... sort of.

I have an overgrown appletree in my yard that did produce apples.

However, it was so large and unmanageable, it was cut down, and the stump is about 1-2" above the ground surface.

Anyway, from the base and exposed roots, runners are shooting up.

Can I "prune" one of them so it grows into a fruit bearing tree again?

Or should I just cut them all and get rid of the remaining stump?

Thanks

Brian

Brian, it is too bad the original tree became so overgrown that you had to cut it down. I had the same problem when I bought my property. It was part of an old apple orchard and I have antique trees. Out of 14 trees, I have 8 left. It took a lot of work to save the remaining trees. One is like the one you cut down. It is so overgrown that I can't prune it. So, I am waiting until it becomes either bug infested or falls over. It still is quite beautiful to look at this time of the year and produces viable apples for the local wildlife.

You have a better chance of getting decent quality fruit to produce in a few years on a new tree, rather than rely on an offshoot of an old tree. Allowing the shoots to grow really won't create a stable tree. You are better off cutting the shoots and getting rid of the stump. The cheapest way to get rid of it is to use a stump grinder. If you are comfortable using the machine, you can rent them, check around and see if you have a tool rental place near you. Or, my preferred method is to hire a local landscaping or tree service company to grind and remove the stump for you.

You can always plant another fruit tree when you are ready to do so. Find a different location in your yard that is away from the house and away from the original tree. Shop around, do some research as to what type of fruit tree does well in your area and will produce fruit that you would like.

How about cutting a shoot and getting it to root. Do you think that is possible? I've heard you can do that with certain plants... maybe this is one of them?

Brian

I have never done that. I know that professional apple growers will do that and graft it onto an existing tree to create a different fruit. I don't know if we have anyone here that can give you guidance on that. I guess you can always try it and see if it works. Here are a couple of links that will give you a lot of info on apple trees, but I can't seem to find information on how to cut and grow a shoot. In any event, they will definitely give you info on how to care for your tree.

Training and Pruning Apple Trees
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/crops/8057.pdf

Your best bet would be to see if your state has a cooperative extension. Just do a search with your state name, followed by the words cooperative extension. The ones that exist are wonderful sources for all plant and insect information. They may be able to advise you on how to do this successfully. If you get a chance, post back and let me know if you have had any success. I might just try it myself if it isn't too difficult.