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100+cm : Maiden, 100-180cm tall. 1-2 years old. Around 3.5m at maturity.
150-200cm: Straight lead and 2-3 years old. Around 3.5m at maturity.
Things You Should Know About Our John Downie Crab Apple Tree
- Very Ornamental and popular crab apple tree
- Impressive display of white flowers
- Pear shaped fruits great for making crab apple jelly
- Good pollination partner
- Self fertile
- Small tree
- Fast growing
- RHS Award Of Garden Merit
- Grows to around 4m at 10 years
- Slightly upright shape
- May not have as much disease resistance as other crab apples
- Group 4 flowering period
- Fully UK hardy
- Clay Tolerant
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Tree?
Usually no, especially if under 200cm tall. Our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Usually air and light is reduced and if it is a corner with a wooden fence and the house then leeching from both could compound issues. Try to avoid.
1 Year Maiden Bare Root Trees
If you plant a 1 Year maiden tree and do not prune it at all, it will grow a little more upright and have more clear stem.
All Variants Of Standard Tree
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Bare Root Tree Forms Explained
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Crab Apple Trees Listed As Patio
Any Crab apple tree listed as suitable for patio growing means that it has most likely been grafted onto an M27 rootstock giving it an ultimate height of around 1.5 metres. The standard 12 Litre options are usually grafted onto MM106 rootstock and ultimate heights are determined be each species. Contact us first if rootstocks are important to you.
Crab Apple Disease Resistance
Crab apple trees are generally resistant to disease but those that seem to be considerably less prone to problems are Admiration, Pink Glow, Wedding Bouquet, ButterBall, Cardinal, Comtesa De Paris, Elk River, Coralburst, Donald Wyman, Golden Gem, Gorgeous, Indian Magic, Jelly King, Louisa, Prairie Fire, Rudolf, Sun Rival, Tina, Scarlett, Transitoria, Guardsman and White Star.
Crab Apple Pollinators
Crab apples have long flowering periods which makes them very useful as pollination partners. Many commercial orchards inter-plant crab apples with normal apple trees to increase fruit yield.
Crab Apple Drought Resistance
Generally speaking, Crab Apples tolerate drought reasonably well.
Sun Or Shade For Crab Apples
For best results from the flowers and fruits, a full sun position is preferred however light shade is acceptable. Excessive shade will lead to less flowers and fruits, a more open canopy and problems with Powdery Mildew. Shade and poor drainage is a good combination for bacterial and fungal issues.
Crab Apple Suckering
If your Crab Apple has been grafted (many are) then you may experience small green shoots growing out the side of the tree below the graft point (around 10-30cm above ground) Remove these by rubbing your hand across the bark or snapping off. These will not grow as the original tree you purchased.
