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| Choosing
the right apple |
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| Choosing which apple to grow depends
entirely on where it will be planted. Large gardens means you can
choose a variety that will grow very tall and have lots of produce.
Maintenance on large trees is quite big though and pruning will involve
the use of ladders. |
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| For pots and containers etc dwarf varieties are the best
option. They will still give you a harvest albeit not as large as a fully
grown tree, but you will be able to place more varieties next to each
other. Pots containing apple trees are extremely decorative too and will
brighten up a patio area. |
| Apple
Trees available
online. |
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| Rootstocks |
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| Once you have decided where your tree will go
you need to pick a rootstock that suits where you have chosen. Apple trees
rarely grow from seed they need to be grown from rootstock. Your local
nursery or stockist will be able to guide you with choosing a rootstock.
Below is a general rule: |
| M27 |
very dwarfing |
1.5m -
1.8m |
| M9 |
dwarfing |
1.8m -
2.7m |
| M7
& M26 |
semi dwarfing |
2.4m -
3.6m |
| M4
& MM106 |
semi vigorous |
4m -
4.5m |
| MM104
& M2 & MM111 & MM109 & M1 |
vigorous |
4.5m -
6m |
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| Pollination |
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| If you have decided to buy
just one tree ensure
it is a self fertile one like Queen
Cox. |
| When growing
more than one apple tree there is much more variety as these need to
be pollinated. Apple trees cross pollinate with other apple
trees that flower at the same time so if you are buying more than one
ensure they are compatible. For example grow 'Discovery' with 'Fiesta' as
they both flower at the same time (Pollination Group B). |
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| Planting
apple trees |
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| Planting is possible at
any time of year but is best done between late autumn
and early spring approx November to March. If you are putting your tree in
the garden you must prepare the soil. Whilst preparing your soil the roots
of your tree need to be wrapped in damp straw or cloth and not allowed to
dry out. The soil must not be waterlogged simply moist. Dig a trench that
is deep enough to keep the roots frost free and work in manure or compost
ensuring no large bits are left. Remove all perennial weeds as once the
tree is established they will be harder to remove. Drainage is key to
growing fruit trees as they do not like waterlogged soil. If your soil is
not free draining it may be necessary to add sharp sand. Plant your tree
to the same depth as the pot it came in. When planting in the garden it is
necessary to stake the plant and it is easier to do this before you put
the tree in. Push the stake into the soil so that the top is below the
branches of the tree. Tie it to the tree with a layer of foam in between
to stop friction. |
| When planting apple trees in pots care is
also needed with the soil. The container needs to have a hole at the base,
it needs to be approx 30cm in diameter, and it needs to be plastic to
prevent damage. Plant in winter using soil based compost. Hold the tree
upright and put the compost around the roots firming as you go. Ensure the
join of the rootstock and the top growth is above the level of compost in
the pot otherwise the top growth may root and grow vigorously. Add a
fertiliser such as potassium rich tomato liquid feed and water well. Apple
trees like sunny sheltered spots out of the wind. If they are placed in a
corner they will require turning and will need constant watering
especially during the growing season when they may need it twice a day.
During the winter months they will need watering less but do not allow
them to dry out completely. Add fertiliser weekly or add controlled
release tablets in the compost from mid spring to late summer. Pots will
need a new layer of compost annually and the trees will need to be
repotted every couple of years. Do not allow your trees to become pot
bound, take away any loose material and cut away any thick roots. |
|
Apple
Trees available online. |
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| Pruning
apple trees |
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| Apple trees fall into three separate
categories, spur bearers, tip bearers and partial tip bearers. To prune
your tree correctly to enhance harvest and maintain health it is crucial
you know which cultivar your tree is. The tree should have a code on the
label stating which cultivar it is, if not it is fairly easy to
distinguish between them. Spur bearers look compact and tidy and they
produce fruit buds on two year old wood. Tip bearers produce fruit buds on
the tips of the previous years' shoots. They have an untidy appearance as
their branches are bare. Partial tip bearers produce fruit buds on the
tips of the previous years' shoots and also have spurs. Growth buds are
much smaller than fruit buds and can easily be noticed as different. Tip
bearers must have their shoots cut back in spring to allow more fruit to
be produced. Large trees are pruned in winter, trained trees are pruned in
late summer. |
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| Training your
apple tree |
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| The cordon is a way of keeping apple trees
in a limited space. It will sit nicely along a path and take up minimal
room. Horizontal wires are needed to form the basic structure upon which
the tree will grow. Cordon trees must be maiden (one year old) in order to
be trained or 2-3 year olds that have already been trained. It
consists of a single stem at a 45 degree angle, this is held with a bamboo
can approx 2.4m length. The bottom wire should be 75cm above soil level,
and a spacing of 60cm in between the other wires reaching a height of
1.9m. The cordon should be placed in the ground with the rootstock and top
growth (scion) above ground level with the scion on top to avoid breakage.
After planting water well and tie it to the bamboo cane with string, this
must be checked regularly to prevent any friction damage. All sideshoots
longer than 10cm should be shortened to 3 buds in winter. Pruning takes
place annually in summer. Removal of leaves in summer maintains good
growth which is vital for these confined trees. Cut back all mature shoots
growing directly from the main stem to 3 leaves. Mature shoots have hard
woody bases, are 9in or longer and have dark leaves. Immature shoots
should be left till September and then cut back the same. If a side shoot
from the stem has a side shoot of its own it must be cut back to 1 leaf
above the cluster of leaves where the two sideshoots meet.
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| The espalier technique also uses horizontal
wires as a way of growing apple trees but in a vertical way. Arrange your
wires with 15cm distances approx 4 or 5 tiers up. Fix your wires before
you plant the tree as it will be easier than
when the tree is already growing. Dig a hole and prepare the soil with
compost, manure and fertiliser. Ensure it is deep enough to get all the
roots in and allow them to spread out and so that when you put the plant
in the soil mark on the stem is the same level as the soil.
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| Plant your
tree and water well. If your tree is a maiden, the leader (main stem)
should be trimmed to 30cm from the ground and the top three buds allowed
to grow till spring. The top one is then tied vertically up a cane whilst
the other two are tied at 45 degree angles to the main stem. In November
the two diagonal stems can then be lowered until they are horizontal to
the stem. The vertical stem must now be lightly pruned to encourage new
leader and tier growth. Prune down to the next upward facing bud. When new
shoots appear repeat the process as before of tying them to the canes. If
the tree has been bought already two or three tiered the process of tying
and training them can be started at planting. Any shoots that appear on
the main stem after the arms are established should be pruned back to one
leaf. All pruning on espalier trees should be done in summer. |
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| 1)
For non espalier trees remove all side shoots after planting;
shorten the main stem to 1 to 2 buds above the bottom wire. |
2)
Prune maiden trees back to 1-2 buds above bottom wire. It may
be necessary to tie in your main stem. |
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| 3) In
the following summer choose two shoots to form the bottom
branches and remove any below them. Leave the main stem
intact. |
4)
The following winter tie in lowest pair of branches to canes
and shorten the central leader. |
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| 5) In
the second summer choose your second pair of branches and main
stem. Treat as above (fig 3 & 4). |
6)
The following winter train your bottom pair of branches into
their final horizontal position. Shorten main stem again to
1-2 buds above third wire. |
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| 7)
Continue this method until you reach your desired height. Side
shoots can be cut back to 3-4 buds in winter. |
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