Rootstocks
• To guarantee the variety of fruit required, fruit trees are often grafted on to a set of roots (rootstock). There is no way to know what resulting fruit may come from a planted seed.
• Rootstocks are the root system of the tree. They absorb water and nutrients for the tree to survive and provide anchorage for the tree. Rootstocks have been developed through research to aid the tree in different ways, for example, deal with different soils, resistance to specific pest and diseases, but most importantly, governs the tree’s overall size.
• I am supplying dwarf, semi-dwarf & semi-vigorous rootstocks to ensure your tree mains quite small, (less than 5m tall) for your garden.
• Fruit trees do not need to be tall, enabling you to reach safely to harvest and prune.
• You could grow several small trees in the same space as a larger tree, giving you more choice of fruit.
• These dwarfing rootstocks are good at extracting nutrients from the soil to give high yields of fruit at an earlier time in the trees life.
• It must be noted that dwarf rootstocks are not so good for anchorage, thus, the tree must be permanently staked. A semi-dwarf tree needs staking for the first five years of their life. Grass and weeds must be kept clear from the bottom of the trees to reduce competition for water and nutrients.
If you require further information on rootstocks please contact Sussex Fruit Trees.