P18 rootstock - Pros and Cons?

[DrDirtNap]

Does anybody have any experience with P18 rootstock? I know it produces a near full size tree and it has antonovka in it's background. It should be good for wetter sites. What are it's drawbacks? Slow to produce? How does it compare to B118? or M111?

 

[H20fwler]

I've got a few on P18 but they are still to young yet to really tell anything, they do seem to be growing about as fast as my other stuff. I think they will start producing their first fruit last of anything I have planted, I'm thinking around 10 years? On a do-over I wouldn't have gone that route, I would have stuck with M111...at the time is was the only rootstock available on the trees I wanted to try.

 

[chickenlittle]

I have quite a few on P18. The ones i bought from Cummins in 2015 have done great. Goldrush had a few apples the 2nd year and several dozen apples last year. Same for a Dolgo. Enterprise had a few apples last year. Several others flowered. Only honeycrisp has not flowered. Of P18 i grafted in 2015, a florina querina had a few apples this year and so did a crab. Producing faster than i expected. They are bigger than my B118 trees.

 

[DrDirtNap]

I have quite a few on P18. The ones i bought from Cummins in 2015 have done great. Goldrush had a few apples the 2nd year and several dozen apples last year. Same for a Dolgo. Enterprise had a few apples last year. Several others flowered. Only honeycrisp has not flowered. Of P18 i grafted in 2015, a florina querina had a few apples this year and so did a crab. Producing faster than i expected. They are bigger than my B118 trees.

Thanks for information. So from what you are seeing production is actually faster on P18 than on B118? That’s good to know.
What is your soil type?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ToddG]

I have Goldrush and Enterprise on P18 from Cummins Nursery that I planted spring of 2015. They are growing just as good as the ones on B118 and I had to pull a dozen or so apples off each tree spring of 2017.

 

[sandbur]

How about hardiness for it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[loosechange]

Only experiences are this year's; bought 30-some bareroot p18 sticks. 20-some are in various locations around Cordova, AK. The remaining 8 came to Anchorage, and are ungrafted in the yard here. Mostly posting this to be subsequently reminded to report on later year findings. The trouble with tree forums... the long game.

 

[Apple Junkie]

I have some on order for this spring. Although I am looking for a larger tree, I am feeling a little better knowing I am not looking at a 10 year wait before I see any production. It will be interesting to compare the P.18 to the B.118 and M.111 I have in the ground now.

 

[White Birch Farm]

Tollerates wet soils well, resistant to Phytophthora, susceptible to wolly aphids and fire blight.

M111 is resistant to wolly aphids.

 

[chickenlittle]

I do see wooly aphids on some of my P18. I had a couple that failed t-budding a couple years in a row and I planned to make into a stool bed. One was covered with wooly aphids in late summer. I don't have a big need for more rootstock so I may let those go.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I have 2 coming next spring on P-18 from Cummins. SLN didn't have the ones I wanted on Antonovka, so I went with Cummins. I'm trying to get more big, full-sized trees that will make lots of wood because of our bears. If we had no bears, I'd go with all MM-111.

Thanks for the info on P-18 from you guys that have it.

 

[Telemark]

Does m111 not tolerate wet feet?

 

[DrDirtNap]

M111 is better on clay soils but wet feet is whole different question....really depends on how wet and for how long...my experience is that phytopthera (root rot and collar rot) will end up killing apple trees on M111 if planted on ground that stays wet and saturated for prolonged periods of time.

 

[DLH]

What would you consider prolonged periods of time? Anyone have experience with Malus Fusca (pacific crab) for a wet feet root? I’ve seen it mentioned it may tolerate water better than others.

 

[Telemark]

M111 is better on clay soils but wet feet is whole different question....really depends on how wet and for how long...my experience is that phytopthera (root rot and collar rot) will end up killing apple trees on M111 if planted on ground that stays wet and saturated for prolonged periods of time.

Does this mean standing water or a high water table? I've got an area that is well drained clay, but the water table could be two feet below the surface a few months of the year.

 

[DrDirtNap]

M111 is better on clay soils but wet feet is whole different question....really depends on how wet and for how long...my experience is that phytopthera (root rot and collar rot) will end up killing apple trees on M111 if planted on ground that stays wet and saturated for prolonged periods of time.

Does this mean standing water or a high water table? I've got an area that is well drained clay, but the water table could be two feet below the surface a few months of the year.

I don’t the answer to your question. My experience comes from the first orchard I planted many years ago. Heavy clay that was normal to dry in the summer time but in the winter it would stay saturated almost all winter and there was a lot of standing water in places. Almost all those trees are now dead.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DrDirtNap]

What would you consider prolonged periods of time? Anyone have experience with Malus Fusca (pacific crab) for a wet feet root? I’ve seen it mentioned it may tolerate water better than others.

I’ve been told that Malus Fusca is a good choice for wet areas. Cummins also referred me to P18 or antonovka.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bowsnbucks]

From charts I have, they say MM-111 won't tolerate wet feet …………… but ironically say it's good for poorly drained soils. Penn State Horticulture head told me MM-111 is good for clayish soils. He didn't say anything about wet feet though. Clay doesn't drain well - so I don't know what the "tipping point" is for what's too much water. MM-111 is rated tolerant of drought too.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Simple. If the tree dies (crown rot or wet feet) then it was too wet. Don't use MM111 again.
I thought it was M106 that was suscetible to crown rot.

 

[Telemark]

Simple. If the tree dies (crown rot or wet feet) then it was too wet. Don't use MM111 again.
I thought it was M106 that was suscetible to crown rot.

Well it's a massive waste of 10-20 years and however many trees if it can be avoided.