and some take and some don't do not be discouraged. I always take more cuttings than I need, the downside being that I know have a bizzilion hydrangea, pelargoniums, fuchsias and cestrum! HA!

Good Luck!

I got it all wrong! What I thought was grown from cuttings was actually done by another process called clonally propagated and the end product looks like a rooted cutting.
Here is a video that I think is very interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn9nzWr9Q1w

This message was edited May 30, 2011 9:49 AM

Cloning yields the same end result as rooting - a genetic copy of the parent. It's just two ways to reproduce an identical copy. Cloning lets you make a very large number of copies in a small space. Sprouting seeds will almost certainly result in a mix of the two parents genes therefore not a copy of either parent.

Could you instruct me in cloning? I think stool bedding looks easy enough if that's what your talking about. I would like to try anything reproduces copies of desired stock roots or cuttings.

Absolutely not - I decided several years ago that cloning was not for me. I suggest you search for it on DG as I have seen many comments on it under Propagation. Good luck!

To clone a large number of plants you would probably want to use tissue culture. There are videos about this on YouTube and you can order supplies at www.kitchencultureeducation.org.

kb

Also, Yahoo has a very active tissue culture group.

kb