|
Sat, Aug 22, 09 at 4:22
| Hi i have a fully grown crabapple tree at my house and i was wondering if i could take some type of a cutting that would produce fruit within the first year and grow it into a bonsai? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| The long answer is complicated & involves an explanation of the difference between ontogenetic age and chronological age, but the short answer is 'NO'. When you establish a cutting, the tree has internal chemical messengers stimulating the tree to recognize first roots, then shoots, then reproductive structures as energy sinks, which means virtually all the trees energy resources will be devoted to roots/shoots in the first 1-5 years, depending on your ability to maintain favorable cultural conditions and what part of the tree the cutting was taken from. E.g., cuttings from upper branches or branch tips of mature trees will fruit much, much earlier than basal sprouts because the tip cuttings are in mature phase and the basal sprouts will be in juvenile phase and will have to age (ontogenetically) before they are capable of producing fruit. For more in depth info, read my comments on the thread about figs I'm linking to below. Al |
Here is a link that might be useful: More here if you click me
|
- Posted by mganga-mulapai (My Page) on Sun, Aug 23, 09 at 9:18
| Yes, one can air layer a portion of an already established crabapple tree in your yard. I have found an easier way to get a jump start on the project. In fall, I prowl the nurserys, particularly the smaller ones that do not want to over-winter their remaining stock and cut the prices by 75%. I have found crabapple trees for five to ten dollars, and the nice part is that they still have fruit so you can see the color and size that you will get. I have a saw with me, and remve the top of the tree, taking home only a two foot stump, usually balled and bound in burlap. Then I heel them in and put a couple bags of leaves around the root balls for winter. Come spring, before they break dormancy I cut them back to the height I need remembering that you will be developing a new leader and side branching. I put them in training pots, after washing off all the soil, and in several weeks with a bit of warm weather have a lot of budding out. For the first year I allow almost all the branches to grow and only do a bit of wiring of what I hope will be the main branches. The one thing to watch out for is getting a tree with a good grafting wound. Some of them can be rather ugly, but a search usually turns up quite a few with a neat graft that will not be offensive when the tree matures. Good luck. Jim Rieden |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Bonsai Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.