apples r hardy for zone 6 so u would not need to take it to your garage for the winter.

You have to protect the root zone of potted nursery stock, even if they are considered 'hardy' in your zone. They fare a lot better in the ground than sitting out in a bad zone six winter in a pot on a porch, or stuffed into a garage.

Your little pixie tree isn't going to throw so much shade that it's going to take up a lot of space with its canopy shade unless you have a postage stamp lot. Even then it's probably doable with blueberries nearby. I grow my blueberries in a dappled sun situation and they're loaded every year.

I also do not prophylactically use pesticides on my fruit trees, because I do not have a lot of insect pressure either. I keep a small orchard, and don't invest that much time in its upkeep, short of pruning. So many people are scared off by what they consider the high upkeep of fruit trees, when they aren't that difficult.

Plant the little guy and enjoy.

i agree with callilope that it is better to plant in the ground where possible and a small dwarf tree will not produce much shade but i disagree with him/her that you have to be concerned about protecting the tree during the winter if it is in a pot. The tree is hardy to zone 5 and you are in zone 6. it will be fine in a 20 gallon + pot on your porch throughout the winter. I grow a ton of stuff in pots, including plum trees and pawpaw trees in zone 6/7 and they are fine. if you wanted to be extra cautious, you could wrap an old blanket around the top of the pot, or even just mulch heavily and your tree will be fine. there is definitly no need to lug it to your garage. (figs are different because depending on the variety, they are only borderline hardy or not at all hardy in zone 6).

That's right. It is like when you have a new asparagus plot. For two years you can plant greens there, too. Just don't plant potatoes under the tree, you should not disturb the roots.

Root systems, especially young ones, do not have the same cold hardiness as above ground dormant plant parts. You may get container stock to overwinter in a pot, but you're taking chances. I am a zone six here, and we have had sub-zero temps and sometimes sustained ones, and add to that the intermittent warm days, and they can play havoc with trees in containers.

I had Zone 3 hardy cherry tree in a 15 gallon pots in Zone 5 location and it died when left outside above the ground. After good December freeze we had a January thaw and some rain. The pot bottom remained frozen and the rain water could not drain for a couple of days before the next freeze and it probably killed the very hardy tree. My smaller fruit trees in 5 gallon pots burried for winter in ground in the vegetable area always survive.

I think I'll put it right in the ground to avoid trouble - I have a spare patch next to my asparagus bed that I was going to stick a couple squash in as it's not big enough for the 3 blackberry plants I was originally going to put in that spot, so I think it'll be the perfect size for this dwarf apple.

I know it's going to take a couple of years before I'll get anything from it, but I'm excited! I'm also nervous about all the spraying and pests and disease I'm reading everyone discussing, but I guess I'll fight that battle when I get to it!

Thanks for the advice everyone - and feel free to keep it coming!

Lsia

Put it on the northern edge and the shorter plants will be fine on the south side of your apple. Its a tree in the way to the south that will block most of the sun to the short guys.

Scott