As far as the Box stores go, count yourself lucky if you get the same tree the tag says you bought. Don't expect them to get another tag right.

My opinion is that most people don't know about rootstock so it would only be throwing in something else to confuse them about.
Most of the end users who think they know about rootstock are internet experts and would throw a wrench in the works for the nursery who are the experts. Instead of being able to use the rootstock they find works with the variety they are grafting they get a bunch of people all demanding their trees on a different rootstock yet will blame the nursery when it doesn't work.

Your solution is easy. If you want to know what rootstock you are getting use a nursery that tells you. If you want to be able to select your rootstock either graft your own or use a nursery that does custom grafting or has a selection of the same variety on different rootstocks.

I totally agree with what Myk1 said and will add that, including the info might even be confusing to uneducated buyers and actually lead to reduced sales from hesitant customers.

I don't buy fruit trees from big-box type stores for multiple reasons, and this is one of them. Personally, I would no more buy a tree without knowing what rootstock it had than if I didn't know what scion was being used. It's like going to a restaurant and ordering "food" instead of whatever you want (or need). Rootstock influences:

1. ultimate size of your tree
2. growth rate
3. amount and complexity of maintenance
4. ease of harvest
5. productivity
6. preciosity
7. senescence
8. hardiness
9. adaptation to different soils and soil conditions

10. drought tolerance
11. how well the tree will be anchored
12. whether the tree will need permanent or temporary support (not just how well it's anchored)
13. fruit size
14. resistance to certain diseases
15. resistance to certain pests
16. rootstock and scion graft compatibility
17. tendency to sucker
18. and I'm sure I'm leaving off at least something.

There is no one-size-fits-all perfect rootstock. And, to me, letting the seller dictate the rootstock almost assumes there is. I choose rootstocks based on what is important to me and which rootstock will best address these concerns.

What kind of trees did you plant 10 years ago? The tremendous variation in rootstocks is a newish phenomenon, things used to be simpler. But I could not agree more that if you're not buying from a nursery that can tell you what rootstock you're getting, you're buying from the wrong place.

Thanks everyone for the detailed info...

brandon7 - thanks for your list of what a rootstock does, That was what I was looking for and to be honest your response help better then goggling the question. So the way I'm looking at a RS is, it's the foundation of a house. I never knew there was a difference and I bet 75% of first time fruit tree buyers (like me) have no idea
that a rootstock is that important. I just figure that when you buy a tree by the size, dwarf through full size that is what the tree will be and that is the RS. I'm sure I not the only one who thought that. I also know if the rootstock was on the labels I know I would of ask questions and maybe changed my selection just like the heath information label on food products.

Planatus - I have mac, empires, red del, yellow del, cortlands and fuji. I bought at least 5 of them from a nursey and again nothing on the labels about RS. the others were from a farm market. I was mainly looking to buy dwaft trees because I did not want them to get big. After 3 years the deer kept eating them much so I switched to semi-d which help by the trees growing faster.

I have visited Miller's Nursey and I don't remember seeing the RS on their trees either so I will be visting there again this week to see if it's me or I didn't know what to look for in the beginning, which could be the reason.

thanks again always learning and having fun at it....
md

Agree with myk1 100%.

I think each label or "tag", by law, should include the type of rootstock. This is absolutely necessary information. If it confuses someone, they can do research before they buy, like any responsible consumer.
I feel the same way about anything I buy. The label should say where its made. I know this is another subject but these are things I feel strongly about.
I can't imagine any sane reason to not include the type of rootstock a tree is grafted to. Its either laziness or willful neglect.
Can you tell I have been burnt by this?!
:)
~thomis

Ok...I notice that on Miller's web site when you choose a apple tree it looks like they list the Rootstock DF139 if that is it.

My question is what does it mean, are the letters and numbers identifing a tree? Are there lists or what tree is the rootstock?

Any answers would help me to understand this...thanks
md

I think Brandon7 did an excellent job of covering the range of factors involved with rootstock. It should also be mentioned that rootstock is only partial factor in every factor he mentions. A clonal fruit tree is really 2 trees, the rootstock and the scion and both have influence on all the factors Brandon mentioned. For instance, if your Fuji is on the same rootstock as your Yellow Delicious it will be a significantly more vigorous tree than your YD. Fujis grow fast and stupid. Sorry, but I'm not going to explain that statement, at least not now.

Chances are all your apples are on M7 as that is the generic standard- and a reasonably good rootstock it is! Of course results may vary.

"Chances are ..." That's just it. If people were half the experts they thought they were they would be able to make an educated guess by going down Brandon's list.
I'm fairly certain my old trees are on M111/M9 or B9 and M111 and I'm not an expert.
I know my Newtown Pippin is on B118 and that information does me absolutely no good except I can pretend I'm an expert on the internet and tell what rootstock my tree is on. I know any semi-dwarf where I planted that tree will either need a lot of pruning or I'll have to attempt to stunt it.

I don't know what my new Stark trees are on but I'm sure in a few years I'll be able to guess according to how they react, I'm already fairly certain the dwarfs are not on G11. Since I'm not the one who has to guarantee the trees or stake my reputation on them it really doesn't matter.
I'm also betting I find out why it's difficult to find Newtown Pippin on dwarfing rootstock. I didn't have the expertise to pair up the rootstock and variety when I grafted (I didn't even know what I was going to graft onto them when I ordered the rootstock).

DF139 is not the rootstock, that is Miller's stock number. Miller does not give rootstock information. Grandpas, Adams County and Cummins are a few that give rootstock information.
Cummins seems to be the one that has the best selection of varieties on different rootstocks whereas Grandpas pretty much tells you what you get and Adams may or may not have a selection.
Go to those nurseries instead of Miller if you want rootstock information.

mykl,
Thanks for listing the nursery's. All but Adams are close to me and Cummins web site gave me info about theirs that helps to understand rootstock. thanks again.
md

Mjmarco,
If you want a pretty good list of edible fruit plant sources, check out my list at the link below. It can be helpful, especially if you are looking for something unusual. If you run into a source that's not on there, please let me know and I'll add it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sources for Fruit Trees and Plants

Two root stocks easy to identify are 111 for the burr knots and 26 for its big swell above the union, at least as it matures. 7 does lots of suckering but sometimes others do as well.

111 with a 9 interstem is pretty obvious also, just because you see the burr knots but the tree is so much less vigorous for its variety than if it was on 111 alone.

I think the answer is simple.

People who care what rootstock their trees are on, order from nurseries that allow them to choose the rootstock (or at least choose between 2-3 different rootstocks).

People who buy from the big box stores, and even some of the local nurseries, don't know and don't care that rootstock comes in different varieties. They don't want the information, so it is not included on the tag.

The tags are printed in large lots and are as generic as possible so that they can go onto trees from different sources.

great list Brandon...thanks again I keep checking them out one better the the next.
md