I was looking at some different rootstocks and was looking at M116 rootstocks. Is anyone using the M116 rootstocks on their apple varieties? If so how are they doing as far as disease and apple production or other problems with this M116 rootstock.
I had looked at M106 but the issues with collar rot is something I do not want to deal with. M116 is suppose to be better at not having collar rot issues.
Thank you for your input.
I am not familiar with M116. Where have you seen this rootstock available? Or did you mean M111?
That is what I was wondering too.
I have a little over a couple dozen apple trees, all on M111, never seen 116 advertised.
I’ve read about M116; but wondered why they bothered. M106 has so many “needs” to work right. Hope they got rid of that…lol…Unless folks want fussy trees that need drought protection.
Anyone notice all the latest releases everywhere are headed to the 50% range? Like 40-60% size is the new hot zone.
I have the vast majority of my apple trees on the M111 rootstocks. I do not see any nurseries advertising apple trees on M116 rootstocks.
That’s why I am not so interested in the M106 because of the issues using them. I have wet soils in areas so the M106 would not work for me. The collar rot is something I do not want to worry about getting after the apple tree is bigger. If it dies because of that then that is a waste of time in my orchard.
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116 is supposed to be 10% larger and resistant specifically to crown rot. It’s also more drought resistant. It should be fixing basically all problems associated with the 106 rootstock while keeping the advantages. A lot of people want a tree that can survive on its own without any special care but is also smallish. 116 is supposed to be the smallest plant-it-and-forget-it tree.
The only problem introduced with the 116 improvement is that it seems to be cold-hardy only to about 10 degrees.
What I do have some experience with is 106. All the trees I ordered this year (from a single nursery) already had crown rot when I received them.
So that particular nursery may have intentionally sent me their diseased trees because they correctly assumed from the small order that I’m a hobbyist so I shouldn’t be able to recognize the symptoms. Just an extra problem to consider when ordering 106.
Growers moved away from 106 for a reason and the posts here mention them. 116 theoretically solves all the problems but it’s more difficult to obtain.
I am also always suspicious when something seems to solve a lot of existing problems but farmers haven’t adopted the solution. It’s their job to be as efficient as possible so ignoring an obvious improvement is noteworthy. It could be that they don’t want the increased size or need extra cold-hardiness.
The only 116 option around here (and maybe where Mike lives) would be to order 116 separately and do the grafts yourself.
Yeah, but the these rootstocks need supplemental watering or staking or light soil that the roots can penetrate or all of the above 
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You can always try your luck with Geneva 890. It is in the same size range. Geneva 969 and 935 also seem to be gaining in popularity, but seem to be smaller than what you are after. All were bred for disease resistance. Cummins has a good variety on the Geneva rootstocks.
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I put in a few G 890 this year. I am very hopeful of this G rootstock. I will not know how these will do until a few years from now.
Early on I put two each of G202 and G11 into my orchard. The G11’s were scraggly and produced very little fruit. So out they came, 10 years later. One G202 is very nice size and gives a lot of fruit. The other G202 is about a third of the other G202, for some reason. Even though they are right next to each other. So the jury will be out until I see what the G890’s do.
Here in Europe the M116 is also difficult to find, but those who want it will find it,
only a few nurseries in France produce it, it is my favorite apple rootstock and in which I have most of my apple trees, for now very happy with M116
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All of the studies I have seen have been with popular commercial varieties. G-890 seems to perform well in those situations. Outside of the test orchards, G-890, G-969, and G-935 seem to be gaining popularity over the earlier Geneva rootstocks. Many of the Geneva rootstocks are listed as susceptible to latent viruses in the scion, so that could play a part in the lack of vigor many people are experiencing.
I am liking the G-969 rootstock so far, but I may go with G-890 if I add a low-vigor variety, like Honeycrisp.
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