Fruit Tree Help

St.JulienA and Colt rootstock seems rather too vigorous for container growing - especially since plums and cherries are best with little or no pruning.

The eventual size of a tree depends on may factors.
Well-fed, well-watered, pest-free, disease-free, and mild climate will reach those sizes. Most home growers will find the trees to be somewhat smaller and/or slower growing, due to at least one problem.
Some varieties are naturally much stronger growing than others. For example; a Bramley apple will reach about twice the size of a Discovery apple on the same rootstock. You'd probably need the Discovery on MM106 to match a Bramley on M9.
Restriction of their ability to grow spreading and penetrating roots (due to the containerisation) will keep them smaller.

In my area, there are plenty of pests and diseases, the soil is so poor (dry, shallow, sandy) and the rainfall so little, that M9 will not grow at all, unless I heavily feed and water it - and even then, it only manages about six inches growth per year.
I need MM106 just to make a 6-7ft bush in ten years. - and it takes 2 years for them to start growing and grows 1ft per season, at most.
Likewise; the Quince rootstocks behave the same as M9; very sickly in my soil. However, your climate will be much wetter.


The apple M9 and pear Quince rootstocks will be fine for containers.
They won't mind pruning if they get a bit too large. If they start to grow too strongly, you can prune the new shoots back to just an inch in mid July, which will slow growth and increase fruitfulness in future years.
In my experience - especially in a spray-free garden - it is better to go for a slightly stronger rootstock, which will be able to tolerate some abuse and re-grow if damaged. Summer pruning of apples and pears will keep their size under control. After all...some people grow bonsai trees.
There are no rootstocks smaller than Quince C for pears.
Pixy is a smaller rootsock for plums and would be my choice for a container.

Be careful with the M9 rootstock because the roots are more brittle than other apple rootstocks and can snap under an uneven fruit load. Many people recommend a permanent stake, but so long as the tree isn't allowed to grow of fruit in a lopsided way and so long as it's not battered by strong winds, it probably won't need staking.
The plus point is that M9 produces better quantities and better quality fruit at a younger age than the other rootstocks - assuming that the variety grafted on top is disease resistant. It also seems to influence slightly later flowering, so is less damaged by frost. It is rather susceptible to woolly aphid (it looks like mould on the twigs) - so make sure that any woolly aphid are removed immediately, before they spread to the roots (where you can't kill them); they can cripple the relatively weak root system of M27 or M9.


In summary:

The nursery doesn't sound entirely competent - gross spelling mistakes and a rather-too-strong plum and cherry rootstock are not inspiring. I've never heard of the nursery.

The apple and pear should be fine - but make sure that you don't let them start getting out of control. Many people plant a fruit tree and do nothing for several years. By that time, it is badly shaped and the pruning necessary to regain control will cause a loss of fruit for a few seasons and a really messy tree. An apple or pear tree needs assessing for pruning every January and every July. Plums and cherries are best not pruned in winter. Each year will vary in how little or how much pruning is needed.

Also make sure that you buy disease-resistant varieties. Your favourites from the shops will need heavy spraying to remain healthy and give a clean crop. Some shop varieties are grown overseas, in warmer climates, so may not do well in the UK. There are many good varieties available that won't ever need spraying - just not the common one's that everyone asks for.

One more thing about mail-order....
You don't get to see the tree before you buy.
Some of the "cheap" trees are badly shaped or have bent trunks. Some are not even the correct variety - being cheap because someone might have mixed-up the labels. They may have been pruned in a way that you don't like the shape - tall and thin? - short and wide? - lopsided?
If you want a couple of nice patio specimens, you might want to hand-pick them from a local garden centre and pay a bit extra for them.

If you must do mail-order, I would recommend:

Deacons (Isle of Wight)
R V Roger (Yorkshire?)
Chris Bowers (Peterborough)
Blackmoor (Hampshire)
Victoriana (South England - maybe Surrey?)
Simpsons (Fordham/Newmarket)

I also think that you're jumping straight in the deep end with so many different types of fruit trees. You may also find problems with pollination partners.

I suggest getting two different apples and two different pears that are compatible pollinators. Apples and pears are easier to grow than the other fruits. Then, in later years, by all means add some of the more awkwards types.

I got these earlier this year in May. All have done very well.
They came as bare root trees and within 10 days of planting they produced leaves. Apple and Plum flowered this year. A bit late and the small fruit fell of the trees.
Cost me £29 for 4 trees, very good value at £7.50 per tree. Each tree had about 8 branches.
The trees have been planted in pots, but I my put them in the garden this year. The trees all arrived about 5.5 foot high. They have not grown any bigger this year, but have got very bushy.

Hope this helps?

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