Hi, I have searched and saw the expert is Chris_from_GA. I probably live near Chris_from_GA. I’m pretty close to Cartersville, GA., not Rome area, not on a mountain, just a “regular” house with adequate sunlight, no HOA.
and there are a lot of B-9 trees on there. Then I saw this post where they are being removed:
I’m not sure what to do. When I went to Ellijay, GA., they had some extra trees for sale, and though I didn’t buy it, I saw it was MM.111 rootstock. My only problem is I’m afraid it will take too long to grow fruit, and I’d like to see the fruit before I die :).
I’m in 7B, NW Atlanta, Clay soil. Any help is appreciated. I’d love to have dwarf trees, and I know I’d have to stake them, keep them from falling over, etc., but none of the dwarf rootstocks jumped out as good as the MM.111 for my climate.
M7 is the size you’re asking for. But, it’s only slightly quicker to bear than M111. MM106 is quicker…but if you have the sticky, gooey kind of clay then that one is out. (Clay-loam or silty clay loam that dries out in just a few days might be ok.)
G890 or any of the other Geneva roots are not thoroughly tested in all parts of the country.
B10 might be better than B-9, if you can find it…making a tree that’s closer to 10 feet than the B-9. It has a thicker root system…but jury is out if it has a chance to be self supporting or not. At least for me.
Well, growing fruit is an exercise in patience. So far it looks like going with G-969 rootstock might be a good compromise or G-890 will produce a slightly larger tree. I expect these trees to be self supporting. I have a few grafts on G-969 that have produced a few apples in the 2nd year. Cummins seems to have the best selection on G-969.
I have a few very productive trees on G-11 and G-41 as well but they require staking and really need drip irrigation in our area to be happy and productive.
M-111 will produce a larger tree than I want to grow, my goal is to avoid ladders as much as possible so I use more dwarfing rootstock and prune to a vase shape or modified central leader.
I’ve been more focused on keeping things alive despite neglect…than pushing growth, but I have a couple 5 feet tall G890 apples that may bear an apple or two in their third year…if I don’t remove the fruits.
Agree completely that irrigation and staking of G-11 and G-41 would be necessary in Georgia, or most other places. But, could produce a lot of early fruit with those intensive inputs.
Got to order early to get your preferred varieties on your preferred rootstocks.
I have a bunch of B9 trees but they make punky trees on most varieties in my area of NC 7B on clay soil. G41 grow like weeds and produced an amazing amount of Apples in year 2. The Fuji trees on G41 grew so well they they overwhelmed and collapsed the trellis. G11 grows a little slower in my area. Both require a solid trellis and water and not everyone finds the trellis system attractive. MM111 works great too but takes a few more years. Most varieties are available on MM111
Vaughn Nursery in Tennessee has many common varieties available on MM111 and some on G41 for around $8 each so you could easily test them in your location.
Yes. is the quick answer. The object is to keep your planting hole from retaining water…if you can figure that one out, you can grow in clay.
On a slope you can get sideways drainage. Raised beds or planting real shallow and adding a half yard of soil on top of the cay is another way to deal with the problem.
Some clay, such as in Piedmont of North Carolina or Asheville vicinity does in fact drain even though it’s red and is clay…it has mica/ silica / sand also.
Especially Marion, Morganton, Rutherfordton, Tryon planting even blueberries in clay seems to be ok.
Dig a test hole, fill with water and wait for how long until it all disappears…that’s a good test of your clay.
(If your hole is full still the next day…find some other place to plant!)
A raised bed that is sloped is even better, that way the root stock it’s self is sitting in better dirt that drains well.
If such a raised bed is raised enough then you could put bark or rice husks between the clay soil, and the root stock’s planting area that would help to slowly amend the soil without any major labor.
I know it isn’t addressed to me, but I’ll jump in and answer.
If you plant a tree and half or so of it is above existing ground…and you bring dirt and mulch to raise dirt around the roots and trunk to the proper planting depth…then you have a “raised bed”.
I live about 50 miles south of you, in Carrollton, with mostly clay soil that I’ve consistently top dressed with lots of organic matter. I’ve used g11, g41, g30, and a “semi dwarf” from a big box store which is probably m7. All have been plenty vigorous and come into production quickly. Everything except m7 has needed staking because occasionally we’ll have 40 or 50 MPH winds from a thunderstorm or remnant tropical storm and if unstaked over they go. The biggest issue for tree health is water. As you know, some summers here are brutally dry and hot. If it’s a young tree and we have one of those summers it’s going to need supplemental water regardless of the rootstock.
I’m sure it might fall over if you use loose fluffy compost or bagged potting soil. But, if you put a couple wheelbarrows of that red clay around it…and stomp on it real good…probably not fall over. (There is the option to stake.)
I’m just telling you I do that if the planting hole keeps standing water in it overnight. You be the judge if it is something you decide to try.