Hi all, seeking some wisdom before making orders. I'm thinking about propagating some of my columnar apple trees and wonder what rootstock to use. These trees work well for me, productive enough, good apples, and I can grow them in fenced-in areas to keep out deer, with more trees per square foot of garden space than using conventional dwarf trees. The ones that I have are not patented, as far as I can determine, so I would like to make my own trees.
The challenge is, I don't know the rootstocks for the trees that I have. My NorthPole is a nice columnar tree, nice apples, but is too vigorous. I can't pick apples above about 10 feet high and it's much taller than that. I have another, Scarlet Sentinel, that I THINK is on EMLA 106 or EMLA 111 - I forget - that is also way too vigorous. It's probably 12 feet tall now. Also, on too vigorous rootstock, they tend to lose the single lead and become more bushy, harder to train and the apples don't have as good sun exposure. I have some conventional apple varieties on M27 that are too stunted.
So I'm wondering, what would be a good choice for our area, might grow 8 feet tall, be well anchored, disease resistant, and precocious? Bud 9 maybe? Those are cheap - $2.50 at Burnt Ridge. Does Bud 9 do well in our climate? Other, better options?
Thanks and happy orcharding!
Daniel,
I'm pretty sure One Green World's columnars are on M26. M26 throws some suckers and can also be stooled or layered, so I've made a few rootstock that way and have propagated one of my columnars that got girdled (but since seems to be surviving) I also used some of them to inarch to that girdled tree.
Thamks Jafar.
it looks like M26 was used in the original evaluation of Scarlet Sentinel and Golden Sentinel in Canada.
i just noticed "Rights Termination" for the Sentinel varieties, in Canada, is 3/4/2020. that seems odd to me, for a cross made in 1986, but what do I know? I could not find USA patent info but I think the Plant Breeder right in international, so I wont graft these. Dont catalogs usually say if their product has a patent? I guess that leaves me with North Pole... which is the one I want the most, fortunately.
I'm not an expert, but I have similar concerns regarding starting new trees. And, it is time.
In my case, I don't wanna have a "hothouse bull". I don't water my established trees, and I don't want to.
I like 111; it can take care of itself. Strong, deep roots. It will find enough water to survive, all on its own, and it won't fall over, in need of staking.
It won't bear early, and it will strongly resist staying a convenient size.
So.... I'm inclining towards Mr. Manhart's solution; interstem trees.
I'm not finding nurserys offering them for sale, so I quess I'll have to make my own.
Warren seemed to be fond of 9 on 111. Strength from the 111. Size reduction via 9.
That makes sense to me, buzzoff.
I also am inclined to try to start grafting interstems. I am getting older, and there will come a time in which I don't want to be 15 feet up in the air. I've fallen off enough ladders for any two people so far in my life.
I also like the idea of the tree being able to use the soil efficiently to stave off summer thirst, and to use nutrients through mycorrhizal fungi.
John S
PDX OR
Would it make sense to organize a buy from a local nursery of started interstem trees? I'd be up for that as well. I've been using M26 to keep the trees small, but I don't like that I have to stake and water (just like stated above). A deep rooted tree that was dwarfed by an interstem would seem like the ideal solution.
I'm not a good enough grafter to do it myself (I bat about 50% with one graft), but would be interested in buying apples and pears that were on such a setup.
Bryce
I did some interstem grafts that worked pretty well. I used M27 interstem on M111 and P18 to get good rooting and adapt to my soggy bottom land.
To get the interstems I just ordered whole M27 rootstock and snipped the top 8" or so. Then I could still graft the M27 bottoms for some dwarf trees that I mostly use to make fences or give away to people with small yards.
Go ahead and try the double grafts with interstems - I got better than 50% success overall and the rest I just had to patch up the next year (most got at least the interstem going..)
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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