Apple / Malus & Quince urban yamadori

Jay,

Not sure what happened but I made too many mistakes on this tree...maybe due to the fumigation and cleaning I had to do for both this and the quince...I got sloppy and forgot many steps (root hormone application, sphagnum moss, making cleaner cuts on the root chops, etc.)

You think it is better to uproot/redo this and repot? Thanks.

Poink88 wrote:Jay,

Not sure what happened but I made too many mistakes on this tree...maybe due to the fumigation and cleaning I had to do for both this and the quince...I got sloppy and forgot many steps (root hormone application, sphagnum moss, making cleaner cuts on the root chops, etc.)

You think it is better to uproot/redo this and repot? Thanks.

If you feel that the trees health would be better served in the long run by popping it out and doing the correct work now then yes go ahead, I don't think the tree, still dormant and only a few days out of the ground, will feel a thing!

Then you can situate it correctly and forget about it with a clear conscience for the next few years. If it were my tree I would go ahead and do what needs doing now, rather than have to correct an issue later on.

-Jay

Jay,

Marcus offered the same advise so I went ahead and re-potted it. Treated all the cuts with rooting hormone and basically wrapped it with sphagnum moss as I plant it. It also went into a bigger and deeper crate and is secured much better now. New container is also more "breathable" since it have holes all around so all walls and bottom is lined with landscaping fiber. I hope the tree recovers faster now.

Thank you.

There is some debate about the practice of putting rooting hormone on root tissue. The hormone concoctions are meant to promote root growth from stem tissue. I've read some extension documents -- and have been told by folks with more expertise than me -- that indicate their use on root tissue actually inhibits root formation.

Jim,
Interesting. Would you know if a taproot (say 4" wide) is considered root or stem tissue? That is where I applied the root hormone. Note too that below that cut, there were suckers growing so I am inclined to believe it can be classified as stem tissue. Thoughts?

Poink88 wrote:Jim,
Interesting. Would you know if a taproot (say 4" wide) is considered root or stem tissue? That is where I applied the root hormone. Note too that below that cut, there were suckers growing so I am inclined to believe it can be classified as stem tissue. Thoughts?

A freshly sawn tap root 4 inches wide is stem tissue, its xylem, phloem, and two cambiums (periderm and vascular) just as you find in the trunk of a tree. There is no differentiated root tissue as you have cut it all off. On tissue that has differentiated into true root tissue (white feeder roots) the IBA or NAA hormone may indeed have a different and possibly inhibiting effect. The two auxins in the various rooting compounds do nothing more than speed up plant cell replication/division. They do not provide the specific hormone that tells plant cells to produce roots, or stems or any other specifically differentiated plant material. All they do is help form a callous quickly, from this callous the tree can then decide to extend roots.

besides I think I get more benefit from the anti-fungal (Thiram) in my Rootone than anything else.
-Jay

hi Jay,
your the man!! i really enjoy reading your in depth knowledge and experience of plant taxonomy.

cheers, keep it up,

marcus

marcus watts wrote:hi Jay,
your the man!! i really enjoy reading your in depth knowledge and experience of plant taxonomy.

cheers, keep it up,

marcus

I've been forced to learn a little about plant anatomy throughout my "career", but for Taxonomy, I turn to Iris.

Thank you Marcus!
-Jay

UPDATE: 3 of my apples (including the main tree) have buds!!! Just a few and all are still very tiny and are covered with fuzzy white thingies/hairs but I am very glad to see them.

Poink88 wrote:UPDATE: 3 of my apples (including the main tree) have buds!!! Just a few and all are still very tiny and are covered with fuzzy white thingies/hairs but I am very glad to see them.

Thats a good sign. Now keep an eye out for signs of dehydration, green stems wilting, leaves flagging. If you notice these signs and your soil is moist, consider building a little clear poly cover out of say a dry-cleaning bag or something similar to help create a humidity dome for the new growth, in order to slow down the transpiration rate. Keep the stumps out of direct hot sun if you do.

Take a look at Harry Harringtons work with this rootless Hawthorn
http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATHawthornLilfordProgression.htm
-Jay

Will do and thanks for the tips.