North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Randall Burd" <burdrs@comcast.net>]

I have a bit of a problem: what should I do with my potted M27 apple trees
when I move to my new house (NJ to Maryland)? Plant them or keep them in
pots (or just start over with less-dwarfing trees)? I have six of them. Each
is about 2-3 years old and about 3 feet high now. Does anyone have any
experience with planting M27 in-ground? Is it worth it at this point?

Here is the tale for those who might be interested:

About 3 yrs ago, my job took a turn and I thought that I might need to move
in a few years. To avoid any gap in my addiction with apple growing, I came
up with an idea: get apples on M27 from Raintree and grow them in pots next
to my regular, inground trees. If I needed to move, all I would have to do
would be put the trees in a truck and drive to my new home. I would leave
their less dwarfing, but in-ground comrades to the next owner of my house
but would bring the trees in pots with me which by then would be mature and
bearing. 

I bought 6 trees and planted them in huge plastic pots (I also got 2 pears
on Pyrodwarf root stock and did the same with them).I trained them
religiously in their pots (kind of like at
http://www.midfex.org/yale/intro.html). Much to my wife's dismay, I brought
the pots into the garage every winter (displacing a car to the outside) so
that the pots would not freeze. The trees are now quite nice, each about 3
feet tall and loaded with blossoms. Last year, I even got a couple of
apples. I will be moving from NJ to MD in June. I just let the potted M27
apples know that they will be coming with the rest of the family.

Randy