PROPAGATION AND PERFORMANCE OF INEXPENSIVE PEACH TREES FROM CUTTINGS FOR HIGH DENSITY PEACH PLANTINGS

Inexpensive peach trees have been produced through in vitro propagation, the rooting of heel (sprouted nodal), mallet, softwood, semihardwood, or hardwood cuttings. In most cases little success has been obtained with in vitro propagation of peach cultivars although several peach rootstocks have been produced by this method. Very few attempts have been made to root peaches by layerage. Peach mallet, heel and softwood cuttings root with low percentages except for softwood cuttings from juvenile plants (young seedlings). These methods require a mist propagation system. On the other hand, semihardwood cuttings root with high percentages regardless of cultivar, but also require mist and a well drained media for rooting. The least expensive method of rooting peach cuttings is through the use of hardwood cuttings inserted "in place" in the field. A rooting hormone (IBA) is required for the rooting of all peach cuttings. The IBA concentration required depends upon the type of cutting used.

Trees produced from rooted cuttings are more tolerant to drought, absorb and/or translocate more calcium than do scions on 'Lovell', 'Halford', 'Nemaguard' or 'Siberian C' rootstocks. Tree growth, cold tolerance, fruit production, and bacterial canker resistance do not differ between trees on their own roots and those on 'Lovell' rootstocks. Own rooted 'June Gold' peach trees bloomed later than 'June Gold' scions on 'Nemaguard' and 'Halford' rootstocks; however, there were no differencies in date of bloom of own rooted 'Redhaven' and 'Redhaven' on several rootstocks.