How to Grow Apple TreesHow To Choose Your Apple Tree
Before rushing out to buy your first apple tree, consider what size (height and spread) of apple tree you want to grow in your garden. The size and vigour of the tree is determined by the rootstock (the lower part of the apple tree onto which is grafted different varieties). Read the section on rootstocks carefully and compare the chart of final tree sizes to see which rootstock is best to grow in your garden.
Second thoughts must go to the taste of the apples - do you want a desert type or a much more acidic cooking apple for apple pie type dishes? Do you like your dessert apples crisp or soft, mild and sweet or more acidic and full-tasting. Do you want your fruit to last well into the spring - the combinations are almost endless. Consult the section on varieties which will give lots of detail and pictures.
Finally, you need to consider pollination - most apple trees are self-sterile and require the pollen from other apple trees in order to produce fruit. See the section on pollination for advice and guidance.
Apple trees are normally sold as either one or two year old plants - there is little to choose between the two, although a two year old tree will produce fruit sooner after planting. Both bare-rooted and potted examples are commonly available - if you do not intend to plant immediately, it is best to go for a potted plant because it is easier to keep the tree until planted.
Having taken the above points into consideration, you will be ready to venture out to your local nursery and purchase an apple tree which in all probability will outlive you
|Cordon||Very small area|
|Espalier||Very small area, decorative, but difficult to control|
|Bush||Small to medium sized gardens|
|Standard||Medium to large gardens|
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.
|Height||Staking?||Plant to Harvest|
|M27||1m (3ft)||1m (3ft)||Yes||2 years|
|Budagovsky 9||1.2m (4ft)||1.2m (4ft)||Yes||2 years|
|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.