Fruit trees and orchards

[Conor Wright]

1 minute ago, openspaceman said:

I tried to but it was quite a heavy infestation which is why I thought preventing fruiting might give the tree a chance to recover.

It is an old tree, it looked old 40 years ago when we got here but I was busy so didn't give it any attention. The apples never kept well but had a pleasant taste , over the years the brown rot caused most to fall prematurely and any that remained were damaged.

 

Yes I should fell it  and it would give another  parking space plus when I'm gone the site will get redeveloped into a 5 bed house owned by someone with a good job in London and young kids  wanting to be sent to the sought after local school but for now I like it and  cannot replace it with anything I'll benefit from.

 

You've done what you can i guess. It may reward you yet!

If you like it and it's not of any concern then keep it and enjoy it's presence.. hey, you might even get the odd free edible apple off it! And if it does have to go let's hope somebody gets the wood.. nice timber, could make something that will last as long.. or longer even, in the right hands.

[Mark2]

Peasgood thanks for that info some of that is correct some not. My favourites are garden/hygiene to break the breeding cycle, encouraging garden birds, the amount of pests a pair of feeding parent birds can deal with is huge!

plus keeping your tree strong and healthy by pruning ! Like us humans it’s when we’re weak we fall prey to illness. A moribund tree will fall prey to pests and diseases!

regarding bees v nicatenoids don’t forget bees will travel miles to good source crops and down wind of arable crops will be contaminated ! bees to! restrictions have been put in place ! But it’s  a proven fact bee colony calapse is a sereous issue! Most of our fruit and veg are dependent on bees pollination! wild or honey ? bee !!

[Stere]

If you are really fond of the variety you could take a cutting from the tree and graft it onto new  rootstock.

 

 

[Mark2]

openspaceman is there more fruit trees near by to cross pollinate that one ? That would explain lack of fruit ! some need two different variety’s near (Triploid) ! to pollinate, they need to also be in flower the same time. The brown rot is easy to fix as I stated! the canker can be got under control through health and opening up the canopy.

If you like I could talk you through pruning it on here in a couple of weeks time. Other people would pick up a few food tips too! Love your apple tree and don’t cut it down !!

[openspaceman]

20 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

 

Yes two apples and a pear next door and several apples (including at least one Bramley and  I don't know if they can pollenate) within 300 yds.

20 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

 

That would explain lack of fruit !

There never was a lack of fruit, it's just that it didn't survive to ripen on the tree.

20 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

 

 

 The brown rot is easy to fix as I stated! the canker can be got under control through health and opening up the canopy.

All done as best I could.

20 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

If you like I could talk you through pruning it on here in a couple of weeks time. Other people would pick up a few food tips too! Love your apple tree and don’t cut it down !!

I've pruned apples before and know how to leave fruiting spurs. I also did a pear a couple of years ago which subsequently fruited so heavily it snapped branches ;-(

[Mark2]

Peasgood thanks for that info some of that is correct some not. My favourites are garden/hygiene to break the breeding cycle, encouraging garden birds, the amount of pests a pair of feeding parent birds can deal with is huge!

plus keeping your tree strong and healthy by pruning ! Like us humans it’s when we’re weak we fall prey to illness. A moribund tree will fall prey to pests and diseases!

regarding bees v nicatenoids don’t forget bees will travel miles to good source crops and down wind of arable crops will be contaminated ! bees to! restrictions have been put in place ! But it’s  a proven fact bee colony calapse is a sereous issue! Most of our fruit and veg are dependent on bees pollination! wild or honey ? bee !!

[Mark2]

That’s cool but we can always learn more, the day I stop learning is the day i’ll give up trees and take up something else! Never going to happen.

just a small point, if you can prune fruit trees well how come the branch snapped the following year from overloaded fruit !

point taken on no fruit, my mistake ! Been a long day. And enjoyable,hope for you too.

[openspaceman]

19 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

just a small point, if you can prune fruit trees well

I said I knew how to leave fruiting spurs, not that I knew it well!

 

In any case I bow to your seniority, I only got about 30 years in  solely on the tools, the rest I was mostly a deskjockey and have several scars.

[nepia]

11 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Honestly.
Every time I've quoted £2-300 for pruning a huge overgrown apple or pear, I've not heard back.
It's a long time consuming job if done correctly.

And if you're naive or honest enough to mention the ongoing maintenance required there is a loss of interest in the tree's long-term wellbeing and perhaps suspicion of your motives!

[Mark2]

Openspaceman & Nepia 

it’s great that you take time to test me out ! an ole git !

good points there.

Tree work is an expanding industry, getting more suffistacted  as years go by. When i’m / we’re ‘on the road ‘ we see a huge amount of work that could/should be done! the potential is massive. 

Why am I so keen on fruit/orchards? —— you mention the work involved in one neglected Apple !

lets put that in proportion.

i do fruit pruning workshops (couple a year) one venue a Somerset farm with cider orchards ! About 400 trees neglected, massive, some fall down each year ! look at the challenge, look at the cost effectiveness compared to your one tree ! And yet it can be made to be cost effective for all concerned! That’s the challenge for me here.

I need to be out and about now! But i’m in no rush here. for me it’s a marathon not a sprint !