Pot Container for a 5 Ft Full Size Fuji Apple Tree?
He didn't really know exactly what he was doing -- I had planned to get a dwarf apple tree, not a full-sized, and I know I need a pollinator. But what on earth kind of container do you put a 1.5 year old, 5ft tall apple tree in? The website says it's appropriate for a container, and we'll keep it in a container until we move and have more space to plant it in the ground...
Hi Lintu.
Your tree is not by any means full size. A 1.5 year old tree is as young as you can get it.
It's called a maiden tree at that age.
Now. If the label said that it was suitable for a container then it must be on one of the dwarfing rootstocks.
( Does the label say what that rootstock number is...it should be printed on the label)
It will anyway require a fairly large container ...half barrel sort of size.
Fuji are fairly vigorous in growth as are most triploids.
The fact that it is a triploid means that it will require anouther apple to pollinate it but it cannot in turn pollinate another tree itself.
( Triploids carry an odd number of genes and therefore cannot pollinate in their own right.
Fuji......Bred at Niitsi Hort. Research Station , Japan in 1939.
Ralls Janet X Golden Delicious.
Named in 1962.
Your tree is not by any means full size. A 1.5 year old tree is as young as you can get it.
It's called a maiden tree at that age.
Now. If the label said that it was suitable for a container then it must be on one of the dwarfing rootstocks.
( Does the label say what that rootstock number is...it should be printed on the label)
It will anyway require a fairly large container ...half barrel sort of size.
Fuji are fairly vigorous in growth as are most triploids.
The fact that it is a triploid means that it will require anouther apple to pollinate it but it cannot in turn pollinate another tree itself.
( Triploids carry an odd number of genes and therefore cannot pollinate in their own right.
Fuji......Bred at Niitsi Hort. Research Station , Japan in 1939.
Ralls Janet X Golden Delicious.
Named in 1962.
An apple on its own feet, or standard rootstock can be kept to any size you have the scruples to prune it to.
Orchardists conveiniently forget people that train bonsai, in their assesment of what size an aplle must become.
Still, if your hope is an ample crop of apples, you are going to have to let your new tree grow it obtain that.
If you are adamant about needing to grow your apple in a container, take the time to look for soil recipes suitable for pot training your tree, in stickys in the bonsai forums here.
Orchardists conveiniently forget people that train bonsai, in their assesment of what size an aplle must become.
Still, if your hope is an ample crop of apples, you are going to have to let your new tree grow it obtain that.
If you are adamant about needing to grow your apple in a container, take the time to look for soil recipes suitable for pot training your tree, in stickys in the bonsai forums here.
Quite true tomc.
You can indeed control most apple tree to whatever size you want....but a powerful rootstock would require skilled pruning to control to dwarfing size.
As regards bonsai growing.......
The difference here is that you still want the fruit to retain its true size. The last thing that a bonsai grower would want.
There has to be a proper balance between root and fruit for succesful production. Curtailing one without the balance of the other will always cause a problem when your final aim is to grow good fruit.
If you reduce the root size down to bonsai standards I would suggest that you will never grow fruit of decent size or quality as the nutrient uptake would never be sufficiant.
You can indeed control most apple tree to whatever size you want....but a powerful rootstock would require skilled pruning to control to dwarfing size.
As regards bonsai growing.......
The difference here is that you still want the fruit to retain its true size. The last thing that a bonsai grower would want.
There has to be a proper balance between root and fruit for succesful production. Curtailing one without the balance of the other will always cause a problem when your final aim is to grow good fruit.
If you reduce the root size down to bonsai standards I would suggest that you will never grow fruit of decent size or quality as the nutrient uptake would never be sufficiant.