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I really want to know what the typical mature spread of Celeste on Colt is.
I have one in a pot at the moment, and I'm trying to decide where to plant it. I bought it because it's supposed to be a naturally dwarf variety, so I could get it on a vigorous rootstock. I've had enough of the Stella I have on Gisela 5, which generates lots of weak floppy growth and seems to get attacked by every disease and pest under the sun, so since I wanted a compact healthy tree Celeste + Colt seemed like a better alternative.
The problem I've got is that very few suppliers give much guidance as to the likely spread of Celeste beyond calling it a "naturally dwarf" variety. The closest I've found to specific guidance is from Orange Pippin:
But that only deals with the height, not the spread. The one I have in the pot right now has shown a very upright growth habit in its first year, with all of the very study but quite stubby new growth trying to get as vertical as possible (almost parallel to the main trunk). By comparison new growth on the Stella + Gisela 5 tends to flop horizontally quite quickly unless supported - growth is long, thin and weak and can barely support its own weight.
It matters because I have two options:
1. Chuck away existing Stella tree and replace with Celeste (a bit more room to spread, but I'd probably have to dig out a lot of earth to avoid replant issues)
2. Plant in an alternative location with less room to spread (ideally <2.5m, otherwise it will start blocking a path)
I'd like to go for option (2), but only if I won't have to constantly prune the tree back in years to come.
I have one in a pot at the moment, and I'm trying to decide where to plant it. I bought it because it's supposed to be a naturally dwarf variety, so I could get it on a vigorous rootstock. I've had enough of the Stella I have on Gisela 5, which generates lots of weak floppy growth and seems to get attacked by every disease and pest under the sun, so since I wanted a compact healthy tree Celeste + Colt seemed like a better alternative.
The problem I've got is that very few suppliers give much guidance as to the likely spread of Celeste beyond calling it a "naturally dwarf" variety. The closest I've found to specific guidance is from Orange Pippin:
Unusually amongst cherries, Celeste is naturally compact, making it ideal for small gardens and growing in patio containers. We find that even on the semi-vigorous Colt rootstock it will still remain a fairly small tree, typically reaching 2m-3m.
It matters because I have two options:
1. Chuck away existing Stella tree and replace with Celeste (a bit more room to spread, but I'd probably have to dig out a lot of earth to avoid replant issues)
2. Plant in an alternative location with less room to spread (ideally <2.5m, otherwise it will start blocking a path)
I'd like to go for option (2), but only if I won't have to constantly prune the tree back in years to come.
