Dwarf vs. Genetic Dwarf Varieties

Last time I posted some lists that had dwarf and genetic dwarf varieties listed.   As we get into more of the edible landscape elements, some of these will become more and more important.

The terms really confused me when I first ran into them.  And I wondered what the differences were, and did they really matter? If I needed a genetic dwarf cherry, could I get away with planting a regular ol’ cherry?  {Um, the answer to that would be  no!}

So what are the differences?

Well obviously as the names imply they are shorter than a regular version of the same tree.   The differences lay however in their rootstocks.  A dwarf tree is a tree that is grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock which restricts the trees growth while a genetic dwarf was simply born to be short and doesn’t need to be grafted onto a rootstock to make it that way.

Dwarf and genetic dwarf trees can come in a range of sizes from some small enough to live in pots, clear up to semi-dwarfs that can end up being about 2/3 the size of a regular sized tree.  So getting one that is the right size for what you need will be important.  Even though dwarf trees are smaller, they still will give you regular sized fruits just not as many as on a full sized tree.

Now if you want to get really technical, you can learn about the different types of dwarf rootstocks which for me, just started making my head spin.   So if you are curious, just let me know and I will try to wrap my head around these a little more and post about them.  For now, I will just trust that the nurseries will know what I’m talking about and be able to help me find the right one.  I hope to have a nice little list of places that sell dwarf and genetic dwarfs for you soon!