I think your best bet would be a low vigor variety of apple on a drought tolerant rootstock like M-111. It's not very dwarfing but with a low vigor scion and no summer rain you could keep it pretty small with summer pruning. The first cultivar that comes to mind is Goldrush. I've no idea how it would set without cross pollination. But in your area there are certainly other apple trees that the bees would find.

Another good choice would be the G.16, which makes a much smaller tree than the M-111 yet enjoys the same drought-tolerant reputation. I really like it. MC, you may wish to consider picking out that very special scion, and planting a dwarf crab in the nearest flowerbed to assure proper pollination. Misterbaby.

Thanks to both of you ... I guess the next question is what mail order sources would be able to offer me a nice choice of cultivars on one of these rootstocks?

fruitnut, how near by do other apple trees need to be in order to ensure adequate pollination? If it's 50 feet, I may be out of luck, but if it's more like 500 then chances are good.

The 111's are widely available; G.16 is available through Cummins Nursery with a good choice of scions. You can pick up a dwarf Whitney--which is a fine choice in itself--at Burnt Ridge Nursery. Misterbaby.

I'd go with the MM111, G16 is a great stock but its not going to spread nearly as far and you want a bigger system. I would summer prune your tree twice per summer to keep the size in line. If its growing too fast, just start taking off more when you prune, or do another pruning round.

This is based on not knowing exactly how dry it gets there. Several people here are in your area, and they may have better local advice.

Scott

Scott:

At times that climate gets no rain for 8 months right thru the summer. I don't think it will be hard at all to keep the tree small. In fact without a really good soil the tree may not make it.

I agree that 111 is a better choice than G16. In my climate watering every week or two all summer, Fuji on G16 stopped at 8ft with no pruning, about like M26.

Guys, MC wants "a small, low-branching tree.....pruned to 6' tall." As I look out my window at an orchard of 111's, I can't visualize one being kept at 6'. The 111 is considered a semi-standard rootstock (80% of standard), while the G.16 is considered a dwarf (35% of standard). Am I missing something? Misterbaby.

Misterbaby:

Are you factoring in the dry conditions? I'd guess you get about 24-30 inches, May thru October. That's six months at 4-5 inches per month. In the SF Bay area you're talking an average of 2.3 inches total during those six months. And he doesn't want to irrigate.

Unless you have very good soil, that's not even possible. He must have good soil because his citrus is making it without irrigation.

mc510:

Is there some particular reason for not watering an apple tree, other than not wanting to? If not, I suggest that you might want to water occasionally if you have much regard for a newly planted little apple tree. I don't water my trees much here either, but, in extremis, I do.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Jellyman, I will definitely water the tree in summer during its first few years, but my hope is that, like my citrus trees, after 2 or 3 years it will be able to make it through the summer without irrigation. Mainly that's just for my convenience.

I must admit that I'm somewhat intimidated by the thought of keeping M111 pruned to 6'. (I generally get the idea of summer pruning but haven't done it before). Right across the street from me is a totally neglected and certainly unirrigated 15+ foot tall apple tree.

Anyhoo, if y'all don't mind, here's some historic temp and precip for my neighborhood. Fruitnut, the soil here tends toward clay, but it drain reasonably well ... so probably a little more fertile and water-retentitive than some.

mc:

Clay is very good soil for what you are proposing provided it drains well. Sounds like you are set up there. Your total annual rainfall is adequate. You need enough to rewet that soil 8-10 ft deep each winter. I'd mulch heavily and control the weeds.

The reports I've heard out of CA are that apples on 111 don't get that big. So I'm confident that the 15 ft tree across the road could be held to 8 ft by summer pruning. You could try a more dwarfing rootstock but you run the risk of a small tree with inadequate foliage.

The good news is that the best fruit in CA is supposed to come from unirrigated orchards in coastal valleys. I think apples on 111 in your location have a chance to be really good.

I think that SF is capable of supporting very vigorous growth for apple trees with it's early spring- especially in a clay soil. I see no reason to run with 111 which is my favorite rootstock here in southeastern NY. But that's not for growing fruit as much as for growing trees- especially trees that need to get above the deer quickly.

111 is about the least efficient rootstock for producing fruit and if you can use something like M26 you will get more fruit for less work. If you mulch it I doubt it will require much water.

I love 111 because I make half my living pruning fruit trees for other people and with this root stock, money grows on trees for me.

If you do opt for 111, Goldrush would be a great variety to help dwarf it and GR's pretty productive on that combination.

I have limited experience with the Cornell rootstocks besides G 30. I lost a 6 year old Cox on that root stock on a windy site last week due to incompatibility (clean break at graft). I've got other Cox on same rootstock next to the one that broke and I wonder how long they'll last.

H-man, Cummins Nursery recommends staking the G.16 and G.30. Misterbaby.

The tree was staked and the incompatibility created a clean break with no strings. There's a problem with this rootstock for some cultivars I believe.

mc510:

There is one person on this forum who could give you first hand experience, that's Axel. He has extensive plantings just inland from Santa Cruz. I believe he has ~500 apple cultivars many on 111. He is very knowledgeable about apple cultivars for your climate.

If you can get to his page on this site and send him an email you will be well served. Also he hosts his own website called The Cloudforest Cafe. Most of the posters there are from CA. I'm sure you could learn more by posting there. You don't even have to register to post and there are no advertisments of any kind.

Yup, best advice is local.