Who still carries standard rootstocks?

I've never tried managing them for least possible space and even with summer pruning Wolf River will probably need more room than something on M7 or even 111. If HoneyGold is related to G.Del. it may not be so hard to keep productive and in bounds because it's not too vigorous.

You can always graft them over to more dwarfing varieties, such as Ark Black.

H-man: thx. for reply. Wallace Woodstock Nursery in WI has trees on std. rootstock. I've probably bought 150 trees from them and have had very low mortality despite being a total rookie.

Honey gold: "crossed between Golden Delicious and Haralson for color and flavor" - actually the best tasting (to me) of a dozen or so varieties I have.

Thx for suggestion on grafting; I haven't done it yet and it's time I learned.

It is in the cold regions where seedling is most useful, as I understand it. I knew it was still used in Canada.

In a shorter season it is not so vigorous either, or that's what the vapors of memory inform me..

If you've planted 150 trees and have had them long enough to judge mortality, you have graduated beyond "rookie" :)

That is quite a number of free standing trees. What are you planning to do with the apples?

oldryder, I am having the same issues. I got my standards through Bailey's Nursery. Actually I ordered them through some local garden stores and they had no idea what rootstock they were selling. They are all doing very well. They even blossomed the first year I planted. I called Baileys directly and they said it was likely I got a batch of their five year old trees. Of course I picked all the blossoms off to let the tree better establish, but I am getting great growth and branching off of them, especially the honeygolds.

Harvestman gave some good pointers on a question I had I think on May 2nd or 3rd if you scroll down n find it is called "keeping standard apples small"

Harvestman - re: your question: "That is quite a number of free standing trees. What are you planning to do with the apples?"

My thought is to have a small orchard business, possibly pick your own, as a retirement hobby/income. Not sure if I will actually do it (I'm learning it'll be a hell of a lot more work than I thought) but given the delay between planting and actual fruit I started planting in 2009. this year weather permitting might be my 1st year with a lot of apples.

Most literature says semi-dwarf will bear in 3 to 5 years so I naturally assumed it was 3 for me. Turns out for the vast majority of my trees 5 years to bearing is much more accurate.

In the meantime I have a great hobby with a very steep learning curve

I find it takes about 7years before I get a real heavy crop with most varieties on 111. 5-6 on M7. I think there is a lot of exaggeration in this realm towards exaggeration of early cropping Of course there is also a lot of variability, depending on cultivar.

I'm in SW NY, the farther north you go, presumably the longer cropping takes and south the shorter.