Propagating fruit trees isn’t exactly a “set it and forget it” weekend project—it takes a good bit of effort and a few years of patience. This is true whether you’re starting from scratch with seeds or trying your hand at grafting. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try growing your own apple trees, here are some tips and tricks to get you started on the right foot.
Growing Your Own Fruit
To be honest, growing fruit from seed only really pays off for a handful of varieties, like walnuts, peaches, or hazelnuts. For most other fruit trees, we use a method called grafting—like bark grafting. This is a form of asexual propagation, which is just a fancy way of saying you’re creating a genetic clone of the mother plant. Fun fact: every “Boskoop” apple tree in the world actually comes from one single original tree, spread across the globe entirely through grafting!
The Art of Grafting Fruit Trees
When you graft a tree, you take a “scion” (a small branch from the tree you want to replicate) and attach it to a rootstock. You join them tightly so they can fuse together and grow as one. There are a few different ways to do this depending on the season and your goals. The most popular methods include budding (oculation), whip-and-tongue grafting, bark grafting, or cleft grafting. You can usually spot where this happened on a tree by looking for a bumpy, scarred “graft union” near the base of the trunk.
Grafting via Scions
If you want to graft an apple tree this way, you’ll need a scion—basically a short piece of a branch with about five healthy buds on it. You then tuck this into the bark of your rootstock, which could even be a wild fruit sapling that popped up in your yard. Just keep in mind that apple scions generally only take if they are grafted onto apple rootstock.
Summer Budding (Oculation)
Budding is a fantastic way to graft younger plants during the summer months. One of the best perks of summer grafting is that you can cut your scions right when you’re ready to use them—no need to store them in the fridge! Look for a healthy, high-yielding “mother tree” to take your cuttings from. Pick out some strong, vigorous shoots and make sure you use a very sharp budding knife to get those clean cuts.
Why Cuttings and Layers Don’t Work
While you can easily grow gooseberries or currants from simple cuttings or “slips,” apple trees are a bit more stubborn. They won’t root that way, which is exactly why grafting is the go-to move for home gardeners and pros alike.
