Apple Tree Rootstock
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Forms of Apple Tree
Apple trees are extremely adaptable and can be grown in a variety of
shapes. The key factor is the space you have available in your garden.
The principal shapes grown today are listed below with the type
of space they might occupy. Remember that size of the tree will
also depend on the rootstock (see below) |
|
Shape |
Space Required |
| Cordon |
Very small area |
| Espalier |
Very small area, decorative, but difficult to control |
| Bush |
Small to medium sized gardens |
| Standard |
Medium to large gardens |
Rootstocks
All apple trees sold nowadays in the UK and USA are made up from two quite separate
parts which together form the complete tree. The lower part of the apple
tree is called the rootstock - typically it is the the lowest 25cm
(10ins) of the main trunk. This part controls the overall size of the
tree, it does not affect the type or quality of the fruit produced. In
general, the smaller the tree, the faster it will be to produce a full crop
of fruit. After maybe four years, the larger trees catch up, and produce more fruit each year than the smaller trees.
The main body of the apple tree (above the rootstock) is called the 'scion' and
this has been grafted onto the rootstock at the nursery. This top part of
the tree controls the type of apple produced.
The commonly available rootstocks in the UK and USA are listed below. They are
listed in size order, with the smallest first. The sizes quoted are
approximate and are at maturity (roughly seven years old) for a bush
shaped trees - tree size is primarily dependant on the rootstock, but is
also affected by pruning methods, the apple variety and the fertility of
the soil. Click on the more common rootstocks if you are interested in for more detailed information.
| Rootstock |
Width |
Height |
Staking? |
Plant
to Harvest |
| M27 |
1m (3ft) |
1m (3ft) |
Yes |
2 years |
|
Budagovsky 9 |
1.2m (4ft) |
1.2m
(4ft) |
Yes |
2 years |
|
M9 |
1.6m (5ft) |
1.6m (5ft) |
Yes |
2 to 3 years |
| M26 |
2.3m (8ft) |
1.8m (6ft) |
Yes |
3 years |
|
Mark |
2.3m (8ft) |
1.8m (6ft) |
Yes |
3 years |
|
Ottawa 3 |
2.3m (8ft) |
1.8m (6ft) |
Yes |
3 years |
|
M7 |
3m
(10ft) |
2.5m
(8ft) |
No |
3 to 4 years |
| MM106 |
3.6m (12ft) |
3m (10ft) |
No |
3 to 4 years |
| M2 |
4m
(13ft) |
3.2m(11ft) |
No |
4 years |
| M4 |
4.2m
(15ft) |
3.5m
(12ft) |
No |
4 years |
| MM111 |
4.5m (16ft) |
4.0m (14ft) |
No |
5
years |
If you want to know where to buy apple tree
rootstock for grafting or when and how to do this, then
click here for our apple tree
grafting page.
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