In addition to the Dorsett, I have the Joy and one other variety that recently purchased from a local nursery with no other information on it other than it’s an apple…So whatever it is will be a surprise…
The Tropic sweet I had did well, but fell victim to a bad graft union at the rootstock…I definitely want to try one again.
I’ve found my local nursery to be lacking in their knowledge of what rootstock certain things are on. Especially the apple trees. For that reason future purchases will be made from JF&E.
I’d like to stick with semi-dwarf and keep it pruned down. A standard tree would just get way to big for my yard, but maybe with proper pruning I could keep it under control…
If I remember correctly here is what I did. Both trees planted at the same time about 4 ft apart. Both trees planted in the same “Tree and Shrub mix”. I dug both up to move them to a new location. On 1 I just spaded it out and dropped in in a knit bag, the other had the dirt removed (can’t remember if it just fell off, I shook it off, etc). The spaded one was dropped in the bag and had the remainder soil filled in with native soil. The “bare root” was placed in another bag with the same type of soil. Only difference between the 2 trees was one was bare root in native soil, the other was spaded with roots intact and left in the “Tree and Shrub mix”.
That’s new to me- what breaks it down? Sure you are not talking about in worked soil, like the veg garden? I would guess only friction or compaction breaks it down. I use it with the assumption that in raised beds it lasts indefinitely. Am I mistaken?
The one with bareroot fares better is my guess because you released the rootball and planted it spread out. On the other hand, just cut the sides of a root bounded tree that has been going circular may not complete the job of untangling.
I read articles about soil amend overdone and ended up root bounded at the boundary between amended soil and native soil. Usually, the “bounded” root is larger than the original rootball so it will expand out to the amended soil and have problem getting through the native soil, which led to poor root development out side the amended soil circle.
Man, you sure are the adventurous one. It can take you a few years to find out it is not a dwarf or even semi dwarf and then it doesn’t fruit well in your place, while it takes the spot, sunlight, time, fertilizer in your garden (You probably don’t need to water your trees much though). I hope it is not a crabapple .
It does not decay, just tends to be squished from years of pressure. The manufactures claim otherwise. It’s heat treated pyrite and the heat allows the water molecules in pyrite to separate causing the material to expand. Often called volcanic popcorn. Good stuff for sure and can last longer depending on environmental factors. I saw a study comparing various volcanic rocks. I no longer have a link, lost two hard drive crashes ago.
In that case, I will assume that perlite can last a very long time if you don’t use a rototiller or anything that can pulverize it. It is not crushed by soil weight- that would not be something that would increase with time. In very clay soils I have used it and haven’t noticed it disappearing. I had a site where the soil could have been used to make pots- almost pure blue clay, and mixed an insane amount of sand and compost with it to create enough decent soil to support free standing trees. Everything thrived but the peach trees. So I added another 3" of a sand- compost-perlite mix and peaches suddenly transformed into reasonably vigorous and quite healthy trees, even though I put it right over what was there instead of lifting the trees. If I’d lifted the trees it would have taken an extra year for recovery.
Be sure to test it by soaking it in water to make sure it doesn’t turn into mush before using it. Some have complained some brand(the name escape me at the moment) they got from the same store would source differently. One bag works fine but another dissolves into mush after soaking in water for a day. Some people never had problem with it.
If is slightly basic but I only use 1/3 part. Perlite is good stuff too. Even though the study I saw says it breaks down five years, it is a long time. Any lava rock has benefits.
It can take you a few years to find out it is not a dwarf or even semi dwarf and then it doesn’t fruit well in your place, while it takes the spot, sunlight, time, fertilizer in your garden (You probably don’t need to water your trees much though). I hope it is not a crabapple . 