Problems with Catshead apple?
Feltim
Posts: 2
We have two espalier "heritage" apple trees - one a Catshead, and the other a St Edmund's Russet. The Catshead was planted about four years ago, and had a severe aphid attack in its first year.
Last year, it produced one apple! This year, it hasn't produced anything, although it had an attack of scab this spring, and I had to deal with aphids again last week. By comparison, the St Edmund's Russet, which is a year younger, has produced apples for the first time this year, and has at least a dozen apples growing on it. It generally seems much healthier.
Is there anything else I should be doing? I'm feeding both apples every fortnight with liquid seaweed. I gather that Catsheads are a bit slow in fruiting, but should ours be doing more than it is?
Posts
Our 40 foot tall Catshead has about half a dozen apples on it this year. Normally we get hundredweights from it. It is a later flowering one so perhaps there are no other pollinating apples around at the right time?
Thanks, Berghill
No that's not it - the St Edmund's Russet is a pollinating partner, and is close by, so there was no problem there. The Russet still had flowers on it when the Catshead came into flower.