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Due 6 months ago:
In Xela's garden calendar:
'Prune'
Remove damaged or crossing branches during the dormant season
Due 4 months ago:
In Xela's garden calendar:
'Feed/fertilize'
Keep the base of the tree weed free, fertilise at the beginning of each year and water regularly during hot, dry spells.
Due 11 days ago:
In Xela's garden calendar:
'Prune'
Once apple trees are established it's best to summer prune the spur-fruiting varieties. This will encourage the development of short flowering shoots or 'spurs' that go on to bear clusters of fruit. Summer pruning is ideal for keeping the trees in shape and involves pruning the soft, current season's growth before it has chance to become woody.
*
Do it: late-June - mid-August
*
Takes just: 50 minutes for medium-sized tree
How to do it
1.Cutting back main shoot by half
Cut back the leading shoots of each branch by half their length to encourage the production of side shoots. Only prune the current season's growth in this way, cutting to just above a leaf.
2.Cutting back side growth
Cut back all remaining side shoots to two or three leaves from the base of the current season's leafy growth, cutting just above the bud.
Adam's Tips
"The soft stems and leaves that are cut off apple trees during summer pruning are perfect to add to the compost heap where they'll rot down quickly."
"Always prune to an outward-facing bud so that the centre of the bush or tree is kept open. This helps reduce problems with pests and diseases."
Due in 5 months:
In Xela's garden calendar:
'Prune'
Remove damaged or crossing branches during the dormant season
Due in 7 months:
In Xela's garden calendar:
'Feed/fertilize'
Keep the base of the tree weed free, fertilise at the beginning of each year and water regularly during hot, dry spells.
25 Apr, 2008
Not many, Janette, but my son, daughter and I have different preferences when it comes to apples and it does match these quite well. I like a cox type of apple and I believe it produced more of these last autumn than either of the others.
On photo - Buds breaking on the Family Appl...
6 Jun, 2008
Wow hes wings look Mega Fast :)Great Catch Xela :)
On photo - Bee on Bramley [?] Apple Blossom...
7 Jul, 2008
Ohh, now I am really homesick! You know, we had 2400 apple trees and had to make bread from the harvest. ( Clever don't you think, wink wink ).
On photo - Family Apple Tree in Full Blosso...
Open sunny area
one triple variety
one egremont russet
Thin fruit as require after fruit drop
greaseband to prevent pests
Fruit Border
Espalier
Jonathan apple planted 2005. Other trees planted at same time died after very hard winter. This one surviving and looks hopeful.
Wedding present from husband's aunt and uncle Dec 07. Arrived Feb and put in SW fruit bed in late Feb 08. flowering profusely by early April.
Planted Vistabile elliptical bed
Bought Woolworths (Cuthberts) £9.99
Three varieties grafted onto semi-dwarfing rootstock:
Cox :
upright, spreading tree is covered in pure white, cup-shaped flowers in mid and late-spring, followed by first class, juicy dessert apples for harvesting in early to mid-October.
A moderately vigorous variety producing arguably the best British eating apple.
* Soil Type: Normal
* Blossom: April - May
* Colour: pure white
* Fragrant: No
* Shape: cup-shaped
* Harvest: Oct
* Height: 3m [10']
* Spread: 2m [6'] in 5 years
* Ease of maintenance: Easy
* Leaf Colour: Blue
* Poisonous: toxic if eaten skin eye irritant
* Evergreen: Yes(?)
Discovery:
upright, spreading tree is covered in pure white, cup-shaped flowers in mid and late-spring, followed by crisp, juicy, red dessert apples. Unlike other early fruiting varieties the fruits keep well for several weeks after they're harvested in mid August. To guarantee cross pollination plant in a sunny, open site with another tree from the same flowering group (e.g. 'Worcester Pearmain').
& ............?
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Joined 7 Feb, 2008
Northants
Janette
24 Apr, 2008
Do you get lots of apples from it ?
On photo - Buds breaking on the Family Appl...