[northfifeduckling]

I have 2 small apple trees, just budded in July - - should I still plant them in the ground now or rather put them in larger pots?

[Plantoid]

Now  is the normal time to think of planting out such trees as the sap has gone down into the root and the plant is in dormant state  providing the soil is not water retaining and not frozen.

I cant remember the name of it but there is a benificial fungus spore that is being used to encourage  new vigorous root growth when the tree wakes up ..you sprinkle a dessert spoonful of so on the actual root just before you cover it up .

[little blue]

but there is a benificial fungus spore that is being used to encourage  new vigorous root growth when the tree wakes up ..you sprinkle a dessert spoonful of so on the actual root just before you cover it up .

Mycorrhiza

Either buy it in a bag from the garden centre ... or use leaf mulch!

[Plantoid]

Just a quickie this time..
 It crossed my mind earlier this evening that the little fruit trees you speaking of might be sicon cutttings and have had an initial flower late in the year after planting or the year after planting.

 I have done this with Bramley's and Russets  after using a rooting hormone compound to help the cuttings strike . move them too early and they don't survive as the root has not developed enough

 If this is the case ..leave the things where they are till they are three years old and if they have survived they will have developed a survivable transplanting root system ..
If they are sicons they will  grow their own natural root stock which could be some what a leggy or stunted tree .. That's why most fruit trees are grafted on to a standardised type of root stock called the Malling root stock system so you have a fair indication of height and spread of the tree.

[northfifeduckling]

have planted them now, fingers crossed , as the soil is very wet at the moment. The budding course tutor did not mention the word "Sicon", so hope they will be fine. I think he said Mailing root stock, on the label it says M 6.

[little blue]

Scion
 - typo?
Its the growing bit, that gets grafted onto the rootstock.

And yes, M6 will be Malling

[johnlikesapples]

Most likely its M26 - which is commonly used semi dwarfing  rootstock - M6 isn't common

[northfifeduckling]

they don't look very good just now...I had to fence them in to keep the ducks away as it was the wettest autumn I remember, now they were blown over in their puddles in the soggiest lawn I've ever had....I don't have much hope for them coming back in spring...