which rootstock for small fan apple tree in very tight corner

[helen1962]

Hi all

Not been on forum for a while due to creating very small veg plot at bottom of the garden. Anyway I really fancy having a go at growing apples however the only place left is a tiny border that backs on to a robust 6ft fence with trellis attached to grow things up. The panel is about 6ft wide as well. Would M26 be best or should I go for an M9. I have been told MM106 is best but I was worried it would be too vigorous. Please can someone advise. Oh by the way, the area is very sheltered and West facing so receives maximum sun. The whole garden is south facing anyway and even though I have a large building directly behind my garden so this bit is shady in winter, its fab from mid March onwards and still in full sun now.

[northepaul]

I would have thought M27 would give you a small tree, however it does depend on soil and situation of the tree, I know that M27 can be rather tempremental....sorry not much help

[FB.]

Go for M26.
It is less "demanding" of care and attention and recovers better from drought stress or damage.
It is easy to control its size and shape.
Use winter pruning (December-February) to increase vigour and to create the shape you want in the early years. In the later years, when it is up to size, it may grow slowly enough that no pruning is required. However, once up to size, its size can be maintained by pruning in mid-July.

With summer pruning, even an MM106 could be controlled.

You may well find that your tight corner is actually quite dry due to fences/walls limiting how much rainfall actually reaches the ground. Or it might be quite damp due to lack of sun.
MM106 hates dry soil, but grows very vigorously in damp soil (but rots/dies in heavy/waterlogged soil).

Personally, I find MM106's performance to be too erratic depending on soil type. I much prefer either M26 or MM111.

Whichever rootstock you choose, you will also have a significant size influence from the variety you choose to grow. "The books" don't mention that because most are written by armchair and keyboard orchardists.

In your area, you may need a variety with good natural resistance to the wet weather diseases of scab and canker unless you plan to spray (most of the shop-type varieties will not withstand much attack from scab or canker).
There are a number of varieties which fit the bill, but it would depend on whether you want cookers or eaters and whether you want summer or autumn ripening fruits.

[FB.]

Here's a tree size estimator which considers variety, rootstock and soil quality:
Fruit tree mature height calculator

.

[helen1962]

FB your advice is much appreciated and yes I will go for M26. The area is in full sun from March upto, well so far it still is. I know though that due to the large building behind my garden, it will be shady from probably mid October. Anyway it is sheltered due to the escallonias I have behind the hen run so is protected from major wind damage (I only live about 400 yards from the sea). The ground is never waterlogged but neither is it very dry it just seems to be a happy medium. I really haven't a clue as to which varieties are canker and scab resistant but ideally I would like a reliable eating variety. My neighbour next door has a large but excellent eating variety but I have no idea what type they are. He gave me loads of them last year and they kept in the garage right up to April. They even froze and thawed and were still delicious! Could you please suggest some varieties for me. I aim to buy by mail order as you can get what you want that way.
Very many thanks Helen

[FB.]

Some suggestions for further investigation (eaters or dual purpose), which have some resistance to scab and canker, and which shouldn't be too difficult to find:

Annie Elizabeth
Belle de Boskoop
Brownlees Russet
Cockle Pippin
Cornish Aromatic
Crawley Beauty
D'Arcy Spice
Egremont Russet
Golden Noble
Rosemary Russet
St.Edmunds Russet/Pippin

.

Also some varieties with good resistance to scab and no worse than average resistance to canker:

Beauty of Bath
Charles Ross

Also some varieties with good resistance to canker (and if they are not grown by others in your area, they may not face biotypes of the scab fungus which can attack them; scab often adapts to be able to attack just one variety, so tends to be worst on the most common varieties, while the rarer types aren't much affected despite not having much resistance):

Katy (Katja)





Note that although they have some resistance, they are not necessarily immune.
Also note that they may not grow as well in areas with a different climate to where they originate (on the other hand: they may also grow better!).
Also note that some are triploid (although your neighbour's tree and other nearby trees should be adequate pollinators for triploids).
Also note that the varieties listed above have considerable differences in vigour and therefore they will not all grow at the same rate on M26 rootstock. Some varieties are best when grown on stronger rootstocks, otherwise you will need to be very very patient. D'Arcy Spice, for example, only grows at half the rate of an average variety (although it keeps growing slowly even when mature and eventually catches up with other varieties after many years). On the other hand, Annie Elizabeth will grow quite quickly and then slow considerably, whereas Belle de Boskoop will grow only slightly faster than average, but will keep growing and can make a very large and beautiful tree if left unpruned for many years.
If you opt for a slower-growing variety, I suggest that you consider MM111 rootstock.

You could also consider an old, rare variety. These (and some of those mentioned above) are often lighter croppers than modern types and produce less attractive (but very tasty) fruit, but some of those old types tend to do much better in poor soils and difficult growing conditions - which is why they have been passed-down through the ages.
I can't find references to useful eaters which originate from Lancashire. This could be a reflection of the wet climate which is not kind to apples - and especially not pears.