Homestead mailing list

["Karen L. Black" <karen AT plamondon.com>]

Rob asks:

> Anyone know how you grow your own rootstock?

I know of two methods: growing seedlings or vegatative propagation of an
existing rootstock. The one is cheap and easy, but you don't know what the
stock will be like; the second is trickier, but more predictable. 

I haven't tried either, as I can buy rootstock at the Home Orchard Society
Scion Exchange (coming in March south of Portland) for about $5.

Cornell has a website with descriptions of the apple rootstocks available in
1999:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/breeders/appleroots/Factsheets/FSAccess.h
tm. There's also some information on the rootstock program at Cornell, and
the new "CG" numbering system.

James writes:

> Most apple trees are grafted onto quince stock.

I believe quince stock is used more for pears than apples. The commonly
available apple rootstocks (M26, MM111 & so on) are apple varieties.

Karen Black
Norton Creek Farm
Blodgett, OR