Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: What about crabapple shrubs?, 0 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
Raising my hand...

Growing crabapples on their own roots and as multi-stemmed plants (shrubs, if you will) is not a bad plan. This is how they want to behave anyway, so you won't be interested in hacking away at sprouts from understock or otherwise if you have this as your intent from the beginning.

All the crabapples I'm growing here at the Valley are Father Fiala selections (see PlantFiles for more details) on their own roots and low-branched, if not multi-stemmed. They are happy as pigs in slop, and get better looking every year. Only setback here was climatological, with the 2007 Easter freeze, and insecticidal - the cicada crop of 2008. All has been calm and growthful since then. There should be serious fruit display this fall and winter, barring a dastardly drought.

I say - go for it!

Here's the Valley collection on the day before the other Day that will live in Infamy (the 2007 Easter freeze)...