On 4 Aug, 23:02, Sacha wrote:

Thanks for your replies, sorry about the post title but I'm 83 and new
to this game!! Will try harder next time.

You keep going and good for you, too! *My mother is 91 and I wish I
could get her to use email because she's very deaf. *Not a hope, I'm
afraid but you're on the right road.

Well, quite. I doubt she can hear you. Try writing her a letter
about it.

Oh, and good show Billit.

The apple? There is a good chance that the the soil will have been
depleted a bit, but work it over with lots of compost and it should do
fine. To be honest, you won't be able to add enough to feed it for
life, but it will give it a good start as it gets established. Don't
forget to stake it for the first few years, either. Or to water
heavily for at least the first two years.

It's been a lot dryer in the last few years, so it might be a good
idea to install a bit of pipe near the stake - going down at least 3
foot, more if you can manage it. . The idea is to water by sticking a
hose down that, so that roots are encouraged to grow downwards rather
than along the surface. There is special perforated flexible pipe
available if you want to be posh about it. Or you can top-and-tail a
few lemonade bottles and telescope them together, and put some large
bits of stone/rubble inside to stop it collapsing as you firm the soil
against it. I've also seen people tape two bits of old guttering
together with gaffer tape and use that. Run the hose quite slowly but
for about half an hour at a time.