Lots of trees are super easy to propagate using cuttings. Once you’ve grown a delicious variety of apple in your own backyard, it’s only natural to want more of them! It would be amazing if you could just snip off a branch and start a new tree, right? But is that actually possible with apple trees?
Propagation via Runners
Strictly speaking, propagation via “runners” or layers involves getting a new plant to grow roots while it’s still physically attached to the mother plant. You’ve probably seen this happen a lot with strawberry plants in your garden beds.
Propagation via Cuttings
Many common trees—like oaks, chestnuts, beeches, or maples—can be grown from cuttings. However, fruit trees are a bit more finicky. Trying to propagate an apple tree from a cutting or runner is usually pretty inefficient, which is why most gardeners don’t bother with it. Instead, we rely on grafting. This method allows you to take almost any apple variety and join it onto a specific rootstock. It might sound a little technical at first, but I promise it’s not as hard as it looks!
Collecting Scion Wood
The best time to collect your “scion wood” (the piece you’ll be grafting) is typically between April and May. A scion is basically just a short piece of a branch with about five buds on it. You’ll attach this to a rootstock that you’ve chosen based on your soil type and the tree shape you’re aiming for. This specific type of propagation is called grafting or budding. With a good step-by-step guide, you can totally master this technique.
Different Ways to Propagate Apple Trees
There are a few different ways to propagate apple trees onto a rootstock. The most popular methods among home gardeners and pros alike are whip-and-tongue grafting, T-budding (oculation), and cleft grafting.
Air Layering
If you haven’t heard of “air layering” yet, it’s a cool horticultural trick used to propagate trees. It’s another vegetative method where you wrap moist material (like moss) around a branch while it’s still on the tree to encourage root growth. Once roots form, you can cut it off and plant it. However, just like with standard cuttings, you shouldn’t expect a massive harvest from a tree started this way. That said, if you’re interested in growing a bonsai apple tree, air layering is actually a fantastic way to go!