A bumper year for apples

[Phil Pascoe]

I've already pruned a few dozen from this young tree.

 

[Fitzroy]

Cidereeeerererererererererererereererer hic!

 

[Ozi]

Cidereeeerererererererererererereererer hic!

Every year a farmer near us brews a barrel of cider then invites all the neighbors over for a barbecue. I almost remember the first time I went! Didn't realize he uses a whisky barrel purchased "new" for each event. That year there was about half a gallon of whisky still in the barrel. I remember the first 30 minutes and the next afternoon......

 

[baldkev]

this year i was supposed to be having a go at cider making... but i know i wont get to it, way too much to do maybe next year, after ive refurbed my trike

 

[Cozzer]

I was hoping that one/some of you might throw some light on my apple tree "problem", please?
My beloved ordered one of those smartypants "duo" trees at the end of last year - Bramley and Braeburn. Obviously one's grafted on the other, but I couldn't tell you which way round....
Anyway, this thing was eventually delivered : a shortish central stem, with two 4ft-ish branches off at roughly 180 degrees to each other. A few buds on each branch, it was planted alongside the garage wall, and a frame was added for support.
6 months in, it's exactly the same. The buds have done absolutely nowt, except (worringly) turn grey. I scratched through each branch to reveal green wood, so it's not dead...just very dormant?!
I got a bit pi55ed off with it, and dug it up. The root stock (obviously from memory) appeared exactly the same as the day it was planted, but as I'd got another idea for the garage wall, I decided to plant the tree in a large pot rather than condemn it....
Wouldn't you know it? Within days, 3 new little buds appeared just above the graft....2 on one branch, 1 ont'other. These buds have now leafed, but I don't know what the result will be!
Do I cut the original branches right back to just above the new growth?! Leave well alone? Bin it anyway?!

 

[Tris]

Put some pics up if you can please Cozzer. Most single variety trees are grafted just above soil level but 'family' trees often have an interscion between the rootstock and the chosen varieties. If there's a graft near soil level and another at the fork then the buds that are breaking may be something totally different.

On another note, Bramley is so vigorous you may find it difficult to stop it taking over and the braeburn may fail. Partial ring barking may be required to restrict the bramley

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There's a young Braeburn down the road from me that hasn't a single apple on it this year. The people didn't do any research, obviously, as Braeburns are not suited to the Cornish climate.

 

[Keith 66]

On our club there is a large piece of wasteland that has quite a few self sown apple trees, all grown from seed so will be crosses of some kind. Several of them are really good eating apples. The best tree has apples that look similar to a Golden delicious but with a red blush, really crisp & juicy & they keep well, few years back we had so many we were eating them until early february.
Over the years they have thrown generally good crops but over the last few years they have become so overgrown & unkempt that the crops have diminished in both size & quality. None have ever been pruned & are now about 25 - 30 years old
So last winter i spent a couple of days giving the three best trees a good prune, its a work in progress as you shouldnt take too much off in one go.
All seems to be doing really well & all are showing far better crops than last year, Fingers crossed!

 

[--Tom--]

Trees arriving from cold storage often take a while to wake up. Key thing to check as above is that it’s sprouting above the graft to the rootstock

 

[Cozzer]

Put some pics up if you can please Cozzer. Most single variety trees are grafted just above soil level but 'family' trees often have an interscion between the rootstock and the chosen varieties. If there's a graft near soil level and another at the fork then the buds that are breaking may be something totally different.

On another note, Bramley is so vigorous you may find it difficult to stop it taking over and the braeburn may fail. Partial ring barking may be required to restrict the bramley

Good thinking!
I'm no David Bailey, so hopefully this will clarify matters.

 

[niemeyjt]

As I recall, Bramley are triploid and need two pollinators - so less than perfect on a duo.

Another cider vote here also - I used to use any old apples I could get - does anyone go for the proper cider varieties?

 

[Tris]

Good thinking!
I'm no David Bailey, so hopefully this will clarify matters.
View attachment 137950

Ok, bit surprised it isn't on a short stem, but it looks as if you've got Bramley on the right and braeburn on the left. Given the thickness and angle of the Bramley stem I think you'll struggle to keep both alive. I'd rub off the buds below the graft, train the stem upward and just keep the Bramley if you've the room, ours is 25 ft across and 20 high after some serious pruning when we moved here.
As Niemeyjt mentioned they need more than one pollination partner but as long as there are any other apples, including crabs, within a quarter of a mile then you'll be fine.
Can recommend Walcot nurseries if you want a good replacement

 

[Lorenzl]

Our apples are not nearly advanced as your @Phil Pascoe but the branches are hanging down on one tree with the weight of the apples. I took quite a few of the smaller ones off last week and will have to take more off this week in case the branches break.

 

[Seascaper]

Hello
It looks to me like you have planted it too deep. The tree should have a stem and a root system below ground. Because it is planted too deep it is spouting out too far up the point where the different apple cuttings were grafted.
Regards

 

[Devmeister]

When I was in college, we rented a house. There were six of living there. The neighbors were a bit stuck up and everyone planted apple trees for the blossoms but no one planted pollinators to keep the trees from having apples. The deer would invade the neighborhood if there were apples to eat.

So we planted a few yellow delicious apples to force the trees to grow more apples. The deer thought it was a buffet!

 

[Fordgate1]

We have three trees, Golden Delicious, Cox's, and Worcester Permains. All excellent croppers. we take the apples to a local cider makers, They pressed, pasteurised and bottled. We have our own apple juice throughout the year. We tried pressing and freezing ourselves, and joining a local cooperative, not efficient. Now all done and less time consuming.

 

[Cozzer]

Ok, bit surprised it isn't on a short stem, but it looks as if you've got Bramley on the right and braeburn on the left. Given the thickness and angle of the Bramley stem I think you'll struggle to keep both alive. I'd rub off the buds below the graft, train the stem upward and just keep the Bramley if you've the room, ours is 25 ft across and 20 high after some serious pruning when we moved here.
As Niemeyjt mentioned they need more than one pollination partner but as long as there are any other apples, including crabs, within a quarter of a mile then you'll be fine.
Can recommend Walcot nurseries if you want a good replacement

Thanks for the info, Tris.

 

[Cozzer]

Hello
It looks to me like you have planted it too deep. The tree should have a stem and a root system below ground. Because it is planted too deep it is spouting out too far up the point where the different apple cuttings were grafted.
Regards

Thanks for your thoughts, Seascaper.
I see your point, so I scraped back some of the compost/soil this morning, only to find that the top of the root system was barely an inch below the soil level in the photo, so I'm none the wiser!
What I did do, however, was cut back the two circa-4 foot branches to about a foot, in each case just above one of original (greying) buds.
Time will tell, I suppose!