Small apple tree - columnar or Mini-Dwarf?

Eastern Nebraska - zone 5

I've decided to try and fit an apple tree in my small yard. Due to neighbor's trees shading my back yard, I only have a small area that gets full sun (front yard is even more shaded), so I decided to go as small as I can. Looking online I've come to the conclusion that either a columnar tree or a mini-dwarf would be the way to go.

Advantage of columnar:
Takes up slightly less space
more vigorous rootstock used
Disadantages:
Can't select common varieties
Disease resistance descriptions are vague

Advantage of Mini-dwarf:
Can choose disease resistant varieties (powdery mildew and rust are worst here)
Dusadvantages:
Dwarfing rootstock is more finicky

Plenty of crab apple trees around for pollen -that's also why I know what diseases are worst - so I can get by with a single tree.

For Mini-Dwarf I'd either get Pristine or Enterprise - although in some places they list Pristine as susceptible to rust, the PRI web site says slightly resistant. For columnar, I'd choose Scarlet Sentinel, description says 'disease resistant' but doesn't say to which ones.

Anyone else have any ideas or suggestions?

I'm not sure what's finicky about dwarf rootstock. I got an Enterprise last year because it was supposed to be resistant to disease, particularly rust.

Remember that you can control the size of a tree by pruning, too.

I would not get columnar - the varieties don't taste as good. Also for some people they don't obtain a good shape on them.

I would recommend a dwarf, not mini-dwarf, and prune more. Mini-dwarfs lack vigor and can more easily die on you. Prune each limb back by half in June and August and you can keep a dwarf tree very small. You may need to stake the tree. I have about 100 dwarfs and maybe 10 of them I needed to stake.

I don't think the disease resistance is the most important thing to worry about, the bugs are a much bigger problem on apples than are the diseases. I have had exactly one of my 150 apple varieties run into a serious problem because of a disease (besides fireblight, which is generally NOT one of the things they are considering resistance to when they say disease resistant). Bugs are probably going to be a big problem whatever variety you get. Be sure to read up on plum curculio (I think that one gets as far west as you), and codling moth. Aphids are a secondary problem. "know thy enemies" - !

Scott

This is an interesting website: http://www.midfex.org/yale/intro.html

The owner has almost 100 dwarf and mini-dwarf apple trees in a small suburban back yard.

100 dwarfs and mini-dwarfs! I can totally understand. Apple growing is addictive; hard to keep it to half a dozen or so!

I have two bearing trees and more apples than I can eat and make into sauce. This helps me resist the temptation.

Scottfsmith, what type of apples are your growing? I have also been thinking about planting either an apple tree or possibly some berries this year. I even considered a peach tree - my parents used to have one in New York.

pennefeather, I am growing (too) many kinds -- something like 150 apple varieties but I have lost count now. There are many great apples to grow, including many sorts which you will never see in a store, and that makes it more fun.

Scott

I would choose columnar apple trees in your case, because they are stronger, need almost no pruning and their lifespan is much longer in comparison to the mini-dwarfs. My favorite columnar apple varieties are kordona and starcats but there are many other good varieties. You can find som of them here: https://gardeningtheme.com/theme/how-to-choose-and-grow-columnar-fruit-trees