Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
can fit four espaliers in the space taken by
one free-standing open vase-trained tree on
vigorous rootstock.
If you are attempting to grow a tree outside its
preferred conditions (for example, apples and
pears on impoverished sand, or citrus on
strong alkaline soils), you may be wise to
select a tree grown on non-dwarfing stock, as
the trees may need as much vigour as possible
just to survive successfully. Dwarfing
rootstocks by definition have smaller root
systems than trees grown on conventional
vigorous stocks. The whole point is that they
are less vigorous and easier to control;
however, the root system is brittle and they
will need staking.
Figure 5.2
A 'step-over' or inclined cordon is usually
grafted to a very dwarfing rootstock and should only be
attempted with spur-bearing apples and pears, pears
being the easier of the two to train.
order. It is always good to order your trees
well in advance of planting to ensure that you
secure your desired plant. Order in mid
summer for winter planting.
Those dwarf fruit trees with PBR, mainly
apples and peaches/nectarines, are only
available as a patented package. There is a
rootstock called 'Trixzie' that produces full-
sized nectarines and peaches that are best
grown as free-standing trees of 1.5 m high
and wide. There are also 'Ballerina' apples
that grow as a small column that are ideal for
planting at a 45
o
angle to form a type of
Belgian fence (see Figures 5.3 and 5.13).
There are some dwarf fruit trees that hold
Plant Variety Rights (PVR) or Plant
Breeding Rights (PBR) which works like a
patent on the plant. They have trade names
such as 'Ballerina' for some apples, or
'Trixzie' for peaches and nectarines. These
are completely different from a non-PBR
fruit tree on varying rootstocks. For
example, a Granny Smith apple can be
grafted onto a M26 rootstock, a semi-
dwarfing stock ideal for home gardens
making a tree about 2 m in height. It may
also be grafted onto a M27 rootstock that is
very dwarfing for those who want to train a
step-over (see Figure 5.2) to about 1 m to
1.2 m high. A Granny Smith on a M25
rootstock will produce a tree 3 to 4 m high.
In each case the actual apple is the same;
the height of the tree varies.
Free-standingfruittrees
Free-standing fruit trees are for those with a
bit of garden space to play with, or perhaps
Sourcing non-PBR fruit trees on these
rootstocks can be problematic. They are
available from specialist nurseries and by mail
Figure 5.3
This Belgian fence or
PallissadeBelg
is the
most elegant of garden dividers. Plant your trees about
1 m apart. This is best attempted with apples or pears.
