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miljee 02-09-2012 04:36 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about 3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?

Thanks.

Christina Websell 02-09-2012 11:02 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 

"miljee" wrote in message
...

In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?

Thanks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...pple-tree.html




Martin Brown 03-09-2012 08:41 AM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?


I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

[email protected] 03-09-2012 09:32 AM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?


I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.


Last winter, I pruned my rather neglected apple hard, because it
had grown so lopsided that I had to thin it by 80% to avoid branch
breakage. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of new growth and no
apples, and intend to prune to a reasonable shape this winter,
when I will shorten all of the long branches. I am not expecting
a huge crop next year, either.

Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

David Hill 03-09-2012 09:37 AM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 03/09/2012 08:41, Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?


I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.


I would be very careful about pruning when there is no need. It is
normal for apple trees too crop heavily one year and almost nothing the
next,
One solution is in the year of plenty, remove a lot of the fruit early
to reduce the strain on the tree.

Martin Brown 03-09-2012 09:56 AM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 03/09/2012 09:37, David Hill wrote:
On 03/09/2012 08:41, Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?


I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.


I would be very careful about pruning when there is no need. It is
normal for apple trees too crop heavily one year and almost nothing the
next,


Usual advice is if in doubt do nowt. Works surprisingly well unless
there is a branch that is diseased or rubbing against another.

I prune mine mainly to keep their shape and height more or less
accessible for harvesting and to avoid banging my head on low branches.

One solution is in the year of plenty, remove a lot of the fruit early
to reduce the strain on the tree.


But this year was something special - almost the entire pear and apple
flowering period was hit by very hard frosts and there were hardly any
insects about to pollinate them. The eating apples flowered slightly
later and I did get some fruit set on them not great but there are more
apples on the less exposed dwarf trees than on the entire full size
bramley tree. I have never known a year so bad for apples.

In a normal year the tree would literally hum with bees during
flowering. There are several bee hives nearby in a neighbours garden.

I also know an old walled garden that contains what remains of the
estates fruit trees had a very bad year so it was the weather that
decimated the crop rather than the vagaries of individual trees.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

miljee 03-09-2012 11:03 AM

The 'problem' with the tree, such as it is a problem, is that although it has an OK basic shape, all the new growth is a mass of whip straight 2-3 foot long canes, reaching skywards. Few of these could ever be used to add additional structure to the tree in the longer term.

There's no disease as such.

I suppose what I'm really asking is: Can I do the 'post-crop Autumn prune' now seeing as there'll be no crop? I do need to continue to do some shaping on the tree- as ever, it is way too close to its neighbour, a stand of bamboo and has been allowed, prior to our moving here, to grow into the bamboo with a fair lean in that direction. It hadn't been pruned from original planting I'd say, too! I am encouraging it towards a more upright stance, especially as I am also planting an ornamental tree to its other side (correctly spaced!)

Ophelia[_4_] 03-09-2012 11:20 AM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 


wrote in message ...
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?


I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.


Last winter, I pruned my rather neglected apple hard, because it
had grown so lopsided that I had to thin it by 80% to avoid branch
breakage. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of new growth and no
apples, and intend to prune to a reasonable shape this winter,
when I will shorten all of the long branches. I am not expecting
a huge crop next year, either.

Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/


Martin Brown 03-09-2012 12:40 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 03/09/2012 11:20, Ophelia wrote:

wrote in message
...


Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?


Wiser not to prune plum trees unless you absolutely have to.
Bit late in the season now to do anything to them. RHS notes are OK

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=339

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

David Hill 03-09-2012 01:40 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 03/09/2012 11:20, Ophelia wrote:


wrote in message
...
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's
about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know
some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait
til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?

I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.


Last winter, I pruned my rather neglected apple hard, because it
had grown so lopsided that I had to thin it by 80% to avoid branch
breakage. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of new growth and no
apples, and intend to prune to a reasonable shape this winter,
when I will shorten all of the long branches. I am not expecting
a huge crop next year, either.

Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?


The problem I have with Plumbs is Bullfinches removing the buds late
winter for food, so very little flower.

Ophelia[_4_] 03-09-2012 01:47 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 03/09/2012 11:20, Ophelia wrote:

wrote in message
...


Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?


Wiser not to prune plum trees unless you absolutely have to.
Bit late in the season now to do anything to them. RHS notes are OK

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=339


That's great! Many thanks:)
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/


Ophelia[_4_] 03-09-2012 01:48 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 


"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 03/09/2012 11:20, Ophelia wrote:


wrote in message
...
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's
about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know
some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait
til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?

I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.

Last winter, I pruned my rather neglected apple hard, because it
had grown so lopsided that I had to thin it by 80% to avoid branch
breakage. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of new growth and no
apples, and intend to prune to a reasonable shape this winter,
when I will shorten all of the long branches. I am not expecting
a huge crop next year, either.

Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.


Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?


The problem I have with Plumbs is Bullfinches removing the buds late
winter for food, so very little flower.


Oh:( I have never noticed that! We didn't get a single plum this year so I
did wonder ...

--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/


Jake 03-09-2012 03:45 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:40:07 +0100, David Hill
wrote:



The problem I have with Plumbs is Bullfinches removing the buds late
winter for food, so very little flower.


That's good to know. As next year should be the first year for my plum
fruiting, I'll net it. Less net to pack away for the winter so added
bonus!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

Ophelia[_4_] 03-09-2012 04:05 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 


"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Sep 2012 13:48:22 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:



"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 03/09/2012 11:20, Ophelia wrote:


wrote in message
...
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/09/2012 16:36, miljee wrote:
In Hampshire. This tree produced well last year, but this year the
few
blossom that set got no further than one inch big apples, the few
that
then survived being nicked by the squirrels!

It looks healthy enough (sorry, I don't know the variety, but it's
about
3m tall and produces medium sized, red and green apples) and I know
some
apple trees produce well in alternate years. It has loads of new
shoots.

Can I get stuck in a give it a reasonable prune now or should I wait
til
the 'correct' time, after the (non-existent!) harvest?

I reckon it is easier to prune when the leaves are off but if there
are
obvious diseased parts or branches rubbing I can't see why not.

Bear in mind it has been a terrible year for apples and pears. I have
zero pears and just a few dozen apples on a big tree that usually has
stones of apples enough to have to give most of them away.

Next year they will bounce back and set too many fruit so you may
have
to be a bit careful to avoid biennial fruit bearing in the future.

Last winter, I pruned my rather neglected apple hard, because it
had grown so lopsided that I had to thin it by 80% to avoid branch
breakage. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of new growth and no
apples, and intend to prune to a reasonable shape this winter,
when I will shorten all of the long branches. I am not expecting
a huge crop next year, either.

Part of the problem is that it is on a dwarfing rootstock, as is
almost unavoidable nowadays, and those distort growth badly.

Does this apply to non productive plum trees too?

The problem I have with Plumbs is Bullfinches removing the buds late
winter for food, so very little flower.


Oh:( I have never noticed that! We didn't get a single plum this year so
I
did wonder ...


No parakeets? Our chestnut trees are under control since the parakeets
started eating the buds in spring.


Parakeets? In Scotland????
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/


Emery Davis[_4_] 03-09-2012 04:39 PM

Can I prune my utterly non productive apple tree now?
 
On 09/03/2012 04:26 PM, Martin wrote:
[]
The RHS produced a ring bound book on pruning, as well as other
subjects other subjects. I don't know if they still sell it. I bought
a copy 30 years ago.
Pruning by Brickell, Christopher
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pruning-Chri.../dp/0855331453

It became this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-Pruning-...1&sr=8-1-spell

I have an earlier edition that I picked up as a bin end very cheap.
It's quite comprehensive as well.


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