APPLES-
A five year-old Gala apple tree, trained properly can produce about 40-50 pounds of fruit yearly in a 10 x 4
foot space. It will be productive for many years in that small space if planted on a Malling 9 root with the trunk
at a sharp angle, instead of vertical, and the main limbs growing from the tilted trunk were also
pulled over to about a 45 degree angle in a "zig-zag"
pattern in the "wall" of the tree. Any vigorous limb
extending out from the tree structure should be removed. Most of the
weaker shoots are left uncut, and become productive apple producers
for a few years, until removed to provide space for younger replacement
wood. This training method is easy to learn and leads to easy
care. Fruit production starts the season after planting. Pruning
entails removing about 1/3 - 1/4 of the "old" wood each winter,
and bending any new, replacement wood over to at least a 45 degree
angle. Light penetration, blossom thinning, spraying and production
is easy to maintain in this training system.
First, and most importantly, do not plant a fruit tree if you are not willing
to care for it for many years.
When you move to a new home (and
most do), will the tree be cared for after you leave? Most likely,
not. There is great joy in consuming your own fruit, but some
long-term effort is involved. Apples and pears may outlive YOU,
so count on a long-term commitment.
When growing fruit trees- plant those that
will remain small, using special rootstocks. (The variety's vigor
and tree size is controlled by the root, fruit size and quality
will be unaffected.) Small trees will be easier to thin, spray
and prune, and will keep production within sensible limits.
The best apple
rootstock choices are M9 or M26 for very small (7-10 foot,
supported trees) or CG30 (a better replacement for M7) for a free
standing 1/2 sized tree (12 ' wide, by 10-12 ' tall at maturity).
Never plant a "seedling" or other full sized rootstock.
They are slow to come into bearing, and hard
to manage. "Mark" rootstocks are available, and
produce a tree about the size of a M26, but do best on very good
soil, and should be irrigated carefully during hot weather. If
the store tries to sell you an un-named "semi-dwarf"
ask for specifics, or keep looking for something better. That
tree will be with you forever, and proper choices about rootstocks
are critical. With M9 you can grow a single variety, which will
produce about 80-100 fruit per tree at maturity. The tree will
grow to about 8 feet high by about 7 feet or so across, if well
tended and tied to a post. If you have a bit more room, try a
M26 rootstock. You should still support this tree with a post,
wall, or fence, but it will be about twice as large in tree volume
as the M9. You may wish to bud more than one variety to limbs
of these M26 rooted trees as they get older, you may not need
the 2-3 boxes of fruit each one of these trees will produce.
As for varieties: There are
hundreds of great apple varieties. Only a few dozen actually are
good choices for whatever region you are in. The wonderful apple
you remember from you childhood is worth looking for, but may
not be as good as you remember. Remember- apples need cool conditions
for storage. A box of fruit is too much for your 'fridge, so you
may want to choose late maturing apples for your main crop varieties.
They will keep for a few months or more in a cold (but not colder
than 28F) garage. For example, Fuji, Cameo, Braeburn, and Granny
Smith keep well and are easy to find. Many other varieties
may be found, but few will keep well AND taste good. It is fun
to try some tasty "heirloom" varieties, but most aren't
actually as good "keepers" as modern varieties, despite
what you might hear. Applesauce is great in moderation, but it
may become tiresome as a storage method for some of the older,
"good tasting", but sometimes poor keeping varieties.
| Apple
Varieties |
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PEARS - STONE FRUIT - SEEDLESS GRAPES - HARDY KIWI - IRRIGATION
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