Rootstocks made simple

Fruit trees are usually grafted – that is, the top, fruiting part of the tree is attached to roots which control the size and other factors like disease resistance. These are known as rootstocks, and it's important to choose a tree with the right rootstock for what you want to do. Here's a quick guide to those you'll find at our Kington garden centre:

Apples:
M27: very dwarfing, growing to 1.8m: the best choice for decorative 'stepover' apples.

M9: dwarfing, to about 2m: the best choice for cordons.

M26: general-purpose semi-dwarfing rootstock, to about 3m: great for minarettes, cordons and espaliers.

MM106: grows up to 5m and ideal for full-sized trees.

Pears:
Quince C: Perfect for small gardens & containers.

Quince A: is usually the rootstock for pears as it's suitable for almost anything. Grows to about 5m.

Plums and damsons:
VVA: dwarf roostock suitable for fans, cordons & container or compact tree, with a height of 3m (replaces Pixy)

St Julien 'A': the most useful for garden trees, and more vigorous than VVA at about 5m

Cherries:
Gisela 5:  Dwarfing, growing to about 2m, and ideal for fans & container trees.

Colt: produces a full-sized bush tree to about 5m tall

rootstock image is from FP Matthews our supplier of choice. (less carbon footprints as they are only half an hour away!)

 

Please ask the staff in our Kington garden centre for more information and advice about choosing the right rootstock for your fruit trees.