Thinking about my apple tree for next year

Lotus-eater

LilacLouisa wrote: »

What is horticultural grease please and what is a codling moth trap (and where would I get one)?

Search google for "fruit tree grease", but with postage probably cheaper in your local garden centre.

Search google for "codling moth trap", I found them cheapest on ebay this year, but check the prices at the garden centre while you are getting the grease.

Kimitatsu

I have inherited fruit trees too and last year took the plunge and pruned them - I had some really good advice from a tree surgeon that fruit trees should look like a wine glass, that is so you should have a "bowl" shape with lots of room for the light and air to get into it.

For me it really helped and although I was convinced I had probably killed half the trees this year we have had great crops from them.

Some of my apples fall early too, so I make crumble or apple sauce with them and freeze for later in the year. The remaining ones I pick when ready.

jsh99

We have over 20 apple/pear trees in our new garden (moved in December) and last week we had a volunteer from Brogdales in Faversham Kent come and advise us on care/pruning of each one.

It was a fantstic service and we are just waiting the written report of the day. The chap also took away sample apples from 15 of the apple trees for identification purposes.

He also looked at our two plum trees and our goosberries and advised on them too!

If you want complete ID then you can have them DNA tested but that's £12 per apple!

They run courses on choosing suitable fruit trees and have pruning classes in Jan/Feb.

If there is a lot to prune out he advised to do half first year and then do the rest the following year so as not to 'shock' the tree too much at once.

He said that cookers have larger leaves than eaters. It may be you have a dual purpose variety??

Have a look at their web site - http://www.brogdale.org/

RAS

If you are up north, then check out the Northern Fruit Group http://www.northernfruitgroup.com/

They do not exactly do good web-sites but they have various experts on fruit growing and fruit identification.

Things to look at are shape and size of the fruit, the length of the stem, the shape of the base (old flower parts), flowering time, colour, is it a tip bearer or spur bearer etc.

bof, if you have not pruned it for 20 years, the fruit are going to be very undersized at the moment.

Reduce the top this autumn and next year you will start to get larger fruit.

bof_3

RAS wrote: »

bof, if you have not pruned it for 20 years, the fruit are going to be very undersized at the moment.

Reduce the top this autumn and next year you will start to get larger fruit.

Most of the fruit are large already, they're like a golden delicious in size and shape and some of them are very big.
I've got one on my kitchen windowsill at the moment, will it ripen there like tomatos do?
Thanks for the websites, I'll have a nosey & see if I can identify the type.

bof_3

valk_scot wrote: »

Is it sort of lumpy as well rather than spherical? If so lucky you, it's almost definately a cooker. I'd much rather have one cooking apple tree than my three eating apple trees!

Not lumpy at all unfortunately, I'll have to see if I can upload a photo