What is the difference between a cordon and a 1-year tree?

A cordon is a tree which has been trained to grow in a very small space, and is usually planted leaning at an angle of 45 degrees - normally you would plant 3-4 or more together in a row to achieve an ornamental effect. Our Scrumptious cordon is a 2-year old tree which has been pre-trained in the nursery to be suitable for this style of growing. However, there is nothing to stop you planting it in the normal way (i.e. vertically) and it will eventually become a conventional dwarf fruit tree.

The 1-year tree (also on the M9 rootstock) is basically just a stem with no side-branches, and could be trained in to any desired format - it is a 'blank canvas' at this stage. If you plant it and then cut back the stem (see here ) it will quickly send out side branches and start growing into a conventional tree. It will need a permanent tree-stake to support it, as trees on M9 cannot support themselves. However in other respects trees on M9 are excellent in gardens because they don't get too large and they never 'take over' a space in the way that a fruit tree on a more vigorous rootstock would.