22
votes
Accepted
Hugely different results storing apples from different trees?
Quite normal. Some varieties store well, some don't. As a rule, the better storing apples are harder than the not so good for storing apples as they come off the tree. If you know the variety (beyond ...
- 22.8k
20
votes
Hugely different results storing apples from different trees?
Yes, how well an apple stores is definitely dependent on the variety. Many nurseries even market some of their trees as "good keepers". And some apples, like Spitzenburg, improve in flavor after they ...
- 9,464
15
votes
Apple seedling starting to die
It's not an apple seedling; the flower buds indicate that it's some sort of other seed that sprouted in your pot and has been taking advantage of you thinking it's an apple seedling.
- 22.8k
13
votes
What are the chances to get an edible apple from a tree grown from seed?
My experience is different. It is very easy to have a apple tree from seed.
But apple trees are not auto-fertile. This mean that to have apple on a tree, you need pollen from an other trees (and ...
- 14.2k
11
votes
Fruit thinning - is that really required?
A picture would be nice. If the trees are young, they may not yet have an extensive enough root system and canopy to support all the fruit so you end up with lots of small fruit rather then larger ...
- 23.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Dwarf Apple tree in heavy clay
Apple trees do well in clay. There are a few things you could do different next time:
do not put stones or other soil amendments in the bottom of the hole. If the planting hole has reached the clay ...
- 58.3k
10
votes
How do I stop woodpeckers from killing my beloved apple tree?
Since woodpeckers don't eat wood, concentrate on killing the insects that the woodpeckers are actually eating (rather than "keeping the woodpeckers away" by some means other than removing their food ...
- 22.8k
9
votes
What is causing this damage on my apple tree?
You have this kind of wounds of your apple tree because it was not pruned correctly. It cannot heal at the tip of the cut, so you must cut close to where the other buds or living branches are.
...
- 3,739
8
votes
Fruit thinning - is that really required?
What "full size" IS depends on what you do or don't do (and/or what "June-drop" does or not do for you.) More smaller fruit - don't thin. Less larger fruit - do thin.
From the tree's point of view ...
- 22.8k
8
votes
Accepted
What is this Apple disease?
Probably Apple Scab, which is an issue where you are, as it is in many parts of the world. It's caused by a fungus, and it affects the twigs behind the fruits and often the leaves too. Some info in ...
- 132k
8
votes
Fruit thinning - is that really required?
As well as the issue of small-sized fruit, another consequence of letting a tree over-crop by not thinning is that the tree may start a cycle of only producing a good crop once every two years.
...
- 11.3k
8
votes
Should I leave fallen apples (windfall) to rot under the tree?
According to this publication from the University of Wisconsin Extension, the larvae of several destructive insects can grow to maturity in windfallen apples:
Apple Maggot Flies (pp. 12, 14)
Codling ...
- 18.2k
7
votes
Hugely different results storing apples from different trees?
Ripening fruits produce ethylene, which in turn triggers ripening in not-already-ripening fruits - a feedback mechanism. So it may also be that by separating the fruits into different trays, you are ...
- 171
7
votes
Accepted
How can I grow seedlings from commercial apples?
Put the seed in a pot (if you want it potted) and put the pot in the ground; or plant directly in the ground. Wait for spring.
The seeds require "cold treatment" - they are programmed not to sprout ...
- 22.8k
7
votes
How to know my apple is ripe enough to collect it
If you manage to catch a windfall apple before the slugs, then try that one (maybe cutting off a bruised or only slightly slug-munched side, and eating the other). If it's tasty, others with a similar ...
- 171
7
votes
Could a wasp be hurting my apple tree?
Disclaimer: we haven't identified the wasps in question
Wasps are insectivores. If they are flyng back and forth between or around plants, they are on the hunt or scouting for food.
The wasps' ...
- 16.1k
6
votes
How and when should I prune my 5 in one dwarf apple tree, including the suckers?
Take a close look. Usually the main graft of a fruit tree is a few inches above the ground. It will appear as a lump in the trunk.
In a multiple cultivar graft, it may be higher.
In any case, ...
- 2,409
6
votes
Accepted
When should I plant an apple tree in the UK?
Doesn't matter whether you're fan training, espalier or cordon growing, the best time for planting trees in the UK is September or October. If they're container grown plants, you can plant at other ...
- 132k
6
votes
Accepted
English name of "Verde Doncella" (Spanish) apple cultivar
I think it has the same name in English. Verde Doncella. It is a Spanish cultivar, so the Spanish name of the cultivar is also used in other countries. In the Netherlands for instance we also have ...
- 13.1k
6
votes
Top growth of new apple tree is snapped
Cut, cleanly (sharp shears, don't tear the bark) at an angle just above (but don't damage it by trying to get too close) the first bud below the break.
This will have little to no effect on the ...
- 22.8k
5
votes
Fertilizing multi-variety fruit trees
It is a good thing to have mixed fruit trees. I hope they are not too close together.
The best fertilizer is nature. But nature needs time to do its work. You should store leaves and mulched grass ...
- 3,739
5
votes
How and when should I prune my 5 in one dwarf apple tree, including the suckers?
In zone 8 so I am not certain whether this is an issue for you, but if you are in an area where rabbit and rodent damage tends to be a problem, I'd recommend removing the suckers each year at the end ...
- 9,464
5
votes
How can I grow seedlings from commercial apples?
To elaborate on @Ecnerwal comments about "crab apples":
The DNA of apples is more complex than ours; a recent sequencing of
the Golden Delicious genome uncovered fifty-seven thousand genes,
...
5
votes
Accepted
How to prune 2 year old dwarf apple tree
There are two shapes recommended by the RHS here for your tree. They sound much the same and should give an idea of the long term goal.
Pyramid or Spindelbush: These are small, neat cone-shaped trees,...
- 58.3k
5
votes
How do apple trees grow?
The insertion point of the branch in the trunk will not move upwards, so you can leave it for few years and get apples next years, and only in few years you will create a branch above, or just prune ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
How do apple trees grow?
You could point it upward with a slip knot on a rope that's attached to something on the roof if it's not too close to the house, and still bendable enough. from what I've read it will only get fatter ...
- 8,826
5
votes
Can I grow an apple tree by planting an apple from a nearby tree?
Not if you just plant a whole fruit, no, very unlikely. There is a way to do it, but you need to extract the seeds from the fruit in autumn by cutting it open, lifting the seeds out carefully, then ...
- 132k
5
votes
Can I grow an apple tree by planting an apple from a nearby tree?
I don't really know for crab apples, but I can tell you my experience with germinating regular apples (not necessarily on purpose).
Anyway, I've found that if the ground is bare (has no grass, weeds, ...
- 18k
5
votes
How do I stop woodpeckers from killing my beloved apple tree?
There is some good advice from the previous posters. However, it sounds to me that you could be dealing with a sapsucker, which is a type of woodpecker.
As Ecnerwal pointed out, it can be a bit of ...
- 1,719
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