NEW-AGE APPLES

Fruit trees are changing. Most are becoming smaller in stature and more compact overall. This downsizing is in line with a move to apartment living and smaller gardens.

Today there’s a dwarf form of just about every popular fruit tree including the apple. Some are grafted on dwarfing rootstock while others are naturally compact or narrow (such as the Ballerina apple series). Despite being smaller in stature, fruit is usually normal-sized.

While small-growing varieties are likely to suffer the same pest and disease problems as their larger relatives and may also require cross-pollination for fruiting, smaller trees are easier to manage than large, particularly