Forum home› Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Apricot tree - Precoche de saumur - growing advice

totalwisetotalwise Posts: 1
in Talkback

Hi

I bought an apricot tree, it was the only one available at the nursury and was imported from france. It doesn't say what variety it is in English but it does have a very basic international label which says it's self fertile, fast grower and that it grows 4-5m tall and 4-5m wide.

I read that apricot trees need to be grown as shrubs/bushes because they require intensive training/pruning to grow well - so it's best if the branches are low so you can tend to the tree better.

The tree has a straight trunk all the way to 1.4m - so I'm going to spread the branches from 1.4m (which is handy because it leaves a bit more room for people to walk around at this height, if it was branched off from the ground it will take too much room in the garden.

I have placed branch spreaders in so the brances are at 45 degrees (the trees branc structure is tall and slim.

So first question: How long does it take for the tree to train to the branch spreaders? and fix into position from there?

Secondly, the branches on the tree are lopsided, obviously for the tree to to be healthy it needs to be balanced. What shall I do with the branches? Shall I cut the heavy side down now, or should I wait until spring to do so?

I want to keep the long branches now and prune them off season because the branches have leaves which is required for photosynthesis for the tree to grow. So if it cut the branches now it may inhibit the tree growth.

Picture below; I know that it's not very visible so I've attached a second image that has the branches drawn over.

http://i.imgur.com/zQcNLgL.jpg

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/vdqGfD6.jpg

 

 

 

 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,131

    Hi totalwise image

    I'm a little bewildered - you say that you've bought a new rootstock - a rootstock is what the named variety is usually grafted on to.  Have you bought a rootstock or a grafted variety?

    Working on the premise that you have a grafted variety, my thoughts are these:

    Firstly, all stone fruits should be pruned in May/June, to prevent them contracting Silverleaf disease.  They should never be pruned when dormant.

    Secondly, the thing to bear in mind when pruning is the old saying 'growth follows the knife'.  That means that you should prune hard to encourage growth - so the side that you want to grow the most is the side that you should cut back most severely.  The other side you should leave alone or just tip prune - eventually the two sides will even up.  

    Lots of really useful information here http://www.readsnursery.co.uk/pages/Apricot-Trees.html 

    Also, I can't see the ground around your tree clearly, but I get the impression that it's a little overgrown - you're probably going to do this anyway, but the tree needs a circle of clear ground diameter 1 metre, to enable proper watering, feeding and mulching - otherwise grass or other plants will compete.  image

     

     


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.