It's Your Duty to be Fruity!

Gareth’s top tips for getting great apples

I’m passing you over to Gareth Austin, our own local community Horticulturist this week as he is extremely knowledgeable about apples amongst a myriad of other gardening related topics.  This week Gareth tells us how to choose and look after apple trees. There’s one to suit every garden!

Ever since Eve bit into the forbidden fruit apple trees have been a source of myth and legend. Top fruit is easily grown in any garden and depending on the type selected they can happily grow in pots or big tubs on the patio. Perhaps Apple are the most common top fruit that we plant and grow, with pears, plums and cherries making up the other popular types. 

How Big

When we first go to select apple trees the first decision is how big do we want them to grow, a Semi-dwarf apple tree grows on a specially selected root-stock which helps to restrict the overall height to around the 10-12' mark when grown in open ground

For the small garden or for growing in Patio tubs look no further than dwarf apples, types like the Golden Delicious  and spur apple variety can be happily grown in containers and pots on the patio or in open ground in small gardens. These trees are grown on a dwarf root-stock so the growth is limited to around the 6'.

Another type of dwarf fruit tree is the Coronet Apple Trees; these are grown on a Dwarf rootstock and will grow to around the 6' mark. These again are ideal for the smaller garden and for large pots on the patio. The habit is small and open, they look just like a small apple tree, and the fruit is regular in size. These can be grown in open ground but they soil has to be rich. The rootstock are slow growing so the roots aren’t able to go for large distances and source their own substance so if your growing in open ground ensure the local area around the tree (1mx1m0.5m) has been well enriched and is well nourished.

Decisions

Once you've decided how big you want your tree the next decision is to decide how you’re going to grow them. If you're choosing a Coronet Apple Tree or a Spur Apple Tree chances are your growing them in big pots on your patio, but if your choosing a semi-dwarf apple tree then you can decide to either grow them as a traditional apple tree in open ground or perhaps espalier against a south or west facing wall or fence . Espalier is a great way of maximising your garden space, it’s how I grow my fruit trees in the garden at the house. 

Spacing wise you're looking to plant espalier fruit trees at least 12' apart, and for traditional orchard trees you’re looking at least 12' apart also. Where space is really limited, and you only have space for 1 tree then why not grow a Family Apple Tree, on the one tree you can have 2 or3 different varieties of fruit grafted together, so your guaranteed fruit year after year (weather permitting of course!)

Cross pollinate

Selecting what varieties to grow is a matter of first deciding how many cookers and how many eaters you want to grow. The important thing is that the varieties you select will all cross-pollinate. To achieve this you have to ensure that they will flower at the same time (an early flowering apple tree may be passed flower before a late flowering fellow breaks bud...and then you'll have no fruit!). 

If I had to select 6 apple trees to plant I'd Plant Bramley, Discovery, Egremount Russet, James Grieve, Worcester Pearmain and Katy. I'd suggest these as there all varieties I've grown lots of before and I know them all to grow and crop well in our climate. However apple tree variety selection is such a personal choice that you should give it some good thought, remember that this apple tree is going to fruit for the next 25 years or more so careful selection now will stand you in good stead for years to come. 

Apple Trees should be pruned each Winter to ensure an open goblet shape, this ensures the trees is less 'packed' with branches and that any flowers which appear can be easily pollinated and the fruit receives enough sunshine to ripen properly and to a good size. Summer pruning is more important on espalier and smaller fruit trees

Care

Winter wash fruit trees after leaf fall with Winter Tree Wash, this helps to kill any overwintering pest and diseases, and helps to control moss, lichen and cankers....our wet weather is wonderful at promoting these!

Mulching and feeding of fruit trees is essential to help promote healthy plants, and autumn and early spring is a busy time in the fruit tree world with this task.

Remember....It’s your Duty to be Fruity!!!

Thanks for the tips Gareth!