Propagating Trees in Central Oklahoma

I have access to trees I can trim, but not rooting hormones or willow trees.  Can I still propagate trees such as oak, maple, and sumac?  Worst case, I figure I get some dead branches buried partway in the back yard.

I am not planning on any evergreen cuttings.

Would I have the problems my FIL has with apples if I have a wide variety of trees?  There are tons of cedars and cedar rust around.

Chris Bright wrote:I have access to trees I can trim, but not rooting hormones or willow trees.  Can I still propagate trees such as oak, maple, and sumac?  Worst case, I figure I get some dead branches buried partway in the back yard.

Well, I don't know your transportation situation, but if you can follow any quiet country road to place where there's a number of bridges or culverts, big willows aren't hard to find in a "protruding over the roadway" situation where you can easily cut a few branches for soaking.  Alternatively, a four ounce jar of rooting hormone is a few bucks at any Tractor Supply or big box store (Walmart and Dollar General, too, in season, but we are out of it.)  

I am not aware of oak easily propagating from cuttings.  This time of year, though, acorns are everywhere; it's a good time to plant out acorns.  Work a patch of ground until it's weed free, plant a TON of acorns, protect them from critters somehow, transplant into buckets or your growing locations next year when they germinate.  

Sumac might grow from cuttings.  I would test by rooting in water first; just cut a bunch of pencil-sized stems and put them in a jar on your window sill.  If they root in the water, you can probably transplant them into soil.  

I also don't know about maple.  

Easy tree propagation in Central Oklahoma this time of year:

Osage Orange from seed (just chop up the Osage Orange "horse apples" with a machete and bury them)
Pecans (wild or thin shelled) from seed
Wild persimmons from seed (collect from old fruit on or under roadside trees, or look for seed in coyote scat for better/quicker germination)
Pretty much any nuts or fruit seeds you can find right now are good for sowing now or saving for spring sowing

Good luck!

Chris Bright wrote:Would I have the problems my FIL has with apples if I have a wide variety of trees?  There are tons of cedars and cedar rust around.

What problems does he have?

Most people in Oklahoma don't have any way to eliminate cedar rust, because it travels beyond property boundaries, and/or there are too many good reasons host trees on the property can't or won't be removed.  How much problem that causes for home-scale apple production seems to vary a lot.  At least some of this is down to growing varieties that aren't so badly affected, and at least some of it is accepting that rust is often a cosmetic damage or reduced fruit production problem -- deadly to a commercial grower, an annoyance at most to a home grower.  

Osage orange is too big for a suburban lot.  From what I've read, oak does better rooting when young.  I found a small oak and might have gotten part of the roots.  I got a sycamore cutting.  It was late enough when I got there that I didn't look for others.  With most of the leaves fallen, it's difficult to tell what trees they are.  Look for acorns, plenty of oak trees in the neighborhood.  Sunday I'll grab a small catalpa transplant tree from him.  Might grab a few more cuttings.  

There is a mulberry tree a few houses over, do they fruit early spring?  I know I saw purple, red and green fruit on the sidewalk at some point during the school year walking the kid.  I think that mulberries grow well from seed.  I think maple samaras come out in spring as well.  

I was able to get some rooting hormones from my FIL, so that will help with rooting while they are semi-dormant right now to hopefully take off in the spring.  

As for his issues with apples, I'm not sure if he has any beyond rust and assorted herbivores.  Squirrels are definitely an issue for his pecan trees.  Not sure if he has problems with diseases, fungii or parasites with his pecans as well.  

I am looking for ways to get free trees. Cuttings and transplants from father in law's property,  seeds from neighborhood trees.  I have three volunteer trees in the yard that I'll transplant where I want them.  

Transportation is definitely a complication.