Rootstock Growers

WHOLESALE ROOTSTOCK

Many trees are grafted onto specialist rootstock. In most nurseries you will find that with fruit trees it is a majority.  Tree are grafted for many different reasons including :

•  Controlling disease – Some rootstocks are more disease resistant than others. Most grape vines for example are grafted onto phylloxera resistent varieties.
• To promote better growth in different soil conditions – Some plants are very fussy about soil conditions, and yet when grafted onto a relate species they are easy to grow. This is particularly true of many Australian Native plants form Western Australia, these are grafted onto different rootstocks to allow them to be grown in the eastern states.
• The ability to tolerate different soil moisture, from dry to wet.
• To control size – Some rootstocks are less vigorous than others, this means that we can grow plants to smaller sizes. So we have dwarfing, semi dwarfing and other types for this purpose.
• Rootstocks can also help determine when a plant will set fruit.
• Rootstock that will be in itself more vigorous and allow the plant to be more resistant to winds.

How it works.

• The selected rootstock is grown for 1 year.
• The selected material from the parent tree (scion) is then grafted onto the rootstock.
• Once the graft has taken, all of the foliage and branches are removed from below the graft.
• The scion if left to grow.
• The plant is ready for sale.

Rootstock Suppliers

A number of specialist growers can provide commercial quantities for grafting purposes. Rootstock is the what it sounds like, the roots of the tree. Some are stronger, more disease resistent and also smaller growing than others.

Nearly all fruit trees are grown on selected varieties, some for vigour and some to allow the plants to thrive in different soil types.

It is not a ‘one size fits all’ growers need to look at requirements and then select the most appropriate material.

For citrus trees the ‘Flying Dragon’ rootstock is popular for smaller growing plants.

Wholesale Rootstock suppliers including Ornamental and Fruit Tree Types.