How to Grow Your Own Apple Tree Rootstock by Germinating Store Bought Apple Seeds

I need some good apple tree rootstock to graft my Honeycrisp apple onto. Figured out how to grow my own apple trees by Germinating store bought apple seeds.

Products I Use Frequently:

[petermckone]

I have grafted apples onto rootstock from seeds, and also onto commercial rootstock (M-7 and M-111). I get way more apples from the grafts on commercial rootstocks, and they start producing in as little as one year.

[dennismurphy]

Hi Mike, In the last two years I've just started to graft from store bought apples, mostly pink lady, and jonnagold, I've had some success grafting golden delicious, rustics, and flamingo ballerina. I've been following your videos, and admire your Rhododendrons.

[beebob]

this was what I was looking for. The rootstock and where it comes from.
I'm enjoying your channel very much. I kept bees for years but issues may prohibit me from keeping them in the future. So, the next thing is fruit trees. I already have Chicago hardy figs in the back yard. and want to vary my varieties, maybe even grafting different figs together. Who knows.

[roseanneatkinson]

I have been saving my Honeycrisp Apples seeds. So this will be awesome.

[ThorKipperberg]

Hi Mike this is awesome, I have done this my self, it works perfectly, I didnt put them in pots though, . i just plopped the seeds into the ground in my bed, and they took off, . left them outside this winter and theyr doing great, . did you know that this is also how new apple species are made. by cross pollinating apple trees and then sow and grow the trees from seed, and eventually get them to fruit and see if the fruit is good and edible? if it good then its a keeper, . if not you have a beautiful flowering apple tree :)

[claudiakoprowski]

Thank you! Keep us posted on the progress.

[catchemalive]

Mike, could you please give me an update on how these rootstocks turned out and if your still happy with how they are doing along with the grading I assume you did to them later on?!? This is exactly what I’m wanting to do and I don’t have a clue which root stock to purchase for my apple trees?!? There are way too many options for rootstocks and if I could just grown my own that would be awesome. Just wasn’t sure if that’s a smart idea in the long run for how well they will do again adt blite and other issues!?!

[ForgingFreedomTV]

So interesting Mike 👍 over here at the Forging Freedom Channel we are very interested in propagating fruit trees. I've got a great opportunity this weekend to go dig up several rootstock starts that are coming off of the roots of 100-year-old apple tree in my area that I plan on grafting to later. So excited to get them

[terryvandervort]

Hi Mike, I was just watching your six year old video on germinating Apple seeds for rootstock. I was wondering if I could take seeds from my Fuji apple tree and grow rootstock and then graft scions from the same tree onto that would it be a success? Also, how about peach and cherry?

[joeae]

Hi there..thanks. How do you know which rootstock you are growing from seeds from store apples?

[Timesup]

Dormant season and my wife wants me to prune Apple trees.

But...
I'll grab these branches and make due. I'll snip and powder them with root powder, then let those powdered lower branches "DRY."
Drying the root powder allows the chemical to seep into the skewed bottom portions.

Then I'll stick into a dry soiled container. Read you soon...

[DustySplinters]

Mike, I have a bunch of Apple and pear scions left over from a grafting experiment. Can I root them?
I also wonder if I can just push them in the BTE garden beds and see if they grow. I've done that with Forsythia with some success..
What type of growing medium should I use? Sand??? THX

[cheryltrozelle]

When you buy store bought apples for root stock and, ... say you live in upstate New york, Oregon, whatever, find an apple grown in that state. If you have an apple tree that does good and it is growing on your place that would perhaps be a good root stock to use. like mexican apple seed may not make make a good root stock for Wisconsin.

[AmandaViolinGirl]

Do you have a follow up video on how long it took till those apple plants were old enough to have other plants grafts.

[theghostofsw]

Is it still possible to get a good fruit tree with just a cutting? I mean with out having to graft it onto a special rootstock. There's a property, with some nice trees (apple, pear, plum), that is being sold, and the trees will be cut down and condominium's built. I would really love to save the trees VIA cuttings, but will they ever provide good fruit again without grafting onto rootstock? Thanks.

[MrMockingbird]

Hey Mike, I have done the same thing with store bought peach seeds. My success is low, perhaps 20%. But, the seeds are free, right? Now I am looking at buying dwarf rootstocks.

[IS-]

Hey mike. Cool idea.
What happens when you root a fruit tree cutting and plant the cutting.
Would it grow full size or the same as the tree it was taken from.
Do people plant fruit trees this way or better to use another rootstock?

[andielliott]

Mike, what potting mixture are you using in this video?

[olddave]

you could buy some dwarf root stock and graft those tops on the dwarf stock and use both parts of the seedlings.

[nosimpathy]

I'm wondering if its possible to keep a full sized tree small.. around 6ft