M.26 is reliably hardy, but is especially susceptible to fire blight. Trees planted on M.26 generally require staking for the first few years of growth or, on windy sites, for the life of the tree. This dwarfing rootstock produces a tree 8-10 feet in height. It produces moderate amounts of root suckers and burr knots. M.9 has poor anchorage due to brittle roots and a high fruit to wood ratio which means it requires staking for the life of the tree.

It produces fruit very early in the life of the tree.

This rootstock performs well under many conditions and produces a tree 40-50% the height of a standard tree. MM.111 is a hardy, well-anchored rootstock that can withstand drier soil conditions, making it an excellent choice especially for western parts of the state. In many areas of Minnesota, this can work out to roughly a 14-18 foot tree. This rootstock, sometimes termed 'semi-dwarfing,' other times 'semi-standard,' produces a tree about 80% of the height of a standard tree. Although you won't know exactly what you're getting with a seedling rootstock-every single seed is a genetically different individual -hardiness, anchorage and adaptability to different soil types are generally excellent. A seedling rootstock is actually grown from the seed of an apple, often McIntosh or another common, hardy variety.

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