Propagating rootstock from root cutting???

8 years ago

So I was topping off some container citruses with some leftover soil, and I noticed that there were some nice branching of roots near the surface (soil level) of some of my citruses.

Being greedy and in need of rootstock for my grafting addiction, I dig a little and chopped a few off the plants. I got three good chunks off one plant (Okitsu mandarin). These roots bundles have multiple branchings and lots of baby roots (spreading). I seriously doubt my source plant will notice them missing.

I potted up the three Carrizo chunks I stole from my big plant and one unknown rootstock from my Meiwa plant. Sorry, I don't know what to call them (the term escapes me) so I just call them root bundle/chunk.

What's the chance of my root cuttings sprouting for me a stem so I can graft onto them in the future? Am I even doing it right? Can I add hormone (or anything) to force it to send up a stem/sucker...

3 Carrizo roots in the front, and an unknown (from Meiwa) in the back. Under the soil, they have pretty good branching and white baby roots. Two roots went deep, and two has funky curves, but all root system are nice and healthy.

Also I was eye-balling my peach/nectarine/plum/apricot fruit salad tree, looking up and down, mostly down, and I couldn't help myself.

I hacked off a good piece of root and wish to grow its rootstock - Nemaguard. Can I even force it to send up a stem/trunk so I can graft another peach/nectarine bud on it in a year or two?

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Anony Mous
Original Author

8 years ago

Well...I went ahead and gave it a shot. You never know or learn until you try, I guess.

It was a lot easier than I thought. Easier than doing it on a trunk or branch. My buds slipped right in. (Duh, it's at the root, lol) And I guess, supposedly, roots do have adequate "bark/skin" for you to peel back and slip in your bud, although the bark skin is softer and damage easily when prying with the knife blade or fingernail. I had to clip off some smaller upper root branching so I would have some space/area to slide in my buds.

Minneola Tangelo on Carrizo root. I like this one because the main fat root points down like a tap root

Okitsu mandarin on Carrizo root

Rio Red grapefruit on Carrizo root. I did a whip graft with this because the root was small and skinny and there's no way I can slide in a bud or peel back some skin. Never did a whip graft before because you have to find scions with similar caliper/diameters. Anyway, it's like taping up a root system directly to the scion, lol. I'll be REALLY surprise if this one works or is alive after a week or two...really, really surprise...

Clementine on an unknown root I cut off from my Meiwa kumquat plant's rootstock

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Comments (11)

poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years ago
T-bud the root its self
Anony Mous
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yeah, t-budding directly onto the root cross my mind too. Never done it before and I was kinda afraid and don't know if the roots have enough "bark/skin" to peel away. The bundles of roots I dug up used to be completely submerged in the soil before I cut them off from the mother/root system. I was wondering if it is okay having the graft/line right at or slightly under at the soil level?
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poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years ago
I don't know
poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years ago
Looks real good
poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years ago
How did they turn out
socalnolympia
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
" Propagating rootstock from root cutting??? "

It's commonly done with certain types of cherry rootstock, the ones known to have a high proclivity for suckering.

Although in that case, they're not actually making the graft directly into the root itself.
Anony Mous
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Well...
Minneola Tangelo on Carrizo, and Clementine on unknown rootstock both DIED. I was extremely disappointed because I thought they were beautifully grafted (lol), everything mated so well and clean. Root system were bushy and healthy. Sadly I think I killed them with too much love (a.k.a. watering them too much). I dug them up and their once healthy roots weren't bushy anymore, but small (shrunk) and limpy. Root rot perhaps.

Rio Red on Carrizo by whip grafting was an experiment and new to me. It died too, but I didn't care. It was my first time at whip grafting, and now I know I hate the process. Or maybe I was too ambitious the first time around by trying to mate a bud stick with a root system. LOL.

Anyway, one root graft did survived - Okitsu satsuma mandarin on Carrizo. A Carrizo root sucker (left side) decided to show itself as well. I don't know what to do with it yet - let it grow and compete with the Okitsu bud, or just pluck it off now. Or let it grow bigger, then hack it off and graft another variety onto it, thus getting a citrus two headed monster. Suggestion?

The life of the Okitsu satsuma mandarin on a cut-off piece of Carrizo root:

May 19, 2018:

July 10, 2018:

July 19, 2018:

August 8, 2018:

I'm surprised the big leaf didn't fall off yet.
poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years ago
You need to break the sucker off you your tree will let the graft die
Anony Mous
Original Author
8 years ago
Yeah, you're right. I'll probably break it off this evening after work. Before, I was just thinking about a 2-for-1, meaning using the carrizo sucker as another grafting point later in its life.
poncirusguy6b452xx
7 years ago
Update please.