"Martin Bonner" wrote in message
...
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?
--------------------------
You are going to have to have much courage whether you want to keep the
apple trees or you don't.
I and my son-in-low a few years ago had five trees, ((not apple trees, -
Firs..), close together on a medium sized lawn.
It took us both a long time to get rid of them.. We dropped them to two
feet high dug out all the soil about two feet down, around.the massive
convoluted roots which were tangled with each other, and when attacked
again the woodsmans axe simply bounced off and hardly made a mark. They
were in a clay-ish "soil". We removed as much "soil" as possible
Nothing to do but abandon for the time being . Six months later we had
another go without success. About a year later we sallied forth again.
We were in luck. The roots had begun to rot and were slightly brittle..
With patience and slogging hard work we slowly started winning and the
tough fibres began to give way to the electric saw, metal wedges and a big
well sharpened axe.
I do not lie when I say, that last successful battle took us four full
days.
Doug.
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