Methods for propagating apple trees at home by cuttings in summer, plant care

Many summer residents have a desire to increase the number of fruit-bearing trees or renew old plants. In order not to spend extra money on purchasing 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 cutting nuances and create suitable environmental conditions.

Pros and cons of propagating apple trees from your garden

In practice, gardeners encounter a number of both positive and negative aspects of apple tree propagation. The advantages include the following:

1. The possibility of propagating trees indoors and outdoors in several ways.
2. Increasing the amount of apple harvest without additional costs.
3. No need to use specialized equipment.
4. Propagation of any variety of apple trees, including columnar ones.

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 area of ​​damaged trees.

A cutting is considered to be the part of a branch capable of bearing fruit. The principle of propagation is to stimulate the growth of roots artificially. To propagate a tree through air layering, you need to follow simple instructions:

• select a branch with a diameter of 1.5-2 cm with young green growth;
• wrap the space on the branch free from leaves with electrical tape to create a greenhouse effect;
• at the beginning of the summer, make cuts on the 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 empty container with a moistened substrate;
• at the end of August, cut off the branch with pruning shears and replant it in open soil.

Germinating an apple tree from seeds

The easiest way to propagate apple trees is by sprouting from seeds. To do this, in the fall, seeds are extracted from fresh fruits and washed thoroughly in water. Having dug holes 2 cm deep, the seeds are laid out at a distance of 20 cm from each other.The seed is covered with a layer of soil and mulch on top so that the seeds lie in the ground until spring.

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

It will take several years to grow a tree planted by seed, which is the main disadvantage. However, apple trees grown from scratch have a longer lifespan and produce greater yields.

Instructions for propagating a tree by cuttings

The process of cutting apple trees is carried out without grafting the trees. You can prepare 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 select growths that have appeared on the tree this year.

The cuttings are cut 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 cuttings are 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 and planted in a permanent place.

Features of breeding an apple tree from green cuttings

Another method of propagation by cuttings involves the use of green branches. To do this, just cut a green cutting and place it in water to develop the root system. It is important to prevent the sprouts from rotting at the base, so when keeping in water, the following points must be taken into account:

• when rooting a branch, it is better not to change the water, but to periodically add water as it evaporates;
• the liquid should be heated to room temperature;
• only one sprout is rooted at a time in one container;
• To accelerate the development of the root system, stimulating drugs can be added to the water with cuttings.

After the roots grow, the seedlings should be transplanted into a nutritious soil mixture for the purpose of growing. No 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, since green shoots appear on apple trees throughout the spring and summer. Planting cuttings allows you to renew productive tree varieties and significantly increase productivity.

Propagation technique from a broken branch

If propagation of an apple tree by cuttings does not bring the required result, you should resort to the method of propagation from broken branches. The method consists of artificial stimulation for the formation of the root system.

To reproduce, it is necessary to find a shoot in winter and break it so that the bark does not burst.The branch is then fixed in a bent position by wrapping the fracture with the back of the electrical tape to the wire. In mid-March, the tape should be removed and the branch in the area of ​​the fracture should be cut off. 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 place it in a container with a solution of 2 tablets of activated carbon and melt water. The container should be on the windowsill to expose the branch to 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.

The seedling can be transplanted 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 the increased likelihood of sprouts taking root. From a rooted sprout in the ground, it is possible to grow a full-fledged seedling, ready for replanting to a permanent location.

Removing an apple tree with eyes (budding)

Reproduction of apple trees by budding involves grafting with a single bud - an eye. Since tree grafting is sensitive to the penetration of bacteria and dirt into the cuts, the instructions for budding should be followed exactly. To grow new apple trees through budding you need:

1. Select a rootstock from the tree and make a T-shaped cut 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 bud and bark into the hole.
3. Tightly fix the free part of the bark to the edges of the bud attached to the incision. Carefully tie the bud and wood 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 are taking root. In a positive case, the eye becomes greenish in color.

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

The main advantage of budding is the ability to obtain fruits from one apple tree that have different taste characteristics and other properties. 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 propagating apple trees, you should follow some recommendations that will help you achieve the best result. To increase the number of fruit-bearing trees and get a high-quality harvest, you should pay attention to the following tips:

1. Propagation of apple trees by cuttings is not carried out in the spring, since the cuttings begin to actively grow and draw out nutritious juices from themselves. As a result, the sprouts dry out and do not take root in the soil.
2. It is better to prepare cuttings for propagation in the summer, when they are filled with useful microelements coming from fertilizers.
3. On trees growing for more than 5 years, several graftings are allowed at once. It is recommended to fix the scion at a distance from the trunk.
4. Apple trees with grafting must be constantly cared for, fertilized, watered and pests removed. For proper tissue fusion, stable moisture is required, even with periodic rains.

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