In the past I bought trees based on catalogue description without knowing the rootstock or what that tree would do once it is in the ground. After being on this forum for a bit and reading about it, I want to try and make the best choices going forward.
I want to add a Goldrush and a Liberty apple tree. I need to fit them into two different spaces between preexisting apple tree. I would say I could space the trees 10 feet from the other apple trees, so I think I need a dwarfing rootstock. Looked at ACN, they don’t have the trees on that rootstock, but do have them on EMLA 7. One Green World has them on either M7 or M26. I want to stay away from M26 because of its high suseptablity to fire blight.
Seems like my best bet is the M7. Think I can squeeze it in? Is EMLA too big?
Any other suggestions, I am willing to consider anything. Like a lot in life, this seems to be getting harder the more I learn about it.
Cummins will have Goldrush and Liberty for sure on a several different Geneva roots, and probably M111, M7, and Bud9, too.
A Liberty tree on M7 will be decent sized. Goldrush on M7 might be smaller, since folks say it is a little bit dwarfish of a cultivar. I have Liberty on G.935 and it is slightly smaller than my M7 trees, but only because it has set decent amounts of apples the last two years.
10 feet spacing is probably a little bit close. Mine trees something like 11 feet, and they will eventually fill all of that space if I don’t prune to keep them smaller.
I have a Goldrush from Cummins on G210. It’s grown pretty well this first summer–maybe it’s six and a half feet tall? Which is good, because I have heard it has a tendency to not grow (runt out) after it starts to fruit. I think if I give it another year, it will be right where I want it.
I have it planted next to a Rubinette on G935. I gave 12 ft between the trees, but I think 10ft will be ok as well. Just have the main branches perpendicular to the other tree so they’re not growing into each other.
I think the trees I got from ACN were a touch better than Cummins, but Cummins gave me very good trees as well, healthy, with decent root systems (albeit not quite as impressive as ACN’s). I don’t think you need to worry about ordering from Cummins.
I have a Gold Rush on M 7. In fact, I have 3 apple trees on M 7. The first two (William’s Pride), the trunks are curving/crooked. This Gold Rush trunk is straight. The tree seems to want to go straight and reach the sky. This is the 3rd year and the central lead is about 8 ft tall. That’s about the limit of it’s height I want. I’ll top it off and train it as a modified central lead style. I let it has a few fruit this year.
15 ft space between each tree would be ideal for me but I don’t have the space and squeeze it in about 8 ft from another tree. Not recommended. However, if you keep it a Tall Spindle Style, you can plant them a lot closer. Somehow, I don’t like the look of that pruning style.
