Rootstock Types

When you head to your local nursery to purchase apple trees for planting, you should ask more than just what variety the tree will produce. You should also ask what rootstock the tree was grafted on in order to make sure the tree meets the needs of your growing area, especially the size of the area and the type of soil the tree would be planted in.

There are many different types of rootstock available in the marketplace, ranging from full-sized types all the way down to the dwarf varieties, such as P.22 rootstock which grow to 20-25% the size of the standard apple trees. But which type is right for your backyard orchard? Do you have a limited area to plant in? Do you live in the northern part of the United States where the potential for severe winter freeze is possible? Does the soil of your planting area drain adequately, too well, or not well enough?

In general, the larger the tree, the more winter hardy the tree will be, the more resistant to disease the tree will be, but the longer it will take to produce fruit. As the size of the tree diminishes, the quicker it is to bear fruit, but unfortunately needs more special attention in terms of its soil, anchoring or disease susceptibility.

In the descriptions below, the "size" refers to the percent of the size of a cultivar on a seedling rootstock.

Vigorous Rootstock


Seedling -- Size: 100%. Seedlings are hardy rootstock, able to withstand most winter freezes. The roots are deep and strong, leading to a well anchored tree that is adaptable to most standard soil conditions. The tree is tolerant of fire blight and crown rot. It is slow bearing, needing 8-10 years to produce fruit with variable yields.

P.18 -- Size: 100%. P.18 rootstock is very similar in characteristic to the standard seedling -- well anchored, hardy, and adaptable to most soil conditions. It is more resistive to collar rot and fire blight than the standard variety. It is slow bearing with moderate productivity.

Antonovka 313 -- Size: 100%. This Russian-derived rootstock, like the two previous rootstock types are hardy, well rooted and adaptive to most soil conditions. It is also resistant to crown rot, but can be susceptible to fire blight. It is slow bearing with moderate productivity.

M.4 -- Size: 80-85%. One of the most productive of the vigorous rootstocks. While the roots produce a well anchored base, the tree has been known to lean for certain varieties. It is adaptive to most soil types, resistant to crown rot, and tolerant of fire blight. It is moderately winter hardy.

Bud 118 (Budagovsky 118) -- Size: 80-85%. Bud 118 is very winter hardy and adaptable to a wide variety of soil types. It is resistant to collar rot.

MM.111 / EMLA 111 -- Size: 80-85%. This rootstock type is moderately slow bearing with medium productivity. It develops a well anchored tree, not as susceptible to leaning as the M.4 type is. Like the M.4 it is moderately winter hardy. It is tolerant of wetter soils, but will have a shallower root system and will be larger in size. It is tolerant of fire blight, but is moderately susceptible to the tomato ringspot virus. The tree forms a more upright habit than the other vigorous types.

Semidwarf Rootstock

MM.106 / EMLA 106 -- Size: 60-70%. A productive, early bearing rootstock. It has a strong root base that grows best in loam and sandy loam soils, but not well in poorly draining areas. It is susceptible to early winter freeze but hardy thereafter. On the other hand it is tolerant of higher temperatures. It is susceptible to diseases like collar rot, fire blight, and tomato ringspot but resistant to wooly apple aphid.

B.490 -- Size: 60-70%. The B.490 rootstock is a well anchored rootstock with moderate winter hardiness and adaptable to most soil types. It is early bearing, with moderate productivity and is tolerant of most diseases.

M.7a / EMLA 7 -- Size: 50-60%. This rootstock is considered one of the more ideal rootstocks suited for home orchards. It forms a nice open spreading habit, with a good root system. It has moderate winter hardiness, and is resistant to most diseases. It grows well in most soils except heavy clay, and should be planted deeper than other rootstock to reduce its tendency to sucker.

Geneva 30 -- Size: 50-60%. The Geneva 30 rootstock is known for its fire blight and collar rot resistance. Is very similar to the M.7a rootstock listed above, but bears a little earlier and is more productive.

M.26, EMLA 26 -- Size: 45-55%. This is the hardiest of the M- or MM-series rootstocks, but can be slow to harden off. It is very early bearing and produces good fruit quantities. It may need support in early years and will have trouble surviving in wetter, heavier soils. These rootstocks are very susceptible to fire blight, and susceptible to collar rot and tomato ring-spot virus. There are some compatibility issues with some cultivars.

Geneva 11 -- Size: 45-55%. Similar to the M.26 above except they are moderately resistive to most apple diseases.

Dwarf Rootstock

Ottawa 3 -- Size: 40-50%. Ottawa 3 is a very productive, early bearing rootstock. Due to poor rooting it will need support in early years. It is winder hardy and works well in all well drained soils. Ottawa 3 is susceptible to fire blight and tomato ringspot virus, but does have good resistance to collar rot. Moderate suckering.

Geneva 16 -- Size: 35-45%. Unlike most of the other dwarf varieties, Geneva 16 has reasonably good root anchorage, but probably will still need some support as the fruit develops. It is very early bearing, very productive, and is resistant to fire blight, collar rot, and apple scab. Geneva 16 is susceptible to powdery mildew and woolly apple aphid. Little or no suckering.

Bud 9 (Budagovsky 9) -- Size 35-40%. Another very early, very productive rootstock that will need support due to its root structure. It is winter hardy but is susceptible to drought conditions. Bud 9 is very resistant to collar rot, powdery mildew and apple scab, but is susceptible to fire blight, tomato ringspot virus and suckering.

EMLA 9 -- Size: 35-40%. This rootstock type is very early bearing and very productive. It is slighly hardier than M.7a and grows well in most well drained soils. It is resistant to collar rot, but very susceptible to fire blight. It will need support, and suckers heavily.

M.9, T.337 -- Size: 30-40%. Same characteristics as EMLA 9: very early bearing, very productive, needs support, hardier than M.7a, grows better in well drained soils but is tolerant of heavier soils as well. It is resistant to collar rot, but is very susceptible to fireblight and suckers heavily.

Mark -- Size 25-35%. Mark rootstock has brittle roots that will need support. It is hardy early on but susceptible to freeze in late winter. It works best in well drained soils and is a drought tolerant. It is moderately resistant to collar rot but susceptible to fire blight. It is also prone to abnormal swelling at the ground line that can stunt the growth of the tree. It is a very early bearing, very productive rootstock.

Geneva 65 -- Size 25-35%. A well anchored dwarf rootstock that is very early bearing. It is also very productive, but the fruit size is smaller than normal. It is winter hardy and resistant to both collar rot and fireblight.

P.2 (Poland 2) -- Size: 25-35%. A very early bearing, very productive rootstock that will need support. It needs well drained soil to grow adequately. It is resistant to crown rot, moderately susceptible to fire blight and susceptible to tomato ringspot virus. There is some suckering with this rootstock.

Very Dwarf Rootstock

M.27, EMLA 27 -- Size: 20-25%. This rootstock is too small for most standard orchards. It is very early bearing and very productive, yet fruit size is reduced. Works best in well drained soils and is resistant to collar rot in that soil type. It is susceptible to fire blight and tomato ringspot virus. The rootstock is slow to harden off.

P.22 (Poland 22) -- Size 20-25%. Like M.27 it is too small for most standard orchards. It has similar characteristics to M.27 except that P.22 is slightly less susceptible to fire blight.