Is this a good time to root prune small flowering crabs?

I have many small flowering crabs that I have started from seed and sell them at my plant sales. Last year the larger ones had too many long roots to pot up without damage. I want to root prune by cutting around them with a shovel, and think this may be the proper time for them to grow more smaller roots.

Anyone who knows, I would appreciate some advice. Thanks, Legit

Once you start to see a little fall color, or have consistently cool weather and moist soil, it's time.

Are these native crabs? If not, are you grafting something onto them, or just selling them as unselected seedlings? The buyers might come gunning for you later if they think you're selling them ornamental flowering crabs and they turn out to be random seedlings which probably will have very inferior blooming qualities. Grafting crabs is VERY easy, so you might consider it if you're not already doing it.

Guy S.

I guess now would be the time, then.

They are unselected seedlings and the buyers are made aware of that fact. There is a wide variation in them. I am promoting small trees and shrubs for wildlife cover and food, so they should be good for that purpose, and once in awhile a nice one may appear.

I am interested in trying the grafting, though, I only did it once in a class. Tell me more, I have a Centurion and one other I can't remember the name right now in my yard I could use as grafting stock.

When, and how do I cut the rootstock to replace the entire top? A link to a good informational site would be helpful also. Thanks, Legit

I'm going to wait and hope that a better grafter jumps in here with detailed advice. But in general, I graft apples in the field just prior to budbreak, using scionwood that I collected a few weeks earlier and kept dormant in the fridge. As long as you use a REALLY sharp knife, match up the cambium layers, and seal the graft against dessication you can use any type of carpentry you prefer.

Regarding wildlife plantings, I hope you will try to convert to using only native species. Some of our worst problems with invasives began with the innocent planting of exotic "wildlife" food/habitat plants. We now have multi-billion-dollar nightmares on our hands. Various Asian Lonicera species, Rosa multiflora, and Elaeagnus umbellata all got their foot in the door in that way, and Rosaceous species like crabs are notorious for having invasive potential due to their heavy fruiting and avian fruit dissemination.

Guy S.

It seems some of these worst case offendors, multiflora rose, lonicer, eleagnus, often had their insidious malignancy encouraged by widespread planting by road bureaucracies trying to re-green highly disturbed soils and to slow soil erosion. I guess it is easy to Monday morning quarterback.

Scott

I agree with Scott, and I'll add:

Invasiveness also applies to potential (or lack thereof) ability to germinate in a given locale, and susceptibility (or lack thereof) to pests/diseases locally. Most introduced species from overseas certainly lack local pests/diseases. Not as many are able to spontaneously germinate.

The species Scott happened to mention were more likely governmentally distributed as "wildlife friendly" than as erosion-control selections. Boy, was that moniker apt, which has led to the severe problems.

I light thin them in all seasons provided it's moderate.

You did say "flowering crabs" - right?

Mario:

Is that 'Pinch Hit'?

'Dungeness Delight'?

'Louie Louie'?

Or 'Drawn Butter'?