Cultivars and Rootstocks

The final height and spread of a fruit tree are affected by many factors, including the rootstock onto which it is propagated. Access Penn State Extension resources on cultivars and rootstocks for various types of fruits. Find valuable tips on maturity assessments and bark grafting, bench grafting, and budding in the orchard.

How to Choose What Fruits to Plant

To choose the right type of fruit, think about the conditions and location of your orchard. Most fruit trees require space to grow; however, plenty of small fruits and fruit tree dwarf varieties can be successfully raised in smaller areas.

Another factor to consider is sunlight. It’s critical to remember that most types of fruits need to grow in full sun. Certain small fruit varieties – such as blackberries and raspberries – can also thrive in partial shade.

Learn more about the growth habits of brambles with Penn State Extension’s course on Growing Raspberries and Blackberries: From Planting to Harvest. Additionally, access information on small fruit preplant considerations, nutrition, and soil management in The Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide for Commercial Growers.

Choosing Fruit Cultivars

To select the right cultivar for your orchard, consider how you intend to sell the fruit. If you want to sell on wholesale markets, for instance, you will need a continual supply of produce. It is, therefore, important to choose a cultivar that can accommodate an extended marketing period and hold up well in shipping and storage.

Prevalent apple cultivars for the wholesale market include Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, and Golden Delicious. Some of the more prominent strawberry cultivars for plasticulture are Radiance, Earliglow, and Flavorfest. Popular commercially grown peach cultivars in Pennsylvania include Redhaven, Spring Snow, and Harrow Diamond.

Before setting out plantings of a new cultivar, it is always sensible to plant a few trees on a trial basis. Join the online course Orchard Management: Cultivars, Rootstocks, and Training Systems to learn more about growing tree fruit commercially.

Fruit Tree Rootstocks

Many fruit trees would naturally grow too large to be manageable in the orchard. In addition, it can take several years before they begin to bear fruit. To keep them a manageable size and help them mature faster, fruit trees are often grafted onto a rootstock of a related tree.

A rootstock is the lower plant portion used when grafting fruit trees. In general, different rootstocks have different degrees of influence on a tree’s productivity, longevity, and susceptibility to pests and diseases. The most common uses of rootstock are creating dwarf fruit trees, increasing yield, and improving cold hardiness.

With size controlling apple rootstocks, for instance, many commercial growers are able to grow apple trees in high-density production systems. Rootstocks recommended for planting in commercial orchards include Malling 9 (M9), Budagovsky 9 (Bud 9), and Geneva 11 (G11).

Unlike apples, there are no commercially available rootstocks for pear trees. The most common pear rootstock in home plantings is seedling. Pears are sometimes grafted onto hybrid rootstocks developed from crossing Old Home and Farmingdale varieties.

Fruit Tree Grafting Techniques – Bark Grafting and Bench Grafting

There are two popular techniques when grafting fruit trees – bark grafting and bench grafting. Bark grafting is a technique that allows growers to quickly replace old fruit varieties while keeping the root systems in place.

Bench grafting is typically performed for optimal contact between the scion and rootstock. It further allows producers to preserve scion wood from older varieties that are hard to find.

Discover additional information on selecting cultivars and propagating fruit trees with Penn State Extension’s educational resources, online courses, and workshops.