Our orchard in Northumberland, which has around 40 various apple trees,
along with a lot of stories
or lack of fruit in the North and other areas, our trees produced 1 apple.
Question, as I prune each year, should I rest them or prune as normal.
Usually late January.
Thanks Mike. Near Hexham.

"RiversideRed" wrote in message
...
Our orchard in Northumberland, which has around 40 various apple trees,
along with a lot of stories
or lack of fruit in the North and other areas, our trees produced 1 apple.
Question, as I prune each year, should I rest them or prune as normal.
Usually late January.
Thanks Mike. Near Hexham.
Crops were poor down here as well, I think part weather this spring during
flowering and part due to the very heavy crops the year before. I intend
pruning as normal. (I would have said 1 apple was plenty of rest!)


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On 15/10/2012 10:58, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"RiversideRed" wrote in message
...
Our orchard in Northumberland, which has around 40 various apple
trees, along with a lot of stories
or lack of fruit in the North and other areas, our trees produced 1
apple.
Question, as I prune each year, should I rest them or prune as normal.
Usually late January.
Thanks Mike. Near Hexham.

Crops were poor down here as well, I think part weather this spring
during flowering and part due to the very heavy crops the year before. I
intend pruning as normal. (I would have said 1 apple was plenty of rest!)

I'd also be inclined to prune as normal - though perhaps leaving a few
more branches at full length on any tip bearers. I got a few more apples
than one but the birds ate most of them whilst I was on holiday

Absolutely no pears at all though and only a handful of plums. And these
are trees that in a good year will feed the entire neighbourhood!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"RiversideRed" wrote in message
...

Our orchard in Northumberland, which has around 40 various apple trees,
along with a lot of stories
or lack of fruit in the North and other areas, our trees produced 1 apple.
Question, as I prune each year, should I rest them or prune as normal.
Usually late January.

I'd prune as usual, it wasn't pruning or anything you did that caused the
lack of crop it was the weather keeping the bees indoors.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

What varieties do you grow?

I'm interested as I'm at 400ft in W Yorkshire, so quite possibly as cold and wet as you - though I've done better than you this year. Herrings Pippin, Brownlees Russet, Forge are very poor, Allington's Pippin markedly down - I have had over 100lbs of fruit off it but this year looks like possibly 30-40lb - King of the Pippins heavy crop but a lot of small fruits. Cornish Aromatic is doing really well, which is good news as it's my favourite.

I'd agree with others and prune as normal. How large are your trees? The theory is that if your tree is now as large as you want it, then summer pruning will encourage fruit rather than growth - but when is "summer" - and how do you prune a large tree without knocking some of the fruit off?