Container for Coronet Apple tree

[BarleySugar]

Coronet - The Miniature Apple Tree

The website says a minimum size of 25l pot for this minature apple tree, but what size would be best do you think?

The tree hasn't arrived yet, but I want to be prepared.

[opalastra]

I bought one of the coronets late last year, it has two varieties on it ,cox pip and james grieves , i have planted it in a corner of a raised bed and it is absolutely full of blossoms at the moment and taking up very little space!. I would think it would enjoy as big a pot as you can offer it as it states 25 litre at least , i also read somewhere to use john innes 3, at the time. I am glad I planted it in the ground though as it seems really settled already. Hope this helps and we are all eating our very own apples later this year.

[FB.]

The website pictures suggest that they're using M27 rootstock (extremely dwarfing) and grafting varieties on top in layers, so that the lower branches might be James Grieve and the upper branches might be Cox's Orange.
Basically similar to a "family tree", but varieties are "stacked", instead of one primary branch of each variety growing out of each side.

I would treat them as for M27 rootstock.
In my experience, M27 is extremely slow/weak growing (often just an inch or two per year!) and very keen to fruit (often in it's first year of planting).
I would say that you could grow M27 in a pot almost any size you like, with about 12 litre being the smallest. You could always start with 12 litre and increase the size when you change the compost in a couple of years time.

[Rossa]

I've recently planted out some Supercolumns from Chris Bowers. Mine are in the ground but my 2 neighbours have put theirs in pots. Size guide was minumum 18" deep/diameter. If the coronets are really small you may get away with something smaller, though not to small in case it falls over when fruiting. We're going to see which method works best as they are supposed to fruit better in pots than mine will in the border. Another tip was to put an Osmocote tablet (slow release feed) in the pot when you plant out or feed fortnightly with a seaweed extract.

[JamesA]

Spotted the Coronet trees in my local garden centre yesterday and im very tempted to get one!

Cant decide if i should get one of their self fertile ones (Cox or Red Windsor) or the dual variety family tree which was James Grieve and Elstar...

[FB.]

JamesA

Red Windsor would be my choice from the varieties that you have listed. It's reported resistance to mildew will also be helpful if you forget to water it in dry weather.

I avoid Cox because of numerous disease and cropping problems.

I avoid Elstar because I see many reports of low resistance to disease.

I would only grow James Grieve on MM106 or MM111 rootstock and not on the dwarfing rootstocks (in fact, I have J.G on MM106). The MM rootstocks give resistance to woolly aphid (WAA), which can be a significant cause of bark injury that allows canker spores to enter. James Grieve is rather susceptible to canker, so could benefit from the WAA-deterrent effect of MM rootstocks.
I suspect that these "Coronet" trees are on M27 rootstock, which has no resistance to WAA attack. Not only can WAA spread canker, but they can also move underground and cripple the weak roots of the dwarfing rootstocks.
As you may have guessed, WAA is a serious problem in my area. Many local apple trees have been seriously disfigured by the direct or indirect attacks of WAA.

If you're prepared to spray your apples, then any variety can be grown succesfully. I believe that not only do sprays pose some risk to human health while being used, or if the concentrations are too high in the fruits, but they also cause major disruptions in the local wildlife populations. I refuse to use sprays on my fruit and veg.

[JamesA]

Thanks FB, Red Windsor it is! You are correct that they are all on M27 and i did wonder about growing 2 varieties on such a weak rootstock. Excellent information and advice as ever. I agree with you about spraying, wont be doing any of that myself either.

[Mi Jardín]

I have an Ashmeads Kernal on an M27 rootstock that I bought last year, I have that in what I would guess to be an 80L pot. It is shaped like a honey pot though, so its neck is narrower, so it will probably only ever come out to be planted in the soil.

[FB.]

If you ever take the Ashmead's Kernel out of the pot, it will need to go into good, moist soil. Not only is the M27 rootstock rather inefficient at gathering nutrients and water, but the Ashmead's Kernel is particularly susceptible to water shortage and can develop bitter pits in the fruits as a result of the fruits not getting enough regular water supply.

My own Ashmead's Kernel is on a fairly strong MM106 rootstock (efficient at gathering water and nutrients) and has slabs placed around the base (which my water butts stand on). The slabs help to retain moisture in the soil and the rootstock is strong enough to go and find the water. My Golden Delicious and Bramley are also managed in a similar way (they're also prone to bitter pit), since we don't get much worthwhile rain here - about 20" (50cm) of rain per year, most of it in the autumn. We're also on sandy/gravely soil, which drains and dries out very quickly after rainfall.
My Egremont Russet (also prone to bitter pit) has it's roots shaded by a medium-height wall, which keeps the ground slightly damp.

[BarleySugar]

The tree I won was the James Grieve and Elstar family tree, only the lowest 2 Elstar branches survived the postman, so I've tidied the break as best I can, and potted it into a 50l pot, with John Innes No 3 compost. When the replacement comes, I've got another pot the same size for that one, which I suppose will be the same varieties. As I never intended to have any apple trees, I will accept whatever they are and they will just have to do the best they can. At least the two remaining branches are opposite each other, so it doesn't look too strange, but only one had any blossom on. The rest of the tree would have been covered, and the website says you can allow them to fruit the first year.

[FB.]

How about pruning all the undamaged branches to the same length as the broken ones?
But chances are that the broken ones will re-grow what was lost, although they are likely to produce 2-3 shoots at the broken end to replace the tip that was lost. You may be able to allow the shoot at the end of the branch to replace what was broken off. In a few years, the pruning wounds - where you have tidied them up - may not be easily visible after it has healed and once the branch thickens as it ages.

[Mi Jardín]

good to know FB...thank s for the tip!

[JamesA]

Picked up my Red Windsor Coronet today, along with a nice pot for it. Its a little under 5 foot tall i would guess, with nice health looking branches and covered in blossom. Im very taken with it will post a pic once ive got it potted up!

Should i stake it do you think?

[FB.]

If it was mine, I would plant it deep (but not bury the graft!), rather than stake it. If it will be a potted tree, I'd say that the pot is more likely to blow over than the tree be uprooted. Gardens are often sufficiently sheltered from the wind that less-strong roots can tolerate windy weather, due to the wind-protection of fences.
If it's 5ft and branched already, then I'd allow it to fruit as much as it wants as it's already a good size and you don't need it to grow much bigger.

[JamesA]

Heres my tree, its 4 foot actually. Will be potting it up tomorrow evening.