Vigor help on a few less common apple varieties

[mroot]

Is it possible to change your order? You might want to go with a lower vigor rootstock (M7, G890, etc.). Take a look at this thread-

Orchard design for dummies

Do I need to get around the ends of the rows for spray or harvest? I would like to know what people are using for equipment in small orchard settings harvest or other. I am putting in about an acre, but there’s basically an access road right down the middle. Starts to cut fruit tree numbers pretty quick with roads through the middle and around the perimeter??

Use the tree spacing calculator and the two references on scion vigor and see what spacings you get for your soil, rootstock, irrigation, etc.

If you manage the trees intensely a tight spacing may work. But many people struggle with this… they plan on a tight spacing then fail to prune enough to control tree height and width. I am not sure if 10 feet is a realistic height for an average vigor scion for M111. I think 14-16 feet is probably more realistic.

My neighbor had a Golden Delicious on a “semi-dwarf” rootstock (probably M111) the tree wasn’t pruned and ended up being 30 feet tall and about as wide. I have a Enterprise on G41 in it’s fourth leaf and it is about 12 feet tall. If I didn’t do size control pruning it would be 15 feet tall.