Rootstocks

Rootstocks we sell - We sell a variety of rootstocks for use in grafting trees. Please look in the Scionwood and Seeds category for a current list.

Rootstocks we use -The selection of rootstocks we use are those whos characteristics allow them the best chance for thriving in our cold climate. They are all full sized standard trees unless otherwise noted. You can request grafts on a certain rootstock, but these will normally require a year's head time so we can custom graft them for you.

Apple -

Antonovka - 500 year old Russian apple group. Cold hardy to zone 3 at least. tough carrot like rooting system with good anchorage. Drought tolerant compared with dwarfing stocks. Great compatability. Long lived. Produces nearly full sized trees. Vigorous. Most widely used seedling apple for rootstock. Collar rot resistant.

Ranetka - Alaskan cross between Dolgo crabapple and Siberian crab. Cold hardy to -40. Vigorous, producing a full sized tree. Great compatability.

Bud 118 - Moscow Pear apple X M.9  (or M.8) cross. The Budagovsky series was developed in a severely cold area of Russia, with most of the progeny having good cold hardiness. Resulting tree is 80-85% full sized, with precocity and yield generally similar to seedling. There are conflicting studies to its supposed resistance to both fireblight and crown rot. Susceptible to powdery mildew. Vegetatively reproduced.

Prunifolia - Native to China this wild apple obtains its common name from its plum-like foliage. It is cold hardy to zone 3. Since in its natural state it ranges over a large geographical area, seed sources may determine more or less cold hardiness. Any seed generated stock, however, holds this wildcard. Our experience with nearly all seedling stock has been firmly positive. Nice fibrous root system.

Dolgo - Russian crabapple imported by Hansen to S. Dakota and released in 1897. Produces a full sized tree with average seedling precocity and production. Gets its name from Russian word for "long" describing the tree's 1" olive shaped fruit. Scab, cedar apple rust, and mildew resistant. Supposed fireblight resistance as well. As an ungrafted tree, is large, attractive specimen which produces good jelly apples in late summer to early fall.