Cut an end-section with sharp pruning shears from a branch on the upper part of a healthy, mature, dormant apple tree in winter or early spring before any signs of growth appear on the stems. The cutting should be several inches long.

Stir together one part sand and one part peat and fill a flowerpot with this mixture. Another growing medium mixture is one part peat, one part perlite and two parts sand.

Remove buds and leaves from the lower half of the cutting from the apple tree. Pour some rooting hormone into a saucer and dip the cut end in rooting hormone.

Stick the cutting into the growing medium in the flowerpot about halfway and press the medium firmly around the cutting so it stands upright on its own.

Moisten the cutting and growing medium with water from a spray bottle. Cut the bottom from a clean, clear, 2-liter plastic soda bottle. Screw on the cap and set the bottle over the cutting in the flowerpot, creating a mini-greenhouse. Alternatively, set the entire pot inside a clear plastic bag and seal it closed with something such as a twist tie. It is important to keep the bottle or bag from touching the cutting. You can use soil to make sure they don't touch.

Place the flowerpot in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Remove the cover and mist again, if needed, to keep the cutting evenly moist throughout the rooting phase. Roots should emerge and leaves will appear on the cutting after a few weeks.

Tip

If you cannot plant the cutting immediately after removing it from the mature tree, seal the cutting in a plastic bag and store in an ice chest or a refrigerator until you can process it so that it doesn’t dry out.

You can root multiple cuttings in the same pot as long as they are far enough away from each other so the leaves do not touch or overlap.