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Sparklepeeps
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 1896
Location: Cheshire
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 Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject: How to prune apple trees? (...for beginners) |
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We moved into our new house last autumn, we have 2 apple trees, 1 pear, 2 plum and a cherry tree (which is a baby tree). Ive been reading a bit about maintenance of apple trees and discovered that I have to prune them by the end of this month! 
I am a little bit confused between the difference in growth spurs and fruiting spurs. I am afraid I will cut at the wrong point.
I have to do something, because the end of the crop that we inherited last year was at the very top of the tree and well out of reach, Id hate to miss out again, and they have not been pruned for about 5 years my neighbours inform me.
Can anyone explain the difference and generally explain from scratch how to do a good job of this (this ex-city girl doesn't have much of a clue!)
Thank you. |
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10098
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| when we came here all our fruit trees where old ,huge and manky...........i ask the local gardener what to do...............this was his answer..........cut all height by one third ...........cut all spread by one thitd..........remove the thinner of any branch rubbing another...........ending up with a wine glass shape appox ten foot high..........small crop next year but after that heavy crops fairly easy to reach...........you can repeat the treatment after three growing seasons....ie in the fourth year...........worked for all the trees all now fit and make lots of new growth which is easy to prune back by half each year...............but maybe someone knows better |
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Sparklepeeps
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 1896
Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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no, that sound good to me, thanks.
I'm off to B&Q to invest in some serious pruning equipment tomorrow!
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10098
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:27 am Post subject: |
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| and some decent gloves and goggles too |
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Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Shetland
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Sparklepeeps
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 1896
Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for that Attila. Well with all my new knowledge, and armed with my secetares I got stuck in. I even took before and after photos, but having just looked at them the trees look very sorry for themselves  ! Ive still got about three huge tall branches to prune, but will have to smile sweetly to my neighbour to see if he will lend me his ladders and saw and come and help me.
Thanks for your help |
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Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Shetland
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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Any time, Sparklepeeps, am glad to help.
Sad to relate since moving north I've forgotten all I learnt from them (they do great one day fruit tree pruning courses at RHS Wisley every year) as we no longer have an orchard now we live up here.
But I've just planted two apple maidens in the glasshouse I built last year, so give me 10 years and it'll be a different story!
atb
Attila |
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10098
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| is it because of the wind or the cold you planted them inside?? as i saw a picture somwhere along time ago of apples in Norway growing outside |
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Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Shetland
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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A bit of both, mojo. The wind here is punishing, and massively inhibits growth of any trees or shrubs; plus the average temperature is so low it inhibits flowering and successful fruiting; then there's the high annual rainfall, that's wetter than apples really like to have their feet year-round; and of course there's the airborne salt - nowhere in Shetland is more than 3 miles from the sea, so a lot of spray gets picked up and chucked inland, and is hugely caustic for broadleaves! The official term for Shetland's climate is hyperoceanic - which just about sums it up!
Attila |
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Sparklepeeps
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 1896
Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Ive been to Shetland (briefly) and Fair Isle for a week many years ago, it was beautiful and very tree less!. They did have one tree on Fair Isle down in a big crevice in the landscape. They taught me 1 good thing about having a tree if you can manage to grow one up there, that lost and stranded birds blown off their migrating course rest in the tree, so you would see bits and bobs of unusual wild life if you had a sheltered place for one. |
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10098
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| thanks attila you are quite a long way north of us so didnt really understand climate..........just athought.........you will know of park cages for trees about 6ft high.........how about planting in one of those with a double fleece or poly coat/wrap to cut the salt ,break the wind and raise the temp?? just a thought....might work |
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Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Shetland
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Sparklepeeps wrote: | | Ive been to Shetland (briefly) and Fair Isle for a week many years ago, it was beautiful and very tree less!. They did have one tree on Fair Isle down in a big crevice in the landscape. They taught me 1 good thing about having a tree if you can manage to grow one up there, that lost and stranded birds blown off their migrating course rest in the tree, so you would see bits and bobs of unusual wild life if you had a sheltered place for one. |
Ah, so you'd have been staying at the Obs? Fair Isle's a wonderful place, and the Obs is a terrific base to explore it from. I first stayed there in '92 for a week in September, and then went back annually to Fair Isle for the next 4 years, before spreading my wings into the rest of Shetland in subsequent years.
Fair Isle's 'plantation' is excellent for attracting migrant birds - the same goes anywhere on Shetland - any shelter is a magnet for exhausted and lost vagrants. The other good thing to have is a large midden or dungheap!
Attila |
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Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Shetland
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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| mojo wrote: | | thanks attila you are quite a long way north of us so didnt really understand climate..........just athought.........you will know of park cages for trees about 6ft high.........how about planting in one of those with a double fleece or poly coat/wrap to cut the salt ,break the wind and raise the temp?? just a thought....might work |
It's a good idea, but needs to be Shetland-adapted - anything presenting a high profile to the wind needs to be seriously braced, or it gets blown over. To be honest, in all but the most naturally of sheltered places here trees aren't worth the effort. We all try, but they never really amount to much! Then there's the soil they're planted in, which gets extremely cold and waterlogged in the winter, is generally quite acid, and in most parts of Shetland of rather poor quality.
I don't know of anyone who grows fruit trees outside in Shetland, but plenty (as Jaydee has pointed out before) who grow them in clear-roofed byres, polytunnels, greenhouses and conservatories. I guess the epic struggle outside is best avoided altogether.
Some fruit bushes do okay as long as they're well-sheltered by stone walls or wooden railing fences - gooseberries, rasps and currants.
Rhubarb does very well too. Plenty of tales told about various varieties washed up on the shore from boats or the tidal currents in times past!
Attila |
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