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Apple tree - advice
Mr. Vine Eye
Posts: 2,394
Hello im posting this here as I got no response on the board I first posted on:
I planted a Kidd's Orange Red apple tree in January this year - and after a couple of scares with bad cuts - it survived and is now sending out some nice strong shoots. Growth has really picked up in the last week or so.
im asking for advice because I've read conflicting guides online
I'm uncertain as to whether I should at this point be selecting the shoots I want to use for my first tier - 'rubbing out' the ones lower down so the top buds get more nutrients.
you can see that I've got a couple strong shoots at the right hand side, one smaller one but is starting to grow at the left, and a top shoot that I'll be using as the leader.
or whether as some guides suggest - I should wait til August to summer prune the ones I don't want to a few leaves from the cluster.
any help much appreciated
East Yorkshire
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Posts
It does look like it's planted pretty close to the wall, which might give you root, water and ventilation problems. Walls have a rain shadow and can also suck up water. I wouldn't pull it to the wall yet. Let it grow straight for a while yet. Most recommendations that I have seen suggest to leave about 40-50 cm (eventually) between the tiers, so that you have enough space for the spurs to grow and bear fruit. This training is a slow business and needs a lot of patience.
I can't see the growth terribly well in your photo, but if there is a shoot pointing straight towards the wall, that could, perhaps, come off. I would add some manure under the tree (if you haven't already) and keep it well watered this year (don't rely on the rain) and weed. See how things look in the autumn and again next spring. You should have a much clearer idea of which branches will be good to choose for your tiers and you will have a strong leader. It might be an idea to rub off any fruit forming after flowering for the next few years, so that energy can go into root forming and into developing the espalier structure. It's a painful, as it's so exciting to see the fruit developing, but your patience will be rewarded with a faster growing tree.
Others on the forum may well have different points of view. I hope the response helps. Try and enjoy the process and don't worry too much. It looks to me like a happy, healthy little tree! Best wishes
Thanks for the response Fire - the tree is planted a foot away from the wall, although I angled it slightly towards it. The tiers are/will be 45cm apart.
My confusion is due to the variation I've found in espalier guides
For instance:
"In the summer, three shoots should be produced. The topmost should be trained vertically to a cane and the other two to canes at 45°. Any other shoots should be summer pruned to three leaves from the basal cluster of leaves, in early to mid-August."
But some others suggest 'rubbing out' the other shoots straight away and only allowing three to grow.
I'm unsure which of those two approaches is correct.
When did you plant it?
This is how it's doing at the moment
And this is at the end of this first year's growth - end of September
This is start of growth third year (April 2020)