Rootstock & Tree Size Guide

Rootstocks are a crucial part of growing fruit trees – enabling us to control the growth habit of fruit trees, helping with disease resistance, increasing a trees yield or even helping in different soil types and conditions.

They are literally the root system of the tree, with scion wood from the chosen ‘mother tree’ (the fruit variety you are after) grafted onto the rootstock, forming a union to grow into a single tree. It is this union that allows for so much control when growing fruit trees, and it has been practiced for hundreds of years! 

Choosing the right kind of rootstock for your growing needs and wants is vital – take a look below to understand more about each of our different stocks.
  Very dwarf Dwarf Semi dwarf Medium Semi vigorous Vigorous Very vigorous
Almond           St Julian A  
Apple M27 M9 M26 M116 MM106 MM111 M25
Apricot     Torinel, Krymsk 86 Wavit, Weiwa St Julian A    
Cherry   Gisela 5     Colt   F12.1
Cherry plum     Pixy, VVA1 Wavit St Julian A    
Damson     Pixy, VVA1 Wavit St Julian A    
Gage     Pixy, VVA1 Wavit St Julian A    
Medlar   Quince C, Quince E (Elise)     Quince A, hawthorn    
Nectarine     Torinel Krymsk86 St Julien A    
Peach     Torinel Krymsk86 St Julien A    
Pear   Quince C, Quince E (Eline)     Quince A Pyrodwarf Pyrus communis, Kirchensaller
Plum     Pixy, VVA1 Wavit, Weiwa St Julien A   Brompton
Quince   Quince C, Quince E (Eline)     Quince A    

Apples

  • M27 – very dwarf. Produces mini trees up to 2m high, good for small gardens.
  • M9 – dwarf. Very productive, needs permanent staking. Good for cordons.
  • M26 – semi dwarf. Requires support, good for bushes and cordons.
  • M116 – medium. Resistant to woolly aphid and phytophthora.
  • MM106 – semi vigorous. Good general purpose stock for all uses, staking only needed on exposed sites.
  • MM111 – vigorous. Good for half standards, no staking required, disease resistant.
  • M25 – very vigorous. Good for half and full standards.

Apricot, peaches & nectarines

  • Torinel – semi dwarf. Has improved fruit size and yield.
  • Krymsk86 – medium. Good compatibility, good anchorage, tolerant of heavy wet soils.
  • St Julian A – semi vigorous. Full compatible productive stock.

Cherries

  • Gisela 5 – dwarf. Only 2-3m high, ideal for smaller trees.
  • Colt – semi vigorous. Very productive and good compatibility.
  • F12.1 – very vigorous. Makes a full tree sized cherry.

Pears & quinces

  • Quince C – dwarf. Slightly earlier into cropping, requires staking.
  • Quince E (Eline) – dwarf. Similar to Quince C but more productive and hardier. Smoother fruit with less russetting.
  • Quince A – semi vigorous. The ideal general form for bush trees.
  • Pyrodwarf – vigorous. Very good for perry varieties but good for all pears with early fruiting.
  • Pyrus communis – very vigorous. For half standard and standard trees.
  • Kirchensaller – very vigorous. More uniform and productive form of P.communis.

Plums, gages & damsons

  • Pixy – semi dwarf. Ideal for small trees 2.5-3m high.
  • VVA1 – semi dwarf. Same size as Pixy but with better fruit size, heavier yields, and increased hardiness.
  • St Julian A – semi vigorous. Full compatible productive stock.
  • Brompton – Vigorous. Ideal for standards.
  • Wavit, Weiwa – plum rootstocks with good compatability, moderate vigour.

Note that you can filter our products by rootstock, enabling you to find exactly what you're after (if in stock!)

 

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