My book says these can be grown from seed, but will take ten years to flower. Otherwise they need budding or grafting, so probably it'd be a lot easier to just buy a replacement young tree.

Hi Lori... so sorry you are going to have to move and leave the crab apple behind. Sadly I think Bamboo's advice is correct.

JUst calle me sentimental...Bamboo! lol...ordinarily I"d be only too happy to buy a tree...It's just that this one is a specia onel. It was planted by the birds...because I know I didn't plant it!! I was cultivating, it's first spring, and realized it was a fruit tree, starting there... so decided to let it be and see how it would do...that was about ten years ago! it bloomed and bore fruit for the last two seasons... until then I wasn't sure if it was an apple or cherry...(I'm not much of an expert on fruit trees) It's a tough little creature ...and it is so beautiful and sweet smelling... produces large fruit, which makes excellent crabapple jelly. I wish I could take the tree but it's about 15 feet tall!

Well, I'm coming over all philosophical now - that tree was put there by nature, not by you - you have had the joy of tending it for all these years, but now you have to leave it to someone else for their joy. It lives, and although you won't be able to see it, it will carry on after you've gone. We are only ever caretakers of trees, since some of them live a lot longer than we do...Biggest problem you've got is not knowing which cultivar it is, so not knowing which one to buy when you move.

a big mech. digger will do it, or try hte DerekF way = prune off a 1mtr long branch wider than 1/2inch -put in deep pot (2ft+)wiht bottom of cuttin half way down - keep at 20C or higher-water evry day for one yeer!!!
do your cuttin end of may

dereks idea will cost you but hes right and its better done as you say in the fall . personaly i agree with bamboo as you could probably buy one in a tub thats already quite big .as it was self seeded it must be quite natural to wear you are lori .

Thanks everybody... yes I'm going to give it a go....I really want to keep part of this tree, so I'm going to try rooting a cutting (or two or three)...

i would try as many as possible lori as the tree will regrow done right as i imagine you are . if you have any over they will make lovley prezzies and if you lose a few you will still have one or more to keep.good luck im sure it will be great and you wont need luck . just great to be posative .

... you mentioned "prezzies" what a good idea! thankyou, NP. need to get some sharp sand and maybe some vermiculite.. heigh-ho~

well youl be helping nature and you want to do it anyway and you have more chance the more cuttings you take . youl be killing 3 birds with 1 stone if you like.take care bye for now .