Leaning Problem.
By siris
6 comments
With the wet weather, after no appreciable rain during the summer, I have a leaning problem with my apple trees. They are so loaded with fruit that two of them are in danger of falling over.
I trained my trees to create arches. In the Spring, when covered in blossom they look like wedding arbours. All my apple trees are on dwarfing root stocks, M27, but after 35 years!
This is Jonagold Red, which is a triploid, as well as being sterile, it is quite vigerous.
This is Green sleeves, which has green desert apples, and is toppling to the right.
Winter Gem is to the right and is upright.
I need to drastically prune the horizontal branches after the apples have been picked. In the meanwhile OH has made some notched props, and between us we pulled them nearly upright and propped the trees up.
Hopefully after surgery, with the props in place over winter they will remain standing to attention next year.
10 Sep, 2015
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Comments
so much fruit, good to see the trees laden down but not good that they are leaning, hope your props work for you.
11 Sep, 2015
Its a good apple year isn't it, hope the props work for you, one of ours is not a good one for storing so lots of the apples will end up in the compost, think its Worcester Pomaigne, the other is a different variety, stores well and will provide for the birds through the winter as well as pies for us..
11 Sep, 2015
Diane, all my 4 apples are eaters, but we we cook the fallers, immediately because they are bruised where they have hit the ground.
Lincsl, Green sleeves does not keep well. It stays a green colour, but is not tart.
Oo, it is my own fault that they are leaning, was reading that apples on M25 should be staked their whole life, and making an arch, has made them top heavy.
12 Sep, 2015
Oops, fingers xx the stakes and a good pruning will sort them out Siris, one often sees very neglected fruit trees in gardens and they always seem to recover when given a good pruning..
12 Sep, 2015
They have not so much been neglected Lincsl, more a question of training the leader inappropriately, they get summer pruned each year.
13 Sep, 2015
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Amazing. Apples are really heavy. Hope they all keep
over the winter. I never eat them raw, they cause Arthritic pain for me. Shame, but we have to look after ourselves these days.
11 Sep, 2015