Given that it's November, we're far away from the start of the growing season, but now is a good time to think about ordering apple bare root trees for future plantings; which may mean receiving plants for establishment in 2026 when ordering now, depending on the order.
Most growers are familiar with the fruit characteristics offered by various apple varieties, which is is contributed by the scion, or the top portion of the apple tree. However, one of the most important questions to answer prior to ordering apple bare root trees is "Which rootstock should I choose?"
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| Apple trees consist of a scion variety that is grafted, or fused with a rootstock variety. In this photo, a young Honeycrisp tree grafted onto a G935 rootstock. The graft union, where the scion and rootstock come together, is visible near the base of the plant. (Photo credit: Annie Klodd). |
While some growers practice grafting their own apple trees, many choose to order pre-grafted trees instead. Thus, when ordering plants for dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees, you are selecting not only the apple variety, but also the rootstock that the nursery grafts it onto.
Winter is a good time to order bare root plants for apples and other fruit crops. As mentioned above, apple bare root trees generally must be ordered at least one to two years in advance of the planting season in order to reserve desired scion varieties and rootstocks.
This is particularly true if you are planting a large quantity of trees, planting a popular new variety or a rare variety, or require a specific rootstock. Therefore, most orchards planning to plant in 2025 should be making their orders now or earlier.
Selecting Rootstocks
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| Image: Relative sizes of apple trees grafted onto common apple rootstocks. Source: Washington State University |
Rootstocks primarily affect an apple tree's height along with its precocity, or how soon it begins to bear fruits. While different rootstocks offer similar affects in regards to tree height, which rootstock is selected should be chosen based on orchard site characteristics like soil type and climate, as well as apple variety, intended tree size, planting system (e.g., trellised, high density or free standing, verses low density), and disease resistance.
For example: While the Bud 9 (B9) rootstock is commonly used in the Midwest, that does not necessary mean it is the best rootstock for your site and desired varieties. A very low-vigor rootstock like B9 grown on a sandy, low-organic matter soil will likely produce trees that are under-productive.
Do your research before ordering plants. Talk to experienced orchardists in your area, join events with grower associations like the Minnesota Apple Growers Association and Organic Fruit Growers Association, contact Extension, and study online resources from trustworthy research-based sources like university Extension and fruit nurseries.
There are numerous helpful resources online to explain rootstocks and assist in choosing appropriate rootstock X variety pairings for your orchard:
- Getting to the Root of It - University of Minnesota Fruit Research Lab
- Which Rootstock should you grow with? - Good Fruit Grower
- Apple Rootstocks: Understanding and Choosing the Right Rootstock - eXtension
- Apple Rootstocks: Capabilities and Limitations - Penn State University
- Orchard Management: Cultivars, Rootstocks, and Training Systems - Penn State University online learning module
I hope you find these resources to be a useful starting point for ordering apple bare root plants and planning out your orchard. Recognize that resources listed above may have some variation in guidance based on regional variation.
Order apple bare root plants
Growers often ask me where they should purchase bare root plants. As a University of Minnesota Extension Educator, I do not endorse or promote specific nurseries. A list of nurseries carrying University of Minnesota apple varieties can be found here: https://mnhardy.umn.edu/buy/buy-apples
Article updated by Madeline Wimmer (2024) and originally written by Annie Klodd (2020).
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