[bashful_badger]

Does anyone know anything about family apple trees and which rootstock they are usually put onto?

There is one at my lottie which I didn't notice at first because of all the weeds, and now I can actually get near enough to it without wading through swathes of grass etc I have discovered it has three different labels attached to it.  So I am assuming it's a family tree, otherwise I don't know why it'd have the 3 labels, only problem is it doesn't seem to say what rootstock it is on!  I would gladly keep it if it isn't going to get huge but I don't really think things over about 6ft should be on allotments due to shade casting.

Might possibly be able to move it to my front garden too but again only if it isn't going to get enormous.  I'd be pretty fed up if I spent years growing the thing then had to hack it down because it was just far too big!

Would I be able to keep the height a certain level by pruning regardless of rootstock does anyone think?

[SG6]

Best guess would be M26(10ft), maybe M106 (12ft), maybe M9 (8ft).

There is smaller rootstock M27 but I doubt it is this.
If I had to say any then M26.

Would be useful if you could determine the graftings. If one is a triploid then pruning it will be a bit of a problem as they are more vigorous and get dominate.

[pushrod]

For me at least i would not contemplate moving an unknown apple tree to a different position - the physical effort, plus the chance that it might not take and if it does then you don't even know what it is!

If you leave it where it is you can see how big it gets - take it out if it gets too big. For not a great deal of money you can buy exactly what you want.

[bashful_badger]

......Would be useful if you could determine the graftings. If one is a triploid then pruning it will be a bit of a problem as they are more vigorous and get dominate.

It had the varieties on?  There was a lord lambourne, a gala and the third was a russet.  Not sure what triploid means?

It's not very big, maybe 3ft at the mo. 4ft at most I'd say.

[gillie]

My apples on M26 have grown a good deal taller than 10ft!  I guess I could have pruned them better, but as a general rule the harder you prune them the more growth they put on - at the expense of fruit.  I doubt that this one is on a very dwarfing rootstock, and I would think that a reputable grower would know better than to graft a triploid as a family tree.

As the tree is only 3ft at the moment I would guess it is a youngster, probably only planted in the last year, so I think you could move it, when it is dormant, if you take care.

Cheers,

Gillie

[pushrod]

My apples on M26 have grown a good deal taller than 10ft! 

My 10 year old apple trees on M27 the most dwarfing rootstock are 6ft+ !

Not sure what triploid means?

Triploid apple trees will need a double pollination. The amount of DNA  in gametes is "N" or haploid, in a normal plant with a single pollination/fertilisation it is "2N" or diploid. When you have a double pollination you get "3N" or triploid. Polyploidy in the plant kingdom is quite common as it produces more vigorous growth and so very useful for anything that is going to be cropped.