Precocity
(years to bear first crops)

Many of us are not in a hurry to taste those first crops of fruit or nuts, maybe because we already have bearing trees or because we have many other trees that have been planted in succession that, each year, surprise us with a new crop of fruits. But also, many of us are in a hurry, the information on this page can help you bring your trees to bear a decade earlier in some parts of the country:

Factors that delay bearing of first crops:

ROOT COMPETITION: with nearby tree. When a fruit tree's root zone (usually directly under the outermost edge of leaves, or drip line) overlaps the root zone of another tree, even on one side, especially one that is larger, fruiting is delayed significantly.

LIMITED SUNLIGHT: Fruit set is determined in June of the previous year, leaves near the fruiting spurs have to have plenty of light at that time so that a bloom will set the next spring. If your tree is in a shaded area, (6 hours is minimum, but 12 or more is ideal, and necessary for fruits that ripen later in the season such as Ashmead's Kernel and Golden Russet apples), it may take significantly more time to bear its first crops.

EXCESSIVE GROWTH: Too much Nitrogen or pruning can stimulate vigorous and vertical growth, two conditions that do not favor fruiting. Minor pruning should not cause significant delays to bearing.

Factors that hasten bearing:

EARLY BEARING VARIETIES:
Even on standard rootstocks some fruits bear young such as:

Judging from repeated experience on different rootstocks, these apple varieties bear extremly young on standard roots, even in crowded conditions, these have born in less that 4 years, sometimes in their second growing season:
Rosybloom, September Ruby, Heyer 12 and 20, Zestar, Norland, Westland, Norlove, Yellow Ingestrie

Based on a few experiences, these seem also to bear extremely young: Dauphin, Centennial, Carlos Queen, Foxwhelp

The following usually bear very late unless on rootstocks that induce early bearing: State Fair, Cinnamon Spice, Wolf River

TOTAL SUMMER HEAT: S WI has plenty of summer heat to bring trees to bearing their first crops. However, N WI has about 1/3 the summer heat as S WI and can delay bearing.

IRRIGATION: in early years, especially year one, especially the first month and until the beginning of July.
Don't forget to form a basin around the tree to catch water if in a droughty site.

WEEDING: in early years and in later years for dwarf stock.

MANURE in poor or moderate soil in the fall after leaves drop. Apply a two to four inch layer in a circle six inches to 1 foot wide under the drip line. apply fresh manure in the fall, or aged manure in the spring. This is recommended only to help establish the tree in its first couple years, afterwards, too much manure could delay fruiting and also decrease flavor in fruit and yield.

OTHER ORGANIC MATTER: If you have soil that is very low in organic matter, such as nearly pure sand, a thick layer of sawdust helps greatly. Compost, leaves, wood chips, also can mean the difference in years of wait to bearing age. (Don't apply more than a 3" layer of woodchips as this can prevent water from being absorbed).

ROOTSTOCK: In Southern WI, rootstocks that hasten bearing usually means a dwarfing rootstock but can also mean Bud 118 which bears extremely young (but produces a very large tree in S WI unless cropped heavily when young, stunting growth).
In N WI dwarfing rootstocks may hasten bearing as long as all, or nearly all of the above conditions are ideal or close to ideal.

However, I have some Honeycrisps and Sweet 16's on dwarfing rootstock- P 22, (an extremely early bearing rootstock normally), that have yet to bear in N WI after 12 years, but they also have root competition and low sunlight.

At another site several miles away, in N WI, various apples on dwarfing stock normally take 14 years to bear, but again, these were not in ideal conditions: low sunlight, six hours per day or so. These trees were mulched, watered, and weeded very well though but I believe the combination of low sunlight and low summer heat in N WI are to blame for the extra nine years wait to bear crops. At a nearby site, apples normally bear in 5 years on an open sunny site.

In conditions that are less than ideal (weeds, low sunlight, poor soil, root competition), standards are almost always the better choice in the far north. They can be kept to a reasonable height by pruning.
If you have extremely sandy soil, a vigorous drought tolerant stock may be your best bet, such as ranetka standard rootstock or Bud 118. Bud 118 hastens bearing to such a degree that even varieties grafted to it, that are normally late to bear in the south, should bear within 5 years in the north. Antonovka standard rootstock does not hasten bearing in dry soil but it does better in heavier soil conditions. In very heavy soil, a dwarf rootstock (such as Bud 9) might be the best choice planted on a mound above the soil level. (Be sure to plant your trees where they can take advantage of full sun though or no matter the rootstock, you will be in for a long wait to first crops.)
The most versatile rootsock is a vigorous root with a dwarfing interstem, such a tree can compete in poor soil, bear earlier, be free standing, and small in size.Such interstems as Bud9/antonovka, or Bud9/111, or Bud9/Bud118 are all choices that offer these qualities.