Are these roots bad news?

Hi, all, newbie here. I am putting in a few apples for the first time this year and have just received my order of bareroot trees from a well-regarded nursery. One of them (Enterprise on Bud.9) has noticeably knobby roots. It’s also the heftiest tree in the bunch, for whatever that’s worth. Does this look like disease (e.g., galls) to you? And if so, how worried should I be about the other trees that look ok but were wrapped in the same bag of wet sawdust? I realize disease comes with the territory of growing fruit, but am working with such a tiny amount of space, and of course want to get off to a good start. Thanks in advance for your insights! IMG_7813|690x920

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That looks like crown gall. Send the nursery a picture and ask them for a replacement tree. Or your money back and try another supplier.

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Knobby roots, 2023 edition. :sweat_smile: I gave in to temptation and ordered this bare-root apple (Mutsu semi-dwarf “supreme”) from the Stark Bro’s clearance sale. Hefty thing, not feathered, with some pale growth.

Do these roots look normal? I’m wondering about the pale spikes near the graft union as well as the lumpy areas with thin roots coming out. I have been reading all about burr knots and crown gall and wondering what the heck I might be looking at. Any guesses as to the rootstock?

Thanks in advance for any insights!




May be m111 rootstock, which notoriously likes to create roots from these burr knots.

Related thread
https://growingfruit.org/t/burr-knots-on-m111/

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