How do I take a cutting from an apple tree

[Gamergirl86]

Please forgive my lack of knowledge.
We are moving house soon and have a wonderfully established 10 Yr old apple tree we received as a wedding gift. I would very much like to be able to take a cutting and grow another tree from it, if that's possible?

Or ia it a case of planting an apple seed- and how likely is that.to work?

Hello Gamegirl86,

This is possibly your best option as a way of taking a piece of your wedding gift with you.

https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/helpdesk/customer-services/bud-grafting-service

Happy gardening
👩‍🌾

Hello again Gamegirl86,

You may also want to contact Brogdale to see if they can help you.

https://brogdaleonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Grow-Grafting-Service-A-specialist-service-unique-to-Brogdale.pdf

Happy gardening
👩‍🌾

This is great, thank you so much

My pleasure!

I would tell your new house buyers about the background to your tree / wedding present and ask them if you need to get some propagation material from it after you move out would they allow you to do so.

👩‍🌾

Seed is unlikely to come true.

Trees are a pain to propagate, and apple trees will be grafted onto a different root stock, etc. The above service is a great idea - this is one for the pros. Alternatively, are you sure you can't take the tree with you? Or do you know the variety so you could get another one?

How much time have you got? If it is several months, then you would have time to try an air layer.

@MereDintofPandiculation is right - apple seeds don't grow true to the parent plant as they will most likely have been pollinated by a different variety, but since you want to keep something from the tree for sentimental reasons, then perhaps that wouldn't matter.

Forgot to mention - a pp says about grafting. It's the wrong time of year in the UK for grafting fruit trees anyway, so it would be unlikely to take. A friend of mine has a tree nursery and knows a lot about grafting, so I just messaged him and asked.

The tree actually came with us from our first house! It was only 2/3 years old thrn and transported and survived really well.
I would say it's far too established to move and would leave a very big hole.in the gsrden. I also would expect the new.owners would.wonder where it went! It is quite a focal point and tbh I wouldn't want to deprive them of that.

@Yamadori thank you for this, I'm not sure I'm knowledgeable enough to attempt a graft anyhow !

Grafts are really tricky so I wouldn't bother, but you can find out how to do an air layer, there are loads of youtube tutorials, all you need is some sphagnum moss (garden centres sell it), a plastic bag and some wire ties. It is a bit late in the year to try it but it's worth a go.

You don’t lose anything if you try and it fails. You don’t even detach the cutting until it’s rooted successfully!

If you want it as a memory, you could cut a piece and get something made instead. Then it will last any amount of moving.