I am going to be taking some clones of apple, peach, pear and cherry trees this year. I have sharp snips, rooting gel, large pots, and good soil. I have researched cloning methods and feel pretty confident I will be successful but does anyone here have any suggestions or tips from first hand experience.  

I'll ask at work for you tomorrow buddy

 

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Well. Grafting on a particular rootstock is preferable. Most of these from what i have seen are grafted not rooted. Any bareroot fruit trees ive bought in are grafted. Hormodin rooting powder is most common. Using gentle bottom heat. A heating propagation mat. Thats how i propagate and do cuttings.

Grew up on a nursery propagating trees.  Golf Battery is right and he's still in the business.

 

Fruit trees are bred to produce great fruit - not to be especially hardy.   Grafting onto a hardy root stock gives the best of both varieties.  However, I have rooted fruit trees for fun and it's worked.

 

Take your cutting, I'd leave them about 4" long and strip the leaves to only have 2 leaves.

Wound the base by slicing off a very thin narrow band of bark about 3/8 inch long on the cut end.

dip the base in rooting hormone.

place the cuttings in potting soil about 1" apart in rows.

Keep the cuttings warm and damp.  Always warm and damp.  NEVER let them dry out.   N.E.V.E.R. let them get dry!  You can loose new cuttings in hours, maybe less, if they're left hot and dry.

 

 

Transplant when they are 1 year old and keep the transplants well watered for several weeks until they are established.  Keep the rabbits, deer, ground hogs, and mice away for the next 5 - 7 years.

 

And you'll finally have fruit that is in every way inferior to what you can buy in the grocery store.

 

Just sharing from personal experience.

The reason I want to clone the trees is sentimental. My wife's grandfather planted the original trees. They are getting old and hollow and some have blown down over the years. I want to take cuttings while I still can so I can replant the same trees back in the same place in a few years.

Grew up on a nursery propagating trees.  Golf Battery is right and he's still in the business.

 

Fruit trees are bred to produce great fruit - not to be especially hardy.   Grafting onto a hardy root stock gives the best of both varieties.  However, I have rooted fruit trees for fun and it's worked.

 

Take your cutting, I'd leave them about 4" long and strip the leaves to only have 2 leaves.

Wound the base by slicing off a very thin narrow band of bark about 3/8 inch long on the cut end.

dip the base in rooting hormone.

place the cuttings in potting soil about 1" apart in rows.

Keep the cuttings warm and damp.  Always warm and damp.  NEVER let them dry out.   N.E.V.E.R. let them get dry!  You can loose new cuttings in hours, maybe less, if they're left hot and dry.

 

 

Transplant when they are 1 year old and keep the transplants well watered for several weeks until they are established.  Keep the rabbits, deer, ground hogs, and mice away for the next 5 - 7 years.

 

And you'll finally have fruit that is in every way inferior to what you can buy in the grocery store.

 

Just sharing from personal experience.

This part made me seriously laugh LOL

 

The reason I want to clone the trees is sentimental. My wife's grandfather planted the original trees. They are getting old and hollow and some have blown down over the years. I want to take cuttings while I still can so I can replant the same trees back in the same place in a few years.

Very cool idea and a nice thought!