Propagation of fruit

Question 1

What is top fruit?

Answer 1

produced on trees and are very long-term crops.

Question 2

name some top fruits

Answer 2

apples
pears
plums
cherries
peaches
apricots
quinces

Question 3

what are soft fruits and name some

Answer 3

produced on perennial plants or low shrubs.
strawberries
gooseberries
currants
raspberries
blackberries

Question 4

what kind of soil do raspberries prefer?

Answer 4

deep soils rich in OM

Question 5

list some important factors when choosing fruit.

Answer 5

use certified stock
culinary or dessert apple required?

Be aware some are biennial, cropping every 2 years

ultimate tree size
length of time until tree starts fruiting

Question 6

how are fruit trees produced?

Answer 6

By budding or grafting varieties onto different rootstocks

Question 7

what does a rootstock do?

Answer 7

give vigour
controls size of tree
may have resistance to soil-borne diseases
governs time tree fruits/yields

some apple varieties/cultivars grow poorly on their own roots so grafting onto a suitable rootstock overcomes this.

Question 8

what does a dwarf rootstock do?

Answer 8

allows a naturally large tree to be grown in a small garden.
or several trees to be planted in a limited space.

Question 9

Give some examples of rootstocks

Answer 9

M27 very dwarfing
M26 semi-dwarfing effects
M106 Semi vigorous
M9 Dwarfing rootstock

Question 10

when selecting a fruit tree what should you take into account?

Answer 10

choose right cultivar that is on the right rootstock for the right soil type.

Question 11

why should you think about cross pollination when choosing fruit trees?

Answer 11

many cultivars must be pollinated by a different variety

They should naturally all be in flower at the same time.

Question 12

name some self-infertile fruit trees

Answer 12

apples
cherries
plums

tables of flowering times are produced to help select the cultivars timing of flowering that will coincide

Question 13

What are most apple cultivars classed as? (think about chromosomes)

Answer 13

diploid

Question 14

explain the term diploid

Answer 14

they have one set of chromosomes
one from the male and one from the female parent.

Question 15

what are diploids capable of?

Answer 15

they have fertile pollen and ovules

Question 16

describe triploids

Answer 16

A few varieties of apple are triploid
they do not produce viable pollen
they produce viable ovules

Question 17

name a triploid variety of apple

Answer 17

Bramley’s seedling - it requires two other trees (both diploid) to ensure fertilisation.

Question 18

what should you consider when planning an orchard?

Answer 18

there must be desirable pollen sources within 3m of each other

introduce beehives to help with pollination

to aid pollinators fly, warm and sheltered areas are best.