Apple Trees Are King

As those of you who love my blogs, or have commissioned me, will know, I am slightly obsessed with apple trees. Apples are the king of fruits, more delicious and versatile than any other, so much so that when a fruit is discovered that nobody knows what to call it, it is usually called an (add name here) apple. However it isn't the fruit itself that most obsesses me but the tree and especially the tree and the relationship that generations of carers will have with it throughout its life. 

It is a mostly irrational act to plant an apple tree (or indeed mostly any tree). To invest time and money in planting a nascent apple tree, neither you nor your children will get to fully experience its eventual majesty. It is a gift for those that will come after, the same as those trees that we enjoy now are a gift from those that came before. So perhaps it is more transactional. Apple trees are also a contradiction in terms in that they are both fast and slow growing at the same time. They are so eager to get to the sun that they become a wooden Icarus - their wings grow much faster than their strength will allow. 

This is why an ancient apple tree is so magnificent. Like a D-Day veteran, they simply shouldn't still be here. My favourite tree is perhaps the centrepiece of my parents' garden. It is the sole survivor of what was once an orchard, planted in the 19th century. It is entirely possible that it met Charles Darwin or Arthur Conan Doyle, it certainly has survived 2 world wars, the house being the centre of the Canadian armed forces, perhaps at 20 years old it witnessed a serviceman saying goodbye to his sweetheart, after that the famed Dimbleby family owned the house, perhaps the death of the King and coronation of Elizabeth 2 were discussed under its canopy, then there was another family, then after the Great Storm of 1987 (when it probably thought how can this get any worse) the Thomases rocked up. 

It has since been a football post, a cricket wicket, climbing tree and survived both a marujana soaked gardener called Darrin who liked to take a chainsaw to it each Autumn and my father and mine endless pursuit of the perfect lawn (the English version of the Pursuit of Happiness in the US constitution) which often involved an Oppenheimer style path of destruction. It has survived lockdown and three generations of our family have sought sanctuary from the Summer heat under its shade. It has provided delicious fruit for all sorts of mains, desserts and accompaniments,  including apple sauce to go with chicken roasts - my brother in law (northern) says having apple sauce with chicken is weird but I surely recommend it. It will likely maintain its position as the sentinel of the garden and watch man go to the stars long after we are all gone.

During the course of my career I have met 100's, maybe over 1000 apple trees, the size of its trunk, the strength of its bows and its integrity is beyond compare: I am still climbing it 40 years later but this time for a different reason. 

Which (after this unashamed bout of tree hugging) brings me to the point of this article: Apple Trees - how to plant, prune and maintain in the hope that your tree can be so magnificent too. 

Planting - Unless you are spending the big bucks, you can usually pick up a bare root tree for circa £30. You need to be aware that most apple trees do not self fertilise, so unless your neighbours also have trees, you probably want three to be sure. These trees are usually about 1m tall and 2 years old. Find a sunny spot that is protected from the prevailing wind. Dig a hole that is twice as wide, and 1 1/2 as deep as the root base. Soak the root base for one hour in a bucket before planting. Place the tree in the hole and refill with 50% of the soil that you excavated, add some fungi pellets such as 'Root Grow' to do exactly what it says on the tin, then fill in with compost.

Make sure to press down all around so the tree is secure and water thoroughly - the roots need water to meet the soil. If you wish you can add a support post at a 45 degree angle but I personally think this unsightly and unnecessary if you have planted in the right place. Eitherway this should be removed after at most three years to let the tree and its' roots fend for itself. Keep it watered if very hot but it should be encouraged to find its own happy medium. 

Pruning - The most important part of an apple tree is its trunk - from where all else grows. It needs all the tree's energy to grow thick and strong. When the tree is 3 - 5 years old you should focus on this. Don't get excited about shape or fruit just yet but focus on firstly the truck developing, then once this has happened select a few bows (branches in leymans) and cut all else back to the trunk once the tree is dormant in Winter. Make sure to use sharp secateurs and that the cut is clean so that it will heal properly. 

After this time, 5 - 7 years, the tree will start to establish itself and start its race for the Sun. In the Winter, cut back anything that points downwards to the bow, remove anything else growing from the trunk but allow the three or four strongest new stems to grow from the ends on the bows, cut them so that there are two or three buds showing. Repeat each year and begin to shape the tree. It will naturally be more virulent on the South, South West facing Sun in Southern England so keep an eye on this and cut back accordingly so that it does not become lopsided. Try to keep the centre of the tree empty, so cut back anything pointing inwards.  

Once the tree is 7 years old it will likely be around 7 - 8 foot tall and hopefully have a sturdy trunk and bows, and produce fruit during the Summer. From now on you should only prune biannually - the fruit grows on the old wood not the new shoots. When branches get too full thin out to allow airflow and stop the branches rubbing, repeat the steps above and you will be fine. I tend to follow a rule that when a young tree is getting gowing, if a 6ft man cannot prune it without a ladder, then it is too leggy and should be cut back to allow the branches, bows and trunk to catch up. 

At 10 years old the tree should be roughly 10 ft tall with a thick trunk and bows, this is where, unless you are confident, I suggest you call in a professional .Not only is the tree the most vulnerable but it can be dangerous work. You have done your job rearing the tree, it is time to hand it over and enjoy.

Perhaps one day your tree will be a goal post and see the Mars landing too!