Chris Frechette
Yamadori
My local nursery is having a big bare rooted fruit tree sale this weekend... apples, peaches, persimmon, pears and plums. Anyone have experience trunk chopping a fruit tree? I’m curious which would have to best chance.
Which fruit trees will survive a trunk chop?
- Thread starter Chris Frechette
- Start date
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
I know that with some (maybe alot) of stone fruit they will chop the tree down really low to the ground in late winter, and they mound up s substrate of some kind. After several months the trunk will send off a ton of suckers, and they begin to send out roots (above the chop) and BAM they get ground layered whips.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Just make sure you don't chop below the graft... or you won't keep your cultivar.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Hmm that's cool!
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Apples will take a hard chop for sure.
Giga
Masterpiece
all the above, I've chopped all low. Most fruit tree respond pretty well to being chopped at the right time of year.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Be careful to chop at least a couple inches above the graft on fruit tress that are 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide at the base. Here I have landed up with more rootstock growing nicely then trees one year - I was like WTF this does not look like a... 
Crystal just laughed but I hate wasting resources and time.
Grimmy
Crystal just laughed but I hate wasting resources and time.Grimmy
SU2
Omono
When is the right time of year for citrus trees? Would love to know, I live in citrus-country FL lol so they're *everywhere*, can't say I've thought much about collecting them but reading your post has me thinking to go try and find some now, presuming that holds true for citrus trees & now is the right timing!!
DeanoAZ
Yamadori
My citrus in the backyard (lemon, orange, grapefruit & lime) are full of ripe fruit right now. They will begin to flower in a month or two. I would think planting now before the flowering comes on would be good.....I could be wrong, though. I live in the Southwest Desert.
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
The persimmon, pear, and plums, I wouldn't mind just using the rootstock for bonsai. I'd cut below the graft unless you really want the cultivar. The persimmon might have lotus which would make small fruit. The pear may use beautifolia. The bark and leaves are nice. The plum rootstock would make nice blossoms in spring. I've actually been looking at the rootstock on some grafted Bradford pears. Great bark and really nice fall colors. The trees might have rootstock labels if not check the grower's website.
From what I've read, about the first quarter of the spring/summer growing season would be good. They've had time to recover from the 'winter' quiescence, and have the rest of the growing season ahead of them to recuperate.
Take that with a grain of salt; I'm not speaking from experience. My lemon and lime both remain unchopped.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
This is one of those comma sentence fuckers....
Is "big" an adjective for the sale?
Cuz bare root trees tend to be too small to chop..
But if they aren't....
Good trunk/roots first....
Care about species second....
Then wether the chop is above or below the graft..
And\or wether its getting planted in the yard.
Sorce
JosephCooper
Shohin
Try a pomegranate?
That's the only trunk on a fruiting tree I've chopped so far...
That's the only trunk on a fruiting tree I've chopped so far...
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Not always. We used to order all trees bare root at the nursery where I worked. Some of those were 6 foot tall with trunks over an inch in diameter.
The roots need work though. They're usually a mess.
Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
Or, go ahead and chop below the graft, and take bets on what pops up!
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Be careful to chop at least a couple inches above the graft on fruit tress that are 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide at the base. Here I have landed up with more rootstock growing nicely then trees one year - I was like WTF this does not look like a...
Easy Bet
Bare root are the best if you are aware that they need to be planted/potted in early Spring - here that is the second to third week of April. I might add you can buy any size you want, depending on what you want to spend... Roots - that's up to you and all part of the game. Personally I don't mind chopping a tap and others to fir the pot
Grimmy
