Buying Dwarfing or Semi-Dwarfing Apple Trees

Making the decision to buy an apple tree for autumn-to-winter planting, is like buying a car. Car owners or drivers know the size of car they prefer for long journeys. If buying a four door SUV was the equivalent of buying a standard size of apple tree, a semi-dwarfing apple tree rootstock is a four door sports hatchback car and a dwarfing apple tree rootstock is a compact three door.

Dwarfing and Semi-Dwarfing Apple Tree Rootstocks Affects Tree Size

Dwarfing and semi-dwarfing refers to the size of an apple tree once it has grown and developed over several years to reach maturity. Climate, common pests, diseases and disorders, local soil conditions and plant nutrition will also affect mature tree size.

Dwarfing apple trees should allow for the harvesting of apples to be completed in October without needing a ladder. Dwarfing apple tree rootstocks include Malling 27, Malling 9, Geneva 65 and Malling 26 and semi-dwarfing apple tree rootstocks include Malling 7 and Malling-Merton 106:

• Malling 27 or M.27 leads to an apple tree about 20% of a standard size. M.27 is an ideal apple tree rootstock for growing apple trees as container plants. M.27 can be termed ‘very dwarfing’ apple tree rootstock.
• Malling 9 or M.9 affects apple tree size to grow to around 25 to 30% of a standard apple tree size.
• Geneva 65 or G.65 is a very dwarfing stock producing smaller sized apple trees than M.9 rootstock.
• Malling 26 or M.26 is a popular gardeners’ choice of dwarfing apple tree rootstock partly due to its reported hardiness.
• Malling 7 or M.7 leads to a slightly bigger mature apple tree than from M.26.
• Malling-Merton 106 or MM.106 is termed a ‘large semi-dwarfing’ apple tree rootstock and has been known to produce mature tree size of around 75% of standard apple tree.

Apple tree rootstocks also affect the form of apple tree as it grows, develops and matures. Apple tree forms are described mainly in five ways: pyramid, spindlebush, cordon, espalier and fan.

Once a prospective apple grower decides upon apple tree size and apple tree forms, then a final decision rests on cultivar characteristics. Any variety of Malus domestica or apple, including ‘Discovery’ ‘Falstaff’ and ‘Gala’, can be grafted, as a scion, onto an apple tree rootstock that will turn out a different size of tree.

Buying Apple Trees for Planting Out in Fall and Winter

Buying apple trees to plant in open gardens or yards is a significant investment in horticultural terms. An apple tree should grow and develop for at least fifteen years. Apple trees should ‘earn their keep’ by producing increasing yields of edible apples close to the home.

Gardeners who form a clear view of the apple tree size for where they live will know which apple tree rootstock to buy. Deciding upon a dwarfing or semi-dwarfing apple tree is best done independently before searching an online nursery or garden centre catalogue or buying from a local fruit tree supplier.

Nurseries selling fruit trees to the public and garden centres may talk about ‘vigor’ rather than tree size. By selecting a suitable size of apple tree, fruit gardeners can then choose varieties of dessert or culinary apples with the cultivar characteristics that will excite them to grow.