Unlike currants, sea buckthorn, roses, and some other berry and ornamental plants, the apple tree is a species that is difficult to root. However, modern misting systems, growth regulators, and other techniques and tools that stimulate the formation of adventitious roots allow for the propagation of several apple varieties on their own roots.
**Pepin Shafran**. This winter variety, developed by I.V. Michurin, boasts several key advantages: early fruiting, high yield, and excellent taste. It can be consumed fresh from October to February, even into March, and is suitable for processing into juices, jams, and pickling. In harsh winters, the risk of frost damage is mitigated by the successful propagation of the cultivated apple tree through green cuttings; around 100 varieties have been tested, revealing varying degrees of rooting difficulty. Among these, some are classified as hard, medium, and easy to root, with the latter achieving a good root system in 70-100% of cuttings. The rooted cuttings of these varieties grow and develop normally, giving rise to own-rooted trees that, in many agricultural and biological respects, are comparable to those grafted onto seedling rootstocks. Additionally, they offer two significant advantages, particularly valuable for amateur gardening. First, if the above-ground part freezes or is damaged by rodents, the tree of that variety can be restored through root suckers. Second, the adventitious root system of own-rooted plants is located more superficially, allowing for apple cultivation in areas with relatively high groundwater levels.
In the central and northwestern regions of the Non-Black Soil Zone, these varieties thrive in conditions most favorable for crown restoration, as the variety has a high shoot-producing capacity. It bears fruit annually. A drawback is that without thinning pruning, the crown becomes dense with age, resulting in smaller fruit.
**Findings from Lebedyansk**. A clone of Pepin Shafran, identified in the village of Lebedyansk in the Lipetsk region, is distinguished by its earlier fruit ripening and excellent dessert flavor. Consumer maturity occurs in September, and it can be stored in the refrigerator until December or January. This variety is early-bearing, prolific, and fruits abundantly every year. Its winter hardiness is good, better than that of Pepin Shafran, while its resistance to scab is average. The drawback is the same as that of Pepin Shafran: crown thickening and smaller fruit size as the tree ages.
**Vityaz**. A late winter variety developed by S.I. Isaev. It exhibits vigorous growth and a robust crown, with the main skeletal branches positioned horizontally, making maintenance easier and promoting earlier fruiting. Its yield and winter hardiness are good, with average resistance to scab. The fruit is medium to large (110-200 g), with a relatively high vitamin C content (up to 20 mg%), and has excellent storage qualities. Consumer maturity spans from December to April, providing good raw material for compotes and juices. A downside is that its fruit may not appeal to those who prefer sweeter varieties, as they are quite tart.
**Mechta**. A summer variety developed by the All-Union Research Institute of Horticulture named after I.V. Michurin. One of its main advantages is its high early fruiting capacity (it can start bearing fruit in the second year after planting). This apple tree is of medium height, winter-hardy, and productive, with medium-sized fruit that has a pleasant sweet-tart flavor. It offers advantages over the widely grown summer variety Grushovka Moscow, including annual fruiting and relative resistance to scab.
**Aport Blood Red**. An old variety of folk selection, known for its large, beautifully shaped fruit with good taste. It has a wide distribution range. The winter hardiness, early fruiting, yield, and resistance to scab of the clone cultivated at the Timiryazev Academy are average. In the Moscow region, consumer maturity occurs from late October to February. The fruit can be used for drying, making juices, and cooking.
**Zhigulevskoye**. A winter variety developed by S.P. Kedrin. This variety is of medium height, productive, early-bearing, winter-hardy, and relatively resistant to scab. The fruit is above average in size, brightly colored, and has good taste. They ripen in September and can be stored until January, yielding excellent juices and compotes.
It should be emphasized that all the recommended varieties, except for Aport Blood Red, are early-bearing and productive, increasing the chances of getting a return before the onset of harsh winters, which typically occur every 10 to 11 years.
In areas where fruit trees experience frost damage almost every year, it is advisable to grow the listed apple varieties in a bush form.
Currently, scientific institutions and nurseries are still producing own-rooted apple seedlings in very limited quantities. Therefore, amateur gardeners might consider trying to grow them themselves. However, creating conditions for rooting green cuttings requires fairly complex specialized equipment. A more accessible method is propagation by layering. To propagate apple trees this way, in the fall, a one-year-old tree (either own-rooted or grafted) is planted at an angle so that early the following spring, the plant can be pinned to the ground. The shoots that grow from the lateral buds are then covered with soil at the base, and as they grow, they are hilled up in several stages. If the mound of soil is kept loose and moist, roots will form on the plants by autumn in warm weather. It is best to separate the layers and plant them in their permanent location in spring, ensuring that the young roots are well protected from frost by covering them with leaves, pine needles, sawdust, or other insulating materials.
Some amateur gardeners use the air layering method to obtain own-rooted apple trees. A recommended modification of this method is as follows: in spring, select a strong lateral shoot from the previous year on the desired variety, and cut a strip of bark 5-10 mm wide about 5-10 cm from the tip. Make longitudinal cuts in the bark of the ringed section, 2-3 cm long. It is advisable to treat the wound with rooting powder, which is prepared at a ratio of 2.5 mg of naphthylacetic acid per 1 g of talc. The most effective root formation stimulant for apple trees is indole-3-butyric acid, but it is not commercially available.
Wrap the prepared section of the branch, avoiding the tip of the shoot, with moist sphagnum moss and cover it with a piece of black polyethylene film, securing it tightly at both ends. In autumn, remove the layer with the formed roots from the film and moss, cut it from the tree, shorten the young shoot, and plant it in a pot with a clean, sieved soil mixture of earth, peat, and sand in equal proportions. Store it in a basement over winter, ensuring the roots do not dry out, and in spring, transplant it to a permanent location.
If there are own-rooted apple trees on the site, they can be propagated using root cuttings, as recommended by B. Florov.
Caring for own-rooted apple trees is the same as for grafted ones, but it is important to pay a bit more attention to the root system. The more superficial adventitious roots are more susceptible to soil drought, frost, and weeds, but they are also more responsive to all care techniques.