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Help first time planting an apple tree

rwa1947rwa1947 Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
I always wanted an apple tree in my garden. I bought one two weeks ago and planted it in my garden. The leaves have turned yellow. My soil is part clay so I dug it up and put it in a large container. I need your advice please I want to save this apple tree and see it flourish in my garden. Appreciate your advice 

Thanks Richard Galway 

Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Was it in a pot when you bought it? Did you keep the root ball together when you transplanted it? Was it all of the leaves went yellow?

    Make sure it does not dry out and maybe keep it somewhere sheltered and not in full sun since it has had some root disturbance. Posting a picture of the plant may make giving advice about your tree easier.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    pansyface said:


    3. What made you dig it up? Do you know something about the soil in your garden that made you think a container was healthier?




    "The leaves have turned yellow. My soil is part clay so I dug it up"
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    I think he rescued the tree when he saw what was happening to the leaves while it was planted in the clay soil.

    I'm assuming he put a different mix in the pot while he decides what to do.
  • rwa1947rwa1947 Posts: 2
    Many thanks for your response- I bought the Bramley apple tree from a reputable nursery. It was well watered and blooming, I removed it from the pot and planted it in my garden. I mixed the clay soil with some compost soil with some banana skins. Two weeks later the leaves started turning brown. Here is the image of the apple tree 

    Appreciate your help 
    Richard
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    The top part of your tree covers a much bigger area than the roots in the pot so I don't think it will do well long term in that sort of constrained root space. The part going brown might just be the plants reaction to not having enough active roots to keep all of the top growth growing when moved to a more exposed position in your garden and it might have let these parts die off while it tried to grow more roots when you planted it out. Digging it up has probably set it back again with any new roots that were developing probably being damaged when transplanted again. Banana skins sounds like an unusual soil additive to get your tree to settle in its new position but organic material does usually improve clay soil. I am more inclined to leave the organic material as a mulch and let the earth worms bring it into the ground and improve the structure as they do it. Your tree looks over all healthy but it most likely has been damaged by the transplanting so my own feeling is that it might be better to wait until after the hottest part of the summer to plant it out in the garden. Put it in before a good amount of rain is forecast and thoroughly soak the ground before putting it in its growing site in the garden. It will be natural for the leaves to fall off in autumn anyway. Make sure to provide some support for the tree when it is newly planted out with strong stakes to tie it to while the roots settle.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
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