What is a stock and how to grow it

What you need to know about the rootstock

The quality of the stock will determine the yield of trees, as well as their resistance to various diseases. Before being vaccinated, it is necessary to prepare for it and the stock will be important in this.

A rootstock is understood as a plant (part of a plant), to the stem or roots of which a cutting (part of a cutting) is grafted with a bud of a plant of the required variety, which is called a scion.

Types of rootstocks

There are several types of rootstocks:

Seed, which is obtained from seeds or seeds. For example, a tree grows from a seed of an apple tree, which is a seed stock. The main advantage of such a rootstock is that it tolerates frost and drought well, and also gives an excellent harvest. But the first fruits should be expected no earlier than 5-7 years.

Clonal, obtained in a vegetative way, by rooting cuttings. It is used when it is necessary to fix some quality of the scion behind the stock (for example, the sweetness of the fruit). This type of rootstock is distinguished by its early maturity. The first harvest can already be obtained in 2-4 years. But the superficial location of the roots leads to their freezing and drying out. In addition, the productive period will be short - 8-15 years.

How to grow a stock

The stock can be purchased, or you can grow it yourself. This is not difficult to do, the main thing is to follow the basic rules.

Growing a seed stock involves the following steps:

Seeds or seeds are removed from the ripe fruit. They are washed and dried by spreading them out on paper. Damaged seeds are sifted out. Prior to sowing, seeds should be stored in a paper bag and dry.

In autumn or spring, seeds or seeds are sown on pre-prepared soil. For preparation, it is necessary to remove weeds from the soil and apply fertilizers (compost or manure, as well as potassium salt and superphosphates) to it. Seeds are buried to a depth of 1.5-2 cm at a distance of 2 cm from each other.The seeds are buried deeper - 2.5-4 cm, at a distance of 6-8 cm.

Primarily, care is required such as loosening the soil, removing weeds and controlling pests. Top dressing and watering should be timely.

Seedlings of pome fruits are thinned out to a distance of 6-8 cm. Stone fruits do not need thinning.

After 1-2 years, you can vaccinate.

When growing a clonal rootstock, the actions will be as follows:

First of all, they are engaged in harvesting cuttings. To do this, cuttings are cut from a healthy branch, preferably from the middle tier. The shoot should be about 7 mm thick and at least 10-15 cm long. To cut the cuttings, you can take a sharp knife or garden shears. The lower oblique cut is made at a distance of half a centimeter from the lower kidney. The upper cut should be straight, it is made above the kidney. Before rooting, cut the 2 lower leaves together with the petioles. And the rest of the leaves are cut in half.

The stalk is planted to a depth of 3-5 cm, after which the soil is watered and mulched.

The cuttings require greenhouse conditions, so you can create them with the help of arcs and film.

Care consists in systemic watering and weeding.

The inoculation can be done after 1-2 when, after a good rooting of the stock.