How to get hardwood cuttings of apple to root?

Read somewhere that apples could be propagated without grafting. They described taking cuttings, but now I can't find the book and memory is a jumble. I have had luck with summer rooting peach twigs, but I need to save an apple, and I would like to make it, if I can, from cutting.

Welcome to you!

I'm sure you know that whip grafting cuttings from your tree would be your best bet but I also read that apples, and pears, could be started from cuttings. I found information online and tried it and failed. But, that doesn't mean you would fail and I'm certainly game for trying again. Have you ever considered stooling? I haven't tried that with an apple or a pear but if you're trying to save that apple it couldn't hurt trying it and you just might have success with one or the other method.

Thanks for the ideas.
I should probably head for Michael Dirr's book on vegetative propagation. There is probably something in there about it. I've done stooling on shrubs, but this apple tree is 45 feet tall and BIG boled. It's the only apple in our valley that produces loads of apples with absolutely no spaying. It is on the other side of the valley from me, across a creek, and if I get out on top of my roof I can see it. All my apples are beset with freezes and frosts, curculios and a host of other pests, and I can't believe that they are all on my side of the valley. So, I want to try to establish this tree on our side, and see how it does. It is getting on in years, and part of it split last year. I should just get some whips and graft it, just in case it topples. Did you use bottom heat when you tried to start the cuttings?

At the time I did not have professional heat mats so I used an old heating pad that did not have an automatic shut off. I was using Rootone back then so that's what I probably dipped my cuttings in. I think I used softwood cuttings. Can't recall right now. It's been too long I can barely recall what I found online that prompted me to try it. I do recall not getting anything to root though.

Although I doubt if these were sites I viewed back when I tried to root cuttings, here are a few I just found that look interesting-
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/prop2.htm
http://www.gtz-treecrops.org/Downloads/Manuals/Propagation/Mod04.pdf

This article suggests hardwood cuttings of apple should be used-
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html

Both Dirr and Ken Druse have sections in their books on propagating apples. If you want, I can photograph the appropriate pages and d-mail them to you.

Here's a link I found online regarding cuttings-
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B818.htm

I really think you should go for it and try cloning that apple tree several different ways.

Please let me know if you are successful with cuttings.

I've tried air layering on citrus and was successful. It took about 1 month for the stem to root but root it did. I had done it with about five of them and eventually all but one died. I had given them to friends so I didn't have control over them. The one that survived has already produced fruit (lime) and it's only a little over a year old.