On Nov 26, 9:04 pm, Nick Powell Nick.Powell.
wrote:
Hi all,

This is my first post here, so please bear with me.

I've recently moved into a property and inherited a horrendously
overgrown garden, I've spent much of the past 4 months clearing out
rubble and removing a lot of overgrowth. The apple tree in the garden
doesn't look to well and I don't think it's been looked after for a
number of years. I've included some pics:

It looks to me like it was hacked back a few years ago to the thick
branches. The hacked ends then sprouted lots of water shoots, and you
have lots of thin branches going everywhere.

The small wriggly twigs are fine - they are where you are most likely
to get flowers and more side shoots. It's the long straight twigs/
branches that aren't doing you any good.

I'd start by checking if there's any dead or dying wood. If so, cut
it out. Then I'd try to cut back say 2/3rds of the long straight
shoots by 2/3rds, and cut back the remaining 1/3 by 1/3. (The idea is
that you want to get a variety of lengths, rather than cutting
everything back and getting another rash of water shoots).

When you cut back, cut back to an outward or downward facing shoot
(that way you won't get such a crowded centre). Try and arrange for
horizontal branches rather than vertical (horizontal fruits better).

I wouldn't worry about the canker/woolly aphid if any. When we moved
into our last house, there where two apple trees clearly on their last
legs, so we quickly planted some more. Ten years later they were
still fruiting strongly! (and the new trees were doing OK too).

Incidentally, are you sure it isn't a crab apple? Was the fruit
astringent when ripe?