Fruit Growing

Home Orchards | Apple Cultivars | Apple Rootstocks | Pollination | Integrated Pest Management & Integrated Fruit Production | Orchard Pest Management Fact Sheets | Photo ID Sheets | Forms | Harvesting | Picker Contract | Farm Safety | On Farm Food Safety | Additional Reading Material| Best Management Practices for NS Apple Production

Apple Rootstocks

The roots and lower part of the stem of the tree, below the graft union,

are called the rootstock. Each rootstock has its own distinct

characteristics, including:

• degree of dwarfing
• precocity
• productivity
• hardiness
• anchorage
• disease resistance
• site and soil adaptability

There are a large number of rootstocks available. Depending on the characteristics for which they were chosen, there can be a wide variation in performance. Rootstocks have therefore been classified according to their potential vigour. In North America, the classification system has five categories:

• subdwarf
• dwarf
• semidwarf
• semivigorous
• vigorous

Some of the common rootstocks that are commercially used in this area are:

Dwarf

• M.26 - 10'-14' tall. Must be supported on a trellis or post system. Trees crop in 3 to 4 years. Susceptible to fireblight.

• M.9 - 8'-10' tall. Trees tend to lean and require support. Crops in three years. Moderately susceptible to fireblight.

Semidwarf
• MM.111 - 16'-20' tall. Does not require support. Resistant to most diseases. Relatively slow to crop (5-7 years). Produces moderate amounts of root suckers and burrknots.
• MM.106 - 14'-16' tall. Unsupported, but will lean a little. Produces crop at 4-5 years. Susceptible to collar rot. Not recommended on poorly drained soil.
• M.7 - 16' - 18' tall. Must be supported with many varieties. Trees produce a crop in 4-6 years. Produces numerous root suckers.

Vigorous
• Seedling - 18'-22' tall. Unsupported. Slow to crop (7-8 years). Resistant to most diseases.

Others
Other rootstocks are attracting attention, but these are still under evaluation. Some of the promising rootstocks include:
• Ottawa 3
• Budagovsky 9
• CG series (including CG.30)