North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

At 11:10 PM 10/2/2002 -0400, Ginda wrote:
> 3)  If I do replant with an apple, I'm considering Ashmead's Kernel, from 
> Fedco.  Of all the mail order apples we've tried from AppleSource, this 
> was the one the family liked most.  (Among other things, this suggests it 
> keeps well without refrigeration, as most of the other types tasted like 
> they'd gotten too warm in shipping.)  Fedco sells standard size trees - 
> does anyone know how large this one is likely to get in eastern Mass., 
> zone 6?  Does anyone know what rootstock they use for "standard" trees?
Ginda,
A 'standard' apple will be grafted onto seedling rootstock.  What variety, 
only John B can tell you.  Antonovka and Ranetka are two of the more common 
seed-strains used for cold-hardy standard rootstocks in many parts of the US.
Ultimately, you are in control of tree size.  Left unchecked, a standard 
tree can become 'as large as an apartment complex', as Ed Laivo says.  But, 
with diligent pruning, you can keep a standard at whatever size you want 
it.  You just have stay on top of it.  Conventional wisdom has it that 
apples on 'standard' rootstocks take longer to come into bearing than those 
on dwarfing stocks, but I have no first-hand experience to speak from.

Lucky Pittman
USDA Zone 6
Hopkinsville, KY