Growing New Apple Tree From Pruned Cuttings

Cuttings will create numerous trees that are hereditarily identical to the "parent If you prune an apple tree,(which I did ) or if a branch breaks off, nothing has got to go to waste. Of course I’m not going to waste my precious pruned apple cuttings that can be used to make a new plant or clone to a new tree. While I have enough cuttings from my pruned apple tree’s  so why not try to experiment propagating apple tree from branch/pruned cuttings!

1 week in honey water

Pruning Apple Tree

Now how to go about things. Put cuttings in water until you are ready to plant them, so that they don't dry out! There is rooting hormone available, good and pricey, and works like a charm, but I don’t have it. It is also said that Weeping Willow tree or shrub of the willow family with the scientific name”salix” can be made a Willow Tea to make rooting hormone used to propagate plant cuttings. And, best of all, it’s free. Willow bark contains natural plant growth hormones; namely, indolebutyric acid and salicylic acid, but I don’t have it either but definitely will try it. So let us used my raw natural unpasteurized honey (2 tablespoon mix in 1 cup of water where all my branches and stems of apple will be stay in for about a week.

Left: Apple Cuttings in honey water for 1 week
Right: Apple Cuttings Planted about 1 week already

Before: Newly Planted (no roots)                                      After: 2 weeks (look at those apple baby leaves)

Plant cuttings directly into soil, where you want the tree to grow, or into giant pot, ensuring the noded section of new tree-to-be is well covered in earth. (FYI all stems I planted has no roots at all before I planted)

Stake the tree well so that the cutting will not be at all moved by wind. Or placed it in safe fenced area.

Water well and keep moist. The roots will grow all through the rainy months, and be established as soon as it produces more leaves.

Keep tree well watered specially during  summer, (don’t over water in rainy months) be sure not to let the new roots dry out. Keep the tree well-watered for the whole summer, in order to get it established.

And voila! You have a nice new apple tree! And it didn't cost you any money at all! Just TLC and patience more of it!

As you can see, this technique is very simple, and you can use all the cuttings left over from the pruning of fruit trees to propagate more apple trees. Its better than tossing out, mulching or composting the prunings, and if the cuttings fail, then you can do that. At best, you’ll end up with more trees to plant in your garden.