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| Hi, Does anyone have any L'il Big Apple trees from Henry Fields nursery? I would like to add an apple tree to my backyard and I was going through the catalog I received from Henryfields. Are these trees too short? will the branches break with the fruits? The only other option available is Standard trees, Do apple trees come in Semi-Dwarf rootstock? Also is there any benefit of having two trees (two different varieties for pollination purposes) versus a tree with two grafted apple varieties, given you have enough space in your yard. I'm mainly looking for fresh eating apples and for pies. I'm looking at Pixie crunch and sundance. I was considering the Bramley as well but not sure. Thanks much Thanks much |
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| I have ordered a few items from Gurney's (same company as Henry Fields) and have been happy with what they sent. Their Lil Big apple trees are on M27 rootstock and are very dwarfed. They will also need permanent stakes for the life of the tree for support(otherwise, it could fall over). Also, you will need to prevent it from fruiting for the first couple years, otherwise it could runt out and only grown 4ft tall. Gurney's is the only place I have been able to find the Pixie Crunch this season, but I would also check out Grandpa's Orchard and Raintree Orchard for other varieties of apple as they supply great trees and list their rootstocks. An apple on M7 or M26 will probably produce a slightly larger tree(10-12ft), but with much more vigor. |
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| For an overview of apple rootstock options, take a look at this informative list from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees. M27 is fine if you want a very small tree, but there are plenty of intermediate options with more vigor. When I think of M27, I'm reminded of Michael Phillips' remark in The Apple Grower that the smallest dwarf trees "are too much like raising tomato plants for my tastes." |
This post was edited by shazaam on Thu, Jan 2, 14 at 11:46
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- Posted by spartan-apple (My Page) on Thu, Jan 2, 14 at 14:18
| I too received a catalog in the mail from Gurney's. I wondered what rootstock they were on to supposedly stay 5' tall. I have no experience growing apples on M27 but I do on Just passing this along in case it helps anyone buying Not to knock Gurney's, but some of the prices they list on |
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| I bought a Lil Big Pixie Crunch from Henry Fields (same outfit as Gurneys) this spring. The original price was $62 (premium grade), which I would never have gone for. But when they put everything on sale for 75% off at the end of April, $15.50 made it a reasonable price. Top: Goldcot apricot ($11), delux, 42" tall, 3/8" caliper |
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| Bob, How did the Pixie grow during the first season? |
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| I planted it in a 7 gallon pot, so it didn't put out a ton of growth. It leafed out fine and grew 5-6", adding a few branches. I'll probably let it fruit soon. If I like it, I can plant the pot, as it's made of fabric. |
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- Posted by tedgrowsit 6b PA (My Page) on Fri, Jan 3, 14 at 21:18
| I have both Pixie Crunch and Sundance from the companies mentioned, Gurneys and Henry Field's. I bought several years ago a Pixie Crunch in their LilBig format. Today that tree is about 8' tall and produces a wonderful crop of delightful and beautiful apples each year. I suspect I may have planted it a bit deep with the union below the soil line. The Sundance was a dwarf, which is a rather general term. It is about 10' tall and likewise produces excellent apples. Hope this helps. Ted |
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- Posted by harvestman 6 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 4, 14 at 6:09
| What they call "premium" is what most real nurseries sell as standard fair. When they are 75% off it's probably a pretty good deal if you are confident about truth of labeling. It isn't the height but the caliber and root volume that is important if you want quickest possible establishment. Energy is stored in the roots and wood. When you buy from a real nursery "dwarf'" isn't the description and you know or can look up the exact nature of the root stock by its actual name. I recommend staying away from nurseries whose greatest investment is in mass mailings and usually don't grow their own trees. But then I live in an area where cost of living is high, labor is expensive and my time is relatively valuable. A cheap tree is usually no bargain here. |
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| Ted, 8' is actually on the high side for M27 rootstock. Maybe the scion has rooted and has increased the vigor. If so, I'd expect it to eventually grow quite a bit more. I've got four 3 year old m27 trees and 3 of them are in the 4-5' range. Only one (Red Boskoop) is close to the 8' height that you have. For me, dwarf trees (B9, G11, G16, etc) seem to get to 8-11' by the end of the 2nd year, with B9 on the small end of that scale. So at 10', your dwarf Sundance tracks pretty well with what I see. I agree with Harvestman about the potential for mislabeling. That's another reason I have it in a pot. If you're planning on making this tree an important part of your home orchard, I'd suggest a nursery like ACN, Cummins, or Grandpas. For me, it was just something I tossed into the order on a whim, out of curiosity. But, I will say that assuming that the tree I got is actually on M27, it is pretty nice. Since M27 is so weak growing, a well branched, 1/2" caliper is actually pretty good. Here's the 5 M27's I got from Raintree in 2011. The 2nd from the bottom (the one with the largest root mass) never leafed out. For sizing context, the 2nd from the top is just under 2' long from union to tip. |
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- Posted by tedgrowsit 6b PA (My Page) on Sun, Jan 5, 14 at 16:34
| Yes, I think my tree was either mislabeled or the scion has rooted. In either case I am happy with the size of the tree and the apples it produces. |
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