Help please in selecting a new Espalier apple tree.

Apodemus

I've got an espaliered jonagold and it fruits well, but is slow to ripen.  It is late November before the apples will come off with a slight twist.  Lots of flower buds on it at the moment, but I had lots of buds last year, then suffered a bad frost at the wrong time and had a poorer than normal crop 

Farway

TUVOK said:

I decided to buy a ' Scrumptious' espalier apple tree, it's looking good, plenty of blossom on it.

This brings me to my other 4 espaliers, lack of blossom!
I have apart from Scrumptious' , Discovery, Crispin, Gala and Jonagold .

I'm quite a dedicated gardener, successful in most aspects of gardening, but getting these apple trees to produce blossom I mainly fail at perhaps some slight success with Discovery.
I've watched all the Utube videos and read numerous articles on apple tree pruning etc, but I've largely failed with producing blossom.
I bought Scrumptious to replace Spartan as it was so prone to canker, but I succeeded every year with producing apples on Spartan.

Where am I going wrong, strangely I find the summer and winter pruning techniques difficult to understand and put into practise.
I wish there was a course being run locally that I could attend.

Any help, comments would be appreciated, thank you.

Best of luck with "Scrumptious"

Like you I struggled with pruning, but decades ago I did go on a practical course one Saturday, there I learnt visible difference between fruit buds & growth buds but that was about all that stuck

I have found having more than one tree helps as despite training some just seem to have an occasional light year but overall the trees produce enough for my needs

This year seems a good year, but still at pink bud stage for most so plenty of time for it all to go wrong

I'm slowly coming round & training to the espalier style with very short fruiting spurs, with really hard removal of new growth about August / September, and any new spindly growth again mid winter

Seems to be working but I've only been trying it for a couple of years so too soon to say

scrummy-mummy

We have a worcester pearmain and egremont russet. Both espailiered, both are partially self fertile.  They both produce really lovely apples, I prefer the russet.

twopenny

Have you pruned off the tips of a tip flowering one?

Do they get enough sun?

Are there a lot of plants or grass around the roots?

Do you feed them and have you tried something high in potash? I used to put wood ash round fruit. It really gives fruiting plants a boost in blossom and general health

TUVOK

It could well be me not being able to tell which are fruit buds and which are growth buds.

I've looked at several Utube videos but it never seems very clear to me I'm afraid.
I will try potash though around the base of the trees, they have enough sun and although they are against a side fence and other plants in the border there, I believe that is not the problem.
When I first started to grow the trees I had a lot more apples, it seems to have become less as the years go by.
Most probably my faulty pruning I believe.
I do wish that there was a course I could attend or some one to give valid instruction on pruning the trees correctly.

TUVOK

Well it's a year on since my last post and it's apple blossom time again!
My problem with non blossom on my Aspalier apple trees continues!
It's a little better as I have 11 lots of blossom on 4 Aspaliers, better than last year, but in reality pathetic!
I've done better in that I have 2 blossoms on Jonagold, which are the first for many a year.
The other varieties are Crispin - no blossom, Jonagold  - 2 blossoms, Gala - 5 blossoms and Discovery - 4 blossoms
The annoying thing is that I look at a spur that has blossom and there are similar shoots near which have none?

I'm considered a good gardener with many years experience but cannot really understand how to get more blossom.
Another annoying thing is that when I initially planted the trees about 20 years ago, I had lots of blossom on all of them.
Just wish there was a day course that I could go on, none in my area though.
I've read and watched uTube videos ,but still no success.
Wish I could get more success!
 

LessImpecunious

If your trees already have the espalier shape, you should only be pruning in late summer - no need for winter pruning at all - have you looked at the RHS guide? - seems fairly straightforward, and no need to distinguish between fruiting and non-fruiting buds https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/training-espalier

TUVOK

Followed all the advice, I'm going to try Potash around the stem, see if it improves the health at least of the tree's.
It's so annoying, especially as I am a good gardener but either I'm failing or some thing up with tree's, area etc etc
Just wish that there was some one local who could have a look and perhaps instruct where I am possibly going wrong.

LessImpecunious

Might be worth looking at https://ptes.org/campaigns/traditional-orchard-project/orchard-network/ - includes info on local groups, some of whom will visit people who have their own trees or orchards to offer advice...

TUVOK

Many thanks for the link, I've emailed them.