Crab Apple query

[bennettsleg]

Currently looking into getting a crab apple tree and have been looking online for them; Thompson & Morgan supply them on M9 rootstock as "feathered maidens"... what does this mean? ??? Mind you, might get the OH down the plot more often! ;D

Also, anything I should be looking for in the item description or that I should grill the nursery on as my gardening books aren't helping me much on this aspect.

thanks  :)

[bennettsleg]

[Palustris]

Try again!!!!!
A feathered maiden is a one year old tree with feathery side branches ready for training in the style you want.
M9 is a dwarf rootstock with brittle roots. Trees need permanent staking, not good for a windy site.
There are better suppliers than Thompson et al.
Personally I would never buy a tree unseen. There is usually a good selection on offer at most decent Garden Centres.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd agree it's always better to see the tree, but the selection is pretty limited at garden centres. Unless you want one of the bog standard popular varieties, which aren't always the best, then mail order may be the only option.

[Palustris]

At the Garden Centre near to us they had 10 plus different Crab apples, all at less than £20 for a well grown tree.
At the Dingle Nursery they had so many we had to go and read the book on Flowering Crabs to make a choice.
Common varieties are often common because they are the easiest and most successful ones!

[Robert_Brenchley]

They are, but some fruit are popular because they're the varieties you buy in the supermarket. Cox's and Golden Delicious are both pretty unreliable in most areas, but I've seen them on sale often enough.

There are hundreds of good varieties out there, so it seems more and more pointless to limit yourself to the favoured few.