Apple Rootstock and Pollination Information
Apple Rootstocks
MINI-DWARF M-27
Trees will grow 4′-6’in height. They are compact, precocious trees. Ideal for the home gardener with little space for fruit trees. Suitable for espalier, can grow in large containers. Permanent support required. Space 2′-4′ apart.
MINI-DWARF G-41
Tree will grow 6′-9′. Precocious and productive. Resistant to fireblight and replant disease. Permanent support required. Space 6′-8′ apart.
DWARF M-26
Trees will grow 7′-12′ and are very productive and cold hardy; will not tolerate poorly drained soil. Requires staking in early years and may require permanent support in some situations. Space 7′-9′ apart.
SEMI-DWARF M-106
Trees will grow 10′-15’and produce a well anchored root system. Trees are precocious and productive, tolerating a wide range of soil conditions. Very cold hardy. Should be staked in early years. Space 10′-15′ apart.
SEMI-STANDARD M-111
Trees will grow 15′-20′, should be spaced at least 15′ apart. Tolerant of most soil types, and somewhat drought tolerant.
Graft your own apple trees, by purchasing Apple Rootstocks for home grafting here.
Apple Pollination
Apples and Pears need close attention to matching bloom times for good fruit set. In our cool spring climate, we have extended bloom times; other climates with warm springs may have more compressed bloom seasons that allow more pollinizer choices. The charts below are based on our experience in the Pacific Northwest; contact your local Master Gardeners or county agricultural extension agent for information about bloom times in your area.
Apple Bloom Times
- Choose your pollinizer from the same or adjacent group. For example, apples from GROUP 2 will pollinize varieties from GROUP 1, 2 or 3. GROUP 3 will pollinize GROUP 2,3 or 4.
- Varieties marked with an asterisk* do not work as pollinizers for other varieties (they have sterile pollen).
- Varieties marked with a caret^ are partially or fully self-fertile, but planting with a pollinizer may increase crops.
- Bloom time does not correspond to ripening time. Choose varieties that ripen at different times to spread out your harvest, and check to make sure you have appropriate pollinizers.
VERY EARLY | EARLY | MID-SEASON | MID-SEASON | LATE | VERY LATE |
| Gravenstein* Zestar Williams’s Pride | Centennial Crab Idared Red Alkmene^ Yellow Transparent^ Reines des Pommes Chehalis Golden Russet Scarlet Sentinel Liberty* | Akane Ananas Reinette Arkansas Black Ashmead’s Kernal* Belmac Ben Davis Crimson Crisp Crimson Topaz Crimson Gold Evereste Crabapple^ Freedom Galarina™ Golden Sentinel Grimes Golden^ | Initial ®* Jonagold* Jonamac Karmijn* Melrose Northpole Queen Cox^ Rubinette Spartan^ Tsugaru Beni Shogun Fuji Prairiefire Crabapple^ Louisa Weeping Crabapple^ | Bramley’s Seedling* Cosmic Crisp Elstar Florina Honeycrisp Roxbury Russet* Kingston Black Yarlington Mill Harry Masters Jersey Dabinett^ Golden Raindrops Crabapple^ | Brown Snout^ |
Apples are only shipped while dormant, from February through mid to late April. They are available for pickup at the nursery February through mid-November.
