B118 should be fine as well as long as you continue to use good cultural practices.

I think you guys have convinced me towards standard-sized rootstock. May have to wait a little longer for fruit, but it's better than dead or leaning trees in the front yard. There's a nursery just a few hours north of me that sells fruit trees exclusively on antonovka, Saint Lawrence Nursery. They have both my selected scions... and then some.

I definitely want to try my hand at grafting, but not on my very first apple trees. Fedco has a grafting kit for around $30 shipped, and I have some apple seedlings that I was planning on learning with. Grafting onto antonovka or b118 is something I'll do when I'm a little more sure of myself.

What spacing do you think I should go with? Most standard rootstock spacing is about 35', but I don't think that takes into account our frigid climate. I was guessing at 15-20' between trees?

Sure..that's what I would do...you can always cut some down between down the road, seems there are always some which don't do as good and need to go.

20-25 ft is plenty if you control size well. Maybe try and inter stem. I have some antonovka with a bud 9 interstem. So far so good , but they are young

Thanks for all the advice so far. Just wanted to comment in that I heard back from Saint Lawrence Nursery (where I'm planning to get the trees from). He says a minimum of 25' between trees. And he's two hours north of me, so certainly no warmer than my 4b.

I'm going out today to measure the yard.

Emma