The crabapple demonstrates its uncomplicated nature when it comes to propagation. Anyone who is prepared to accept a comparatively high failure rate will ignore the expensive refinements from the nursery. It's that easy to grow young Malus hybrids from cuttings and cuttings.
How to propagate crabapple?
To propagate crabapples, you can cut top cuttings 10-15 cm long in June/July and place them in a moist peat-sand mixture or plant cuttings with buds at both ends in the fine-crumb garden bed in autumn and water them.
This is how summer breeding with cuttings is successful
At the time of fruit formation, life pulsates in the crabapple right down to the shoot tips. The months of June and July are therefore ideal for propagation with top cuttings. This is how it works:
- Cut cuttings 10-15 cm long below a leaf node
- Deleaf the lower branch area, remove flowers, buds and fruits
- Insert cuttings in pots with moist peat sand or emaciated potting soil
Put a plastic bag over each container. Wooden sticks act as spacers to avoid contact between the foil and the cutting. In a partially shaded, warm location, keep the substrate slightly moist and ventilate the cover daily.
Propagate crabapples in winter with cuttings - this is how it works
Immediately after the leaves fall, you can cut off the desired number of cuttings. Pencil-length annual branches with a bud at each end are ideal. Place these in a fine-crumb bed in a partially shaded, protected location in the garden. Please make sure that a maximum of a quarter of the cutting wood is still visible. It's that easy:
- Water the cutting wood bed when it is dry
- Do not give fertilizer until the first shoots appear in spring
- The young ornamental apples when they reach a height of 15-20 cm should be trimmed once for bushy growth
It is beneficial for rooting if you cover the bed with fleece or a polytunnel from mid/late February. Make sure the soil moisture is constant, as drought inevitably puts an end to young plant life. Once your pupils have reached a height of 10 cm, the protective hood can be removed again. By autumn, strong young trees will have developed, which you can plant in the desired location.
Tip
The decorative crabapples stay on the tree for so long that winter sometimes puts a snow cap on them. This is not only beautiful to look at, but will also make your feathered garden inhabitants extremely happy. Therefore, please leave at least part of the non-toxic fruit coating as a valuable food source for birds.