gunner wrote:
"karaman" wrote in message
...
hallo,

have some old apples and an apricot tree in garden. they all throw up
shoots from the roots under the soil. moving house, would like to take
both with me to new garden.

Question:a) is it any use digging up these shoots to take with me - are
they likely to be the same as the parent - have no idea what variety
they are, so cant just go buy one. b) is it any good nurturing one of
these shoots so that it takes over from the parent when it dies? c) if
the answer is no to above, then why does the tree throw them up anyway?
and should i cut them down?

thanks

karaman
the spirit never dies
+++++++++++++++
karaman

As I read the comments I find I told you how to do it but not I don't think
I addressed your questions all together well.

1. "is it any use digging up these shoots to take with me"?
I think so, nostalgia would be my prime purpose but apple stock @ US
nursery prices are ~25-35 USD. so for a little investment in work and a
little time...

2. "are they likely to be the same as the parent"?, my answer was yes but
as Sherwin and David pointed out, it does depend. So "Who's the
daddy"! Paternity test are expensive Dan any graft marks maybe long lost.
Also note that shoots on some citrus trees ( especially apples) don't fare
or produce as well as the parent, maybe smaller tree, maybe smaller fruit,
inferior taste.....

3. is it any good nurturing one of these shoots so that it takes over
from the parent when it dies? I believe so but I also believe in selection
of the fittest. First, ask yourself if it is nostalgia or quality and
quantity of fruit that drives these questions ?

4. why does the tree throw them up anyway? Survival.

5. should i cut them down? Again yes, to drive the energy back to the
tree unless you are going to use them.

Personally, I would use the shoots, if for nothing else, as rootstock.
As an contingency or if you are unsure if the tree was originally
grafted, I would also take cuttings( there are many cuttings, so look
them up) and try grafting or budding onto the root stock.

The American Horticultural Society's PLANT PROPAGATION book is a good
resource.
Should be available at your library.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Horti.../dp/0789441160

I'm sure David and Sherwin could give their fav resource material for
grafting/budding also.


There is a ton of sites describing grafting of fruit trees. Just
Google for it. My club has a section on it at www.midfex.org.

If you really want to be sure you get the same fruit at your new
location, safest bet is to take a cutting from an upper branch of
'new' (last seasen's growth) in the spring and either graft it
immediately to a rootstock while the tree is still dormant. You
can alternately store the twig (scion) in a damp plastic bag in
the frig until the summer and do a bud graft onto a rootstock or
another peach tree. Chip buds are usually the easiest and most
successful.

Sherwin