Vegetative propagation of mature and juvenile northern red oak

Rooting trials were established to evaluate rooting success of cuttings from mature and juvenile, grafted and ungrafted northern red oak (NRO). Buds from 4 mature NRO ortets and juvenile seedlings were grafted onto juvenile and mature rootstock. Cuttings were collected from the grafts and from juvenile and mature shoots developed in situ and subjected to a rooting trial. Of all treatments, cuttings from juvenile material rooted best. However, the rooting of cuttings from mature trees was also relatively successful. Rooting success of cuttings was significantly related to ortet genotype and ontogeny and was not directly influenced by grafting. The number of roots per cutting and post-rooting flushing behavior was significantly related to ortet ontogeny. Juvenile rootstock had little effect on the rooting, number of roots per cutting, flushing behavior, and overwintering success of meristerns from mature NRO. Mature rootstock negatively influenced the number of roots per cutting, flushing behavior, and overwintering success of shoots from grafted juvenile buds.