what size pot for apple rootstock?

Jim your pictures are evident there isn't a whole lot of roots being put out on a first leaf rootstock. I see a lot of positives with your technique.
I do see your pales taking up a good chunk of room if you have 20 plus. I plant mine a few inchEs apart on a mound. Mine take up less room but will be a little harder to dig up, but it still won't be bad.
I know a lot of people love rootmakers but they come at a pretty hefty cost. I just don't see a requirement to justify that cost. Nurserys sure as heck aren't putting their grafts in rootmakers and they are obviously growing healthy trees.
For most people the most criticial part of grafting is getting the graft to live. At least it is for me, but I'm far from a grafting expert.
 
When they had been freshly watered or rained on, they took some convincing to release from the sides (a few whacks around the perimeter did it). When they had been allowed to dry out a little for a day or 3, they pulled out without any effort. The compost is probably responsible for how well these remained clumped. When I let them go a few days without water, they still had very good moisture within 1/4" of the outside edge.

I guess if you were concerned about tugging too hard on the tree, you could line the bucket with wax paper or some other "gasket" type material to prevent the soil from creating a bond with the bucket wall.

This is by far the easiest thing short of a burlap ball I've ever transplanted which wasn't a traditional plug. The majority of the gravel remained in the buckets too, so the next time I use them I only need to add the compost and top soil.
 
I do see your pales taking up a good chunk of room if you have 20 plus. I plant mine a few inchEs apart on a mound. Mine take up less room but will be a little harder to dig up, but it still won't be bad.

17 still left plenty of room inside a 4x6 trailer bed. I could've fit 6 more in there easily.

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If you planted them any closer together, you'd have roots growing into each other - I fail to see how that's a benefit?
 
Hmmm...I was thinking the opposite. It appears the entire 5 gallon bucket's length and width are full of small, fibrous roots?

Given how close to the edge of the bucket the roots were on the trees I checked, I would say this is a one growing season only proposition. The bucket was very full of roots. Letting them go longer would result in J roots for sure.
 
Hmmm...I was thinking the opposite. It appears the entire 5 gallon bucket's length and width are full of small, fibrous roots?
The tree will have no problem rooting. Like I said millions of trees from orchards.....
 
I used 7 gallon root trappers for my grafts that I planted later in the year and they were way overkill. If you will plant the same year I say 3 gallon are fine and if you want to wait a year I think 5 gallon will be more than adequate. I was able to plant my grafts with the 7 gallon rt with no trauma to the roots. The trees when planted on the ground grew great and some put on 3.5 feet of growth by the fall I bought 5 gallon from John after using 7 gallon the previous year but am able to reuse all and they are not even close to the price of a tree but close to the price of a rootstock
 
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