Cherry Rootstocks

Rootstock

Size

Main Traits

Mazzard

Standard

Wide range of soils, providing good drainage; winter hardy; not precocious; highly productive; tolerant to Armillaria root rot; more tolerant to Phytophthora spp. than Mahaleb; susceptible to bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), and crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), highly tolerant to root-knot nematodes; provides good anchorage.

Mahaleb

Standard

Adaptable to range of soils but does not like very heavy soils prone to water logging; it is drought tolerant; winter hardy; it is more precocious than Mazzard placing it in a “moderately precocious”; highly productive; highly tolerant to root lesion nematodes, moderately susceptible to bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), susceptible to crown and root rot (Phytophthora spp.), Armillaria root rot , X-disease, Little Cherry Virus; provides good anchorage.

Colt

Semi-dwarf

It shows good adaptability to wide range of soils providing good drainage; it is not precocious; moderately productive; it is not winter hardy; it is susceptible to crown gall, and highly tolerant to bacterial canker (Phytophthora spp.); provides good anchorage.

Gisela 5

Semi-dwarf

Adaptable to various soils; it is precocious; moderately productive; it is susceptible to crown, and root rot (Phytophthora spp.), X-Disease (Cherry little), European Stone fruit Yellows (Phytoplasma), crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), moderately resistant to bacterial cancer (Pseudomonas syringae), tolerant to viruses: prunus dwarf virus (PDV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), highly tolerant to root-knot nematodes; fair to good anchorage.

Gisela 6

Semi-dwarf

Tolerates wide range of soils and tolerates heavier soils; it is precocious; it is highly productive; it is susceptible to crown and root rot (Phytophthora spp.),shows good tolerance to crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), it is highly susceptible to bacterial cancer (Pseudomonas syringae), tolerant to viruses: prunus dwarf virus (PDV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), highly tolerant to root-knot nematodes; it has fair anchorage.

Gisela 12

Semi-dwarf

Tolerant to wide range of soils; it is precocious; produces trees 50-60% the size on standard rootstock, highly productive; very winter hardy (-200 F); shows good disease resistance to crown gall and root rot (Phytophthora spp.), and common viruses: prunus dwarf virus  (PDV) and prunus necrotic ring virus (PNRSV);  it has fair anchorage.

Krymsk 5

Semi-dwarf

Adapted well to various soil conditions, highly tolerant to heavy, wet soils; tolerates dry soil conditions better than Gisela rootstocks; it is precocious; winter hardy; moderately productive; it is highly tolerant to root rot and crown rot (Phytophthora spp.), bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), and powdery mildew ( Podosphaera spp.), it is sensitive to viruses : plum pox, prunus dwarf virus (PDV), and prunus necrotic ring virus (PNRSV); it has good anchorage.

Krymsk 6

Semi-dwarf

Well adopted to variety f soils provided there is a good drainage; it is winter hardy; highly productive; it is highly susceptible to root rot and crown rot (Phytophthora spp.), bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), moderately resistant to bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), and crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), is sensitive to viruses: prunus dwarf virus (PDV), and prunus necrotic ring virus (PNRSV); it has good anchorage.