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)
thanks, Del
Where today's forcast is for 80F at noon, and Snow at midnight.....
Del Stubbs http://www.pinewoodforge.com ag zone2/3