Hi,

We've just gained a huge apple tree and were wondering how to tell what
it is.

It's well laden with fruit, from those we tried about a month ago we
assumed it was just a cooker of some sort as they were very sour,
however now they've gone red and sweetened up a bit, and now edible (
altho not in my gf's opinion! ) Granny smith was suggested.. The
fruits are average sized, some quite large, but they're the exception -
this also something hinting it's not your average cooker??

Also, it's going to get a big prune this winter, any recommendations as
to when, and how best to improve fruiting in coming years?

Rgds,
Dan

In article .com,
Connor T writes
Hi,

We've just gained a huge apple tree and were wondering how to tell what
it is.

It's well laden with fruit, from those we tried about a month ago we
assumed it was just a cooker of some sort as they were very sour,

That is quite early for an apple to be ripe. Only the earliest are ripe
in September. Most are not ripe until late Sep - Oct, and there are
plenty of varieties which are still not ripe when picked in November and
continue ripening in store before being eaten in Jan-Mar.

however now they've gone red and sweetened up a bit, and now edible (
altho not in my gf's opinion! ) Granny smith was suggested..

Do GS ever go red?

The
fruits are average sized, some quite large, but they're the exception -
this also something hinting it's not your average cooker??

Size is also to do with how healthy the tree is feeling. Good growing
conditions, lots of water leads to larger apples. Don't worry about
trying to improve the conditions - if the fruits are 'average size' the
apple is feeling pretty happy.

Also, it's going to get a big prune this winter, any recommendations as
to when, and how best to improve fruiting in coming years?

After leaf drop. Take out any diseased wood, any branches which are
rubbing across each other. Learn to recognise the difference between the
short knobbly fruiting spurs and the long new growth, and cut back the
latter severely to encourage more fruiting spurs.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Good point - GS dont go red - Take that reference to refer to the taste
then, rather than the color!

Cheers for the advice on pruning - very valuable - We do have a LOT of
newish vertical growth which has just gone straight up from a certain
point, and thats what I hope to tackle.

The tree does seem to be in good condition otherwise however - LOTS of
fruit, and no dead wood that i can see. Altho it did get hit by some
sort of burrowing pest this year.

"Connor T" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good point - GS dont go red - Take that reference to refer to the taste
then, rather than the color!

Cheers for the advice on pruning - very valuable - We do have a LOT of
newish vertical growth which has just gone straight up from a certain
point, and thats what I hope to tackle.

The tree does seem to be in good condition otherwise however - LOTS of
fruit, and no dead wood that i can see. Altho it did get hit by some
sort of burrowing pest this year.


Identifying it will take a bit of info gathering. Off the top of my head:-

Whether it is a tip or spur bearer ( or both )
colour of ripe apples
size of ripe apples
timing of ripening ( i.e. early/mid/late bearer )
keeping ability of picked apples
whether it is acid ( cooker ) or breaks up when cooked
whether the skin is russeted
location of the tree
shape of the apple.

That should narrow it down a bit!

Andy.

In message .com,
Connor T writes
Hi,

We've just gained a huge apple tree and were wondering how to tell what
it is.


Brogdale do an fruit Identification Service:

http://www.brogdale.org/html/fruit_identification.html

--
Chris French

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message .com,
Connor T writes
Hi,

We've just gained a huge apple tree and were wondering how to tell what
it is.


Brogdale do an fruit Identification Service:

http://www.brogdale.org/html/fruit_identification.html

--
Chris French
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trying to find the name is both expensive and an inexact essay.
Accept it for what it is give it your own name. You already know that
it grows well in your locality and fruits prolifically. To have achieved
this size it will also have been healthy. Keep them over winter [as long as
possible] and keep testing for cooking and flavour.
Leave some on the tree~~ many old vars. will stay on till spring.
Most of my own apples [of 60 vars.] are not named, but were collected
from local villages, and grow much better than well known vars. I have given
them all names related to where found or who likes it most.
Beware pruning. Winter pruning will encourage even further strong
growth. Summer pruning promotes fruiting. Remove old branches only if you
wish to replace them with newer growths. The French use this method more
than we do.
Good luck ~~it sounds like a worthwhile apple or would have been
removed previously.
Best Wishes Brian.

"chris French" wrote
Brogdale do an fruit Identification Service:

http://www.brogdale.org/html/fruit_identification.html


So do the RHS at Wisley, there is a charge though.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

In article .com,
Connor T writes
Good point - GS dont go red - Take that reference to refer to the taste
then, rather than the color!

Cheers for the advice on pruning - very valuable - We do have a LOT of
newish vertical growth which has just gone straight up from a certain
point, and thats what I hope to tackle.

The tree does seem to be in good condition otherwise however - LOTS of
fruit, and no dead wood that i can see. Altho it did get hit by some
sort of burrowing pest this year.


I may well be wrong, but thought that if you prune such growth in winter
it just encourages it to grow more next year. That's certainly what
happened to one of my apples last year. This year, I've given it a
pretty severe late summer haircut so will see how it goes.

(The tree in question is large but the apples are still accessible. It
has had a lot of vertical top growth for the last few years I think.
I've no idea what variety it is but it seems to be a very late ripening
cooker - but quite sweet for a cooker. The fruit is mainly green and
the apples are mainly average eater size. The flesh is firm and
incredibly white. All in all, excellent fruit.)

--
regards andyw

In article , newsb
writes
I've no idea what variety it is but it seems to be a very late ripening
cooker - but quite sweet for a cooker. The fruit is mainly green and
the apples are mainly average eater size. The flesh is firm and
incredibly white. All in all, excellent fruit.)


Forgot to mention that the guy we bought the house from said it was a
very old english var. - but didn't know the name. Crops a lot. He was
a gardener/son of the local farmer who originally owned the house as a
tied cottage. Not sure what to conclude from that

--
regards andyw

Connor - this is a timely question. Next weekend is 'Apple Day' , with
events up and down the country. Many of them include an
apple-identification service.

Check out http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday.html for info and
click the "Events" link to see what's in your area. We went to the RHS
one at Wisley a couple of years ago, and found it really interesting. I
may be wrong, but I don't think they charge for their apple id service.
Not during their Apple Day weekend, anyway.

newsb wrote:
In article , newsb
writes

I've no idea what variety it is but it seems to be a very late
ripening cooker - but quite sweet for a cooker. The fruit is mainly
green and the apples are mainly average eater size. The flesh is firm
and incredibly white. All in all, excellent fruit.)


Forgot to mention that the guy we bought the house from said it was a
very old english var. - but didn't know the name. Crops a lot. He was
a gardener/son of the local farmer who originally owned the house as a
tied cottage. Not sure what to conclude from that


Maybe you could try the HDRA (Henry Doubleday Research Association) who
are trying to keep a lot of these old species going ?

They have a little magazine and people share tips so there might be an
old soul who knows the apple you're talking about.


Richard.

I have a couple of pics (taken in poor light) of an apple which was
originally rootstock - the tree blew down and died, but a sucker came up
from the root.

It bears apples with - well - almost facets. Last year the one I saw was
almost box-shaped, though this year there seem to be more 'sides' on the
fruit.

Does not cook down to a pulp.

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/apple.jpg
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/apple1.jpg

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk

newsb wrote:
I may well be wrong, but thought that if you prune such growth in winter
it just encourages it to grow more next year. That's certainly what
happened to one of my apples last year. This year, I've given it a
pretty severe late summer haircut so will see how it goes.

HOOO!! 'ello you!! Hope all is well with you and family! It's so funny
you say the above. I've done the same on my apple tree (4 yrs old now).
I had an awfull lot of vertical young branches after pruning last year.
It depends when your tree is fruiting. Mine is an early fruiter, by end
of august I have no apples left. This year I was away in France for 3
weeks and when I returned I had a lot of fallen apples which I have
lost sadly (tho my neighbour enjoyed a couple, so she said ...). I'll
try to go on hols around the time of my fruiting apple tree, as if life
wasn't already difficult deep sigh

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
I have a couple of pics (taken in poor light) of an apple which was
originally rootstock - the tree blew down and died, but a sucker came up
from the root.

It bears apples with - well - almost facets. Last year the one I saw was
almost box-shaped, though this year there seem to be more 'sides' on the
fruit.

Does not cook down to a pulp.

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/apple.jpg
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/apple1.jpg

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most likely MM106[not named] Keeps very well but is not at its best
before end Nov. The other rootstocks resemble, and taste like, crab
apples. MM106 is worth keeping as a tree, but not in quantity. Cooks very
well and retains texture.
Best Wishes Brian.

The message
from "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond contains these words:

Most likely MM106[not named] Keeps very well but is not at its best
before end Nov. The other rootstocks resemble, and taste like, crab
apples. MM106 is worth keeping as a tree, but not in quantity. Cooks very
well and retains texture.

Ta. Actually, I ate it fresh, and it was firm, juicy and not too tart,
with a pleasant but not overpowering flavour.

Skin was a bit tough - good roughage!

And, halved and one half left overnight, there was very little trace of
browning. Ideal for apple and onion salad, fruit salads, etc.

I shall be growing it as a tree - a cutting to be taken very soon. (Got
to prepare the ground - I have a big bag of bones and stuff to go in the
bottom of the spot, and I shall be collecting old all-leather shoes and
tatty woollens from the unsold stuff after the next jumble sale I can
find.)

I shall be visiting the owner of the tree and (broadly) hinting that
it's a pity to leave them all lying around...

He'll appreciate the (probable) variety. Thank you.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/