"Geoff" wrote in message
...
Early this year I bought a couple of containerised minarette apple
plants -
Queen Cox and Ambassy/Winter Gem - and they are doing well planted in two
60
cm square, 15 cm high terra cotta coloured wooden raised beds in a bark
covered part of my front garden. The beds are "mulched" with pea gravel -
looks quite effective.

The garden centre gave me a booklet entitled "Fruit Growers Handbook"
which
tells when and how to prune. However, althought the booklet shows
diagrams
of minarettes and details the plants' central leaders, laterals and
sub-laterals, its instructions tell one to cut laterals to three leaves,
about 4 inches and sub-laterals to one leaf above a basal cluster.

My question is, "What is a basal cluster?" for the booklet does not say.

Regards

Geoff
~~~~~~~~~~
New growths will have a group[cluster] of near dormant buds at their
base. These are the "basal cluster" and the first leaf will be just one node
above. Now is the time for this pruning. Summer pruning for fruit~~ Winter
prune for vigour and growth.
Best Wishes Brian.