Malus 'Cortland' CORTLAND SEMI-DWARF APPLE

(Zone 4)  Dark red apple.  White, crisp, juicy flesh with sweet flavor.  Ripens late September.  Excellent for eating and cooking.  Best with any mid-season pollinator such as McIntosh, Red Jonathan, or Yellow Delicious.
 
Pollination and Dwarfing of Apple Trees

Apples are generally not self-fertile; except for Yellow Delicious. At least two varieties are needed. Cross-pollination is possible when the trees bloom at approximately the same time. The apple trees should be planted no farther than 100 ft. apart. Bees carry the pollen, not wind.
 
A semi-dwarfing rootstock reduces the size of the standard apple tree by approximately 60%. The general size of semi-dwarf apple trees are 12-15 ft. tall and 14 ft. wide. The rootstock also causes the apple trees to produce fruit earlier - 4-5 yr. after planting. The rootstock only dwarfs the sze of the tree, not the size of the fruit. If the bud union is planted below ground, the dwarfing characteristis can be lost.