Mother plantation – a rooted plant used for bud grafting other plants. Trees and fruit and ornamental shrubs are often used as rootstocks. The purpose of a rootstock is to provide the plant with a well-developed root system that can draw water and minerals from the soil. This is meant to ensure that the plant becomes strong and healthy enough to resist diseases and various pathogens, as well as provide abundant yields.
Generally, rootstocks affect such factors as tree longevity, yield size, fruit quality, fruiting regularity and may even accelerate the fruiting period.
They are used primarily in horticultural nurseries and ornamental shrub propagation. They are also occasionally used in forestry and vegetable growing The general rule is that you should always graft seedlings of a given species on a rootstock of the same species. However, if this proves impossible, the most closely-related one should be chosen instead.
