Dwarfs are new to me and these are my options. Go…
If you get significant wind events then avoid G11, or be prepared for heartbreak. Even with staking they still like to break in the wind.
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If you get high summer heat; Bud 9 can runt out.
Both are better rootstocks then M9 though. Buy M9 if enjoy costly laborious spraying all the time…lol
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if you have voles be careful. Voles tend to like Bud 9 over any other root based on damage to my trees in my high tunnel. Bud 9 3x damage than any other root. M series and G16 and Bud 118 what I have other than B9. Bud 118 had no damage so go figure! only dwarf that survives for me so far outdoors is G890 but only trialed 2 yrs now.
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As @ [belowtheterrace said the G11 does have a reputation for breakage I havent had that problem with it but then I am fairly protected. BUT it is VERY dwarfing. On a par with emla 27 or p22.
Bud 9 on the other hand is much bigger. Bigger than all others in its class. For me on light soils its in between m9/337 and emla26. It does like to sucker, not really bad like m7, but the purple suckers are easy to see and can be popped out and planted in the nursery for later.
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Huh…Bud 9 is usually slightly smaller then M9 in most tests. Same class as P.2. A hair smaller then P.2. Also G.41.
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Could just be my location, it is great for apples. Ive tried, just out of curiosity, the G11 and G41 for alternatives to my old time standby M9 and M9/337. They were to small. The B9 is this weird in between size before my emla26 which is what I have used most of in my trellis systems.
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i think B9 can handle dry soils slightly better than M9.
B9 usually makes a slightly smaller tree than most M9 clones. However scion vigor or other factors can make more of a difference than the vigor difference between B9/M9
I have no experience in zone 4B apple growing. But why not try out both? Each seems to have different things going for them. And both have different disadvantages. Hard for people on a forum to judge which will work best in your specific circumstance.
Depending on how much space you have/ what your plans are. You could also consider some semi-dwarf rootstocks. They can in general handle quite a bit more.
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This is a 3 year old (this spring will be its third year) Spartan on G11 and it’s grown great here in VA. I have never watered it, just heavy mulch and as you can see I’m training branches down. I have 16 total G11 trees right now and no complaints. I have 5 on Bud 9 but they were just planted last fall so tbd
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Thanks everyone- decided to go a bit bigger with g969 for my ‘in-fill’ trees.
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Don’t get anything less vigorous than Geneva 935, unless you are doing an espalier, and even then, I would use G935 over G41 or G11.
I’ve got 3 G11. We’re on year 3, so far great.
I planted out a few Bud 10 and 118 this year. We will see how the steamy oven is to their liking.
My Novamac B9 espellar experiment.
I have it sitting at the base of a large brick wall on the south side of our home. Very near HVAC unit… and so far no deer or anything has messed with it.
It is still about that same size. I summer prune it once… and late winter prune it once.
I am in southern middle TN and have a long hot season and it has done very well in that half whisky barrel container. No complaints about our heat at all. When it does not rain… i give it 4 gal of water once a week on Friday.
I have really enjoyed working with it… everything in easy reach.
Apples ripen and fall from the tree around Aug 1. Delicious.
TNHunter
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