What's Dwarfed in Ed's Head

Dwarf

email Ed Laivo

Webster’s defines the word dwarf as:

1.) Any human being, animal or plant that is much smaller than the usual one of its species.
2.) Folklore; a little being in human form usually ugly or malformed, to whom magic powers are attributed.
3.) A star of relatively small size or mass and low luminosity i.e. White dwarf.

Now I look at the definition to figure out how, with fruit trees, this term came to mean:

4.) Will fit in any size yard.
5.) Will grow to just the right size and stop.
6.) Less work than a standard of the same species.

It’s the old adage “subject to interpretation” at work again.
I guess I should be a little more understanding; after all, we are talking semi-dwarf, not dwarf.

So, should the definition read:
1.) Any human being, animal or plant that is somewhat smaller than the Average Size of its species?

What does somewhat smaller mean? What does much smaller mean?
For that matter, what does dwarf mean when we are talking about fruit trees?

I want to take myself out of the place of a professional horticulturist for a moment.
I will put myself in the place of the average customer interpreting this word semi-dwarf.

First off, I don’t have a clue what the full size of an apple, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot or plum tree is. I assume BIG! I do know, however, about little people, pigmy ponies and Snow White. As an intelligent non-horticulturist, I realize that the semi-dwarf fruit tree could not be that small; after all, it is a semi-dwarf, not a dwarf!

So,
as a customer, my ability to determine what the overall size of the tree will be is more equated with Webster’s 2nd definition, where “dwarf” is often left up to the imagination.

Now, I admit that there are true dwarf fruit trees, but not as many as people would think. The apples have a size that fits the expectations for a semi-dwarf, and fit into the average backyard. These are Apples on M27 rootstock and a few other apple rootstocks. They will keep an apple tree 8 feet tall, they will only grow where they have the best drainage, some must be staked, they must never go dry, and they are ugly. Does that fit the idea of a semi-dwarf?

Also, dwarf peaches and nectarines (genetic dwarfs), are on standard rootstock. They produce far too much fruit and need tremendous thinning. All you give up is the wonderful flavor of the choice regular varieties. They are OK, but not wonderful.

What about the semi-dwarf that says clearly on the label that it only grows 12 to 18 feet tall? Does the average customer have a clue what 12 to 18 vertical feet is? I don’t think so. If they did, then they would question how 12 to 18 feet could possibly be considered manageable in an average backyard. A single story house is 12 to 15 feet tall. Does the average person want a tree as big as a house in their yard? I don’t think so. Maybe an honest tree label would read: CAUTION, Semi-dwarf: May get as big as a house! Please prune to avoid this problem.

I guess that would make the Standard sized tree label read: CAUTION, standard: Will get as big as an apartment complex. Please purchase separate property for planting -- but I digress.………

The point is, when did it become common knowledge that semi-dwarf rootstock eliminated pruning? And if you have to prune for the sake of fruit production and size control, what difference does it make that the tree is on a standard or semi-dwarf rootstock?

The fact is, it’s you who will determine to what size the tree will grow.
You have total control of the size of your tree.

Unless, that is, you let the thing go and the rootstock truly does determine the size.

SEMI-DWARF GETS BIG.
Don’t kid yourself; a semi- dwarf cherry is going to grow at least 18 to 25 feet on the best semi-dwarf rootstock.

Unless you prune!

On the best semi-dwarf rootstock,
the average peach and nectarine is going to get 15 to 20 feet of growth unless you prune.
And the average plum will grow 15 to 18 feet unless you prune!
The same is true for apricots, Asian pears and domestic pears.
BIG Big big unless you prune!

Choose a rootstock for a fruit tree based on its ability to adapt to the soil conditions that you are faced with: i.e. heavy clay, sandy, cowiche, etc. This will help the tree to live.

Select a rootstock based on its resistance to known disease problems: i.e. oak root fungus, bacterial canker, brown rot, etc. This will help keep the tree alive.

Are these important things to consider?
If you agree, then why is it that semi-dwarf is still the main issue when the average person purchases a fruit tree?

Are these problems not an issue in most areas?

Yeah, right...I don’t think so.

Let’s face it: the public has been wooed by the same marketing practices for years.

The variety of dwarfing rootstocks available has been the same for the last 20 years, though home-lot sizes have gotten smaller.

So: if a semi-dwarf fruit tree was too big then, it’s it’s even more of a problem today when you consider the ratio of yard sizes to a Dwarf over time.