North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

Del you may be lighting a brushfire here - in the seedling vs. clonal debate 
- just this morning I went with a
bow saw at a black walnut seedling here borne of the Elmer Myers Black Walnut 
strain.

Observing the extremely straight and exceptionally vigorous growth I 
hesitated with the bow saw.  I can see
this walnut hitting 20' by August, from the 12' it is now.

I do think we oversell clonal varieties and clonal rootstocks too much.  
There are distinct disadvantages to
the clonal approach....and not enough growing from seed.

I don't know what to do about the seedling walnut.  Obviously it'll make a 
decent saw log in just 10 years vs.
the typical 20.  I've never seen such vigor.   And how-ever can I propagate 
it if it proves of value for either
timber or for nuts?   Root cuttings?   Is it possible to obtain Black Walnut 
trees from root cuttings?
Charlie Paradise
zone 5 / Massachusetts

del stubbs wrote:

> I just planted out a row of Bud 9 apples that I had grafted last year and
> held in the nursery bed in our garden. Their roots are so different from the
> seedling rootstocks (prunifolia and renetka) that I had grafted and planted
> most of our 5 year old orchard with. The seedling rootstocks are more like
> an upside down tree, strong and self-supporting as they are planted out. The
> clonal rootstocks, however come in masses of tiny parrallel fibers.
> Sometimes one layer at the base, sometimes a second whorl a couple inches
> up.
> Question 1: How important is it to get the individual roots of a clonal
> rootstock layed out in its own path?
> By just throwing dirt around it they all clump together - but they are so
> fine and tangled it seems rediculously laborious to seperate them,
> especially if there are a lot to plant.
> Any Comments?
> Question 2: I prune seedling roots somewhat like I do a tree, how does one
> prune the masses of little roots of clonal rootstocks?
> My thought is to remove half of them right at the base - rather than cutting
> the tips (thinking of 5 years down the road - and all those tiny roots
> strangling each other.

>
> Del Stubbs  http://www.pinewoodforge.com  ag zone2/3