Apples

WE HAVE AN ORCHARD OF 18 APPLE TREES WHICH HAS BEEN NEGLECTED SINCE PLANTING 10 YEARS AGO. THERE ARE 10 VARIETIES ALL PURCHASED FROM SEED SAVERS THEY ARE HERITAGE APPLE TREES.AND WERE ORIGINALLY SUBJECT TO A FARMING GRANT. NOW WE ARE RETIRED FROM FARMING AND IN OUR 80.S HAVE MORE TIME TO TAKE FULL INTEREST … read more

We have 5 old apple trees and one old pear tree, all 10 to 15 feet high. They have always been good croppers and are professionally pruned every 2 years. In recent years, we have developed a huge problem with Codling Moth. We have used the traps each of the past 3 seasons. The first … read more

! planted a new apple tree ( bare root) early this year. started to leaf and produced two trusses of flowers with 5 flower heads on each. When flowers went the little apple buds appeared. however checked one morning to find one complete truss gone. put a mesh on the other one in case it … read more

Looking for help on pruning this old apple tree. I was pruned a couple of years back back but not sure if it was done right.A lot of new [long] shoots appeared [see pic] some are bearing fruit . Any help would be appreciated

Can you tell if this is a fungal or pest problem on my apple tree.Some leaves are going brown, others have a mosaic pattern on them and there are holes in the apples. Can you give me advice on how to treat this problem?

We have 5 apple trees, Bramley, Golden Delicious, Coxs orange Pippin, Braeburn, Floweing Crab. There was a a very good crop of blossoms on each tree, which formed small fruits on the long stems, but progressed no further. All of these fell off the 5 trees. We had a great crop last year. Just wondering … read more

Can I grow fruit trees on a north facing slope? I am in West Cork near to the sea. The land is arable and the slope is approx. 45 degrees and drains well. regards Dan O’Leary

Several years ago, we transplanted an apple tree. Most of it died but part of it recovered and grew new shoots producing apples. Another part of the tree grew new shoots producing apples also. We removed this part and replanted it and put rooting powder on the roots. Will it grow again?

One eating apple tree, 4 years old, either Katy or Fiesta (I have one of each), had a great crop of red apples but they were sticky to touch and it was not easy to wash this off. What is it? (Other eater and the Bramley got scab this year.) Should anything be done now … read more

Having tried unsuccessfully for three years to eradicate this disease from my cordon apple trees, we eventually dug them up this spring. They were in the best location ( South facing wall) so I would like to try planting other fruit trees, maybe a fig. Could this disease recur? Do you have other recommendations?

Apple tree (bramley seedling) purchased last year is showing brown sunken marks on the bark. There are two of them like this. What is this? Is it serious? What can be done?

I have a gorgeous pink lady apple tree growing at my allotment. Last night I noticed a hole in the trunk close to the bottom of the tree, about 10cm in diameter and 1cm deep. I also spotted a joint on an upper branch withy crusty, dried and flaky chunk bark. I am worried!!! What … read more

Very old apple tree (100 + yrs old) was pruned too hard to allow light to house, 3 parts of trunk cut straight across leaving main trunk and 3 stumps. It sprouted briefly afterwards but this year it seems totally dead. Twigs are dry and brown. Is there any way to save the tree? Was … read more

Please recommend disease free, sweet eating and also cooking apples trees for location in County Monaghan. I have finally thrown the towel in on trying to grow Cox Pippins despite spraying for scab etc. at recommended times. Little or no success with them after 6 years

I have what appears to be lichen on my Cox’s Pippin apple tree. Also some cankers (they look like hard sponges) on certain branches. I got little or no fruit last year through neglect. Is it too late to prune and feed and place a Codling Moth trap?

I mulched my apple trees this winter with well rotted horse manure. But then I heard that this is not a good thing to do because it promotes too much soft growth. Should I remove the mulch?

Could you recommend name of suitable apple tree to plant , i would like to plant two ,not too big and easy to grow ie not susceptible to disease . i have reasonable soil plenty of sunlight.

I recently noticed an apple blossom on the same branch as a fairly mature apple. It is a small Coronet apple tree. Would that be a usual occurrence?

We have an old apple orchard possibly 130 years old. we know the variety of some of the trees but not all. Unfortunately with the recent weather some of the trees have blown over. Would it be possible to salvage some of these varieties, i.e take a cutting and graft to a new rootstock? or … read more

I need advice on my Cox’s Pippin apples trees- 4 of them. A significant amount of the leaves turn brown and fall off each year. There are about 5-6 years old. I sprayed with Dithane this year and it only helped a little. I have read that I should spray with a dormant oil in … read more

How can I prevent my Jonagold apple tree from continuing to bend the way it is a present?.

my apple trees are 4 years old this year on 2 out of the 3 tress iv only got 2 small apples form one of them and about 6 from the other that were cracked what is the name of the white paint iv seen on some other peoples apple tree ,s ,iv this year … read more

The above trees have spent 2 to 3 years in pots in my garden. I would like to plant them in the garden now. Is it ok to do this now ( January )? What special care should I take ?

When pruning our apple tree today we noticed some branches on one side had twisted shoots – looked like a witch hazel tree! What would cause this? Is it a disease? It is more than 40 years old and is a keeper apple, not sure of the name but has upright growth and long high … read more

My apple trees are infested with scale insects, the little ones — about 3mm long and les than 1mm wide. It takes forever to scrape them off with a knife. Have you any suggestions for getting rid of them, (preferably organic)

For some years I have been setting traps for codling moths and I still have them–what now?

I burn only dry timber in my fire (no coal). I was wondering what to do with ashes? Is it too early to spread around fruit bushes? Should I keep it to spread later on in the summer around bushes or could it be put in the compost heap? Or do the ashes have any … read more

I burn only dry timber in my fire (no coal). I was wondering what to do with ashes? Is it too early to spread around fruit bushes? Should I keep it to spread later on in the summer around bushes or could it be put in the compost heap? Or do the ashes have any … read more

When is the best time for pruning back ‘very old’ apple trees?

Problems with spots in the flesh of cooking apples from my tree. They are brown and the fruit is peppered, but the outside skins look perfect?

I have a 5 year old apple tree which has always blossomed but never produced apples until this year. Mind you the fruit was poorly. I recently noticed what appears to be canker on the trunk of the tree just where it branches outwards. I have checked previous questions and you suggest potash and also … read more

I have a number of very mature apple & plum trees which I would like to cut back. Trees are between 15-20 feet high.

We have three cooking apple trees, all 70 to 80 years old. I was always told they were Bramleys, but the fruits on each are clearly different from each other. I was wondering if you could help me to identify them from the photo. Left to right, 2 apples per tree. Tree 1, all the … read more

Diseased young apple trees? spray with Jeyes Fluid now? wasp nest in compost heap

How would I go about pruning an old apple tree 30 x20 ft high?

I attach a photo of an apple growing in my back garden . I thought I purchased a Bramley apple but it’s not. I have it 2 yrs. Originally I planted it in a border but the fruit was making the branches sag, so before last winter I transplanted it to a back wall where … read more

My apples are small this year. I sprayed the base with weed killer earlier and I wonder if that could be the reason.

Fruit from tree this year has small hole in it and inside is rotten. Don’t think its an earwig, any ideas what it could be? I’ve attached a photo if it helps.

I have been growing two apple trees in pots, and they are going into their second year of winter. I am asking if you think they would be able to survive the winter outdoors at this young stage and if they will loose their leaves. Also, should I continue fertilising throughout winter?

I have two little girls that love the gardening, they want to grow an apple tree from the seed from the fruit, can this be achieved,

I have recently moved into a house that has three apple trees, one plum tree and one unknown tree in the back garden. I am a complete novice at gardening so desperately need a bit of help. All the trees have some sort of disease (rotting fruit, withering leaves, etc) to varying degrees. Help? What … read more

We have an orchard about 3 yrs old 1 tree has a lot of apples [not sure if they are eaters or cookers] they are covered in a wooly substance, and when rubbed off, are perfect underneath. it was the same last year, good with flowers , no use with fruit trees. sorry if the … read more

I have a four year old cooking apple tree and I came home from holidays to find it had fallen over. It had been leaning. The trunk has split almost all the way through just above the graft. Can this tree be saved? What’s the best plan of action? It has a good amount of … read more

my minature apple tree in pot is not doing well

We planted an orchard of 27 trees, 5 years ago with a variety of native old Irish varieties native to the West of Ireland sourced from the Irish seed savers. The trees look well have plenty of leaves, have been pruned and fed, however apart from a small number of tiny apples on two of … read more

My apple tree Discovery usually has a good apple crop and again this year has lots of apples. However they seem to be splitting/cracking. Is this a virus or weather- related or pest-related?The other tree Elstar’s apples are not affected.I recently had to cut down a Bramley apple tree badly affected by canker and prune … read more

This young apple tree’s trunk looks pretty sick, but it still has green leaves – is it apple canker? There are other apple, cherry and plum trees nearby – should i remove the tree, roots and all? and will i be able to plant another fruit tree in that location. Thanks for your advice.

I was given a cooking apple tree which had its main trunk broken in the garden centre…it’s always fruited v well but i would like to raise its canopy up…can i cut off the bottom branches now in july even though they have fruit or should i let them ripen, harvest them and do it … read more

I am just beginning to make a garden after building-work destroyed all of our previous garden. I would like to grow some fruit or vegetables to encourage the interest of my kids. The garden is north facing but long. I will need to buy soil or peat or some mixture. What is the best combination?

We have an apple tree that is about 13 years old which has given us great crops of delicious apples for the last few years, but in the last few weeks the leaves have been turning a browny colour then falling off, it looks like Autumn and now the new baby apples are falling off.we … read more

We bought 2 pears Conference and Williams Bon Chretien …both are dwarf, also apple (Discovery) and a James grieve. we got these about 2 months ago and we were advised in garden centre not to remove them from the pots as they were newly potted. when we took them home we tied the pots to … read more

Have noticed we now have brown leaves on all our apple trees ( old cottage trees and new trees) Is there a blight that has blown through or is it wind burn due to the horrendous winds we have had ? They are beginning to look like they are dying

On most of the apple trees i have (15 )the leaves are turning brown like they do in late summer what is going wrong or is there anything i can do to stop this?

Over the past week i have noticed all my apple trees ,cox and bramley, along with pear trees and its beginning with the plum trees, have got brown leaves. At first i thought it was scaB and picked those affected leaves off, but now i notice one tree is full of brown leaves-its not scab … read more

Two years ago I transplanted a Coronet apple tree from a pot directly into the garden. While it has flowered successfully since no apples appeared last year and I have discovered that the flowered buds are falling off now. Before it was transplanted I had successive harvests of apples. What do you think might be … read more

I have a dwarf apple tree (winston i think) and the leaves look like they have 2 different problems. One of the problems is that the leaves have a white powder on them, the other problem is brown spots(I put a pic of this). My gooseberries have the same problems. What is the best way … read more

my apple tree was covered in flowers a week ago. now all flowers are gone and leaves are drooping. what could be the cause of this problem? and what solution do you have for this problem if any? note this apple tree stands alone and does it need a companion apple tree?

My son planted an apple seed in the garden about ten plus years ago. it is now about 2 ft tall. do i need to graft it to another tree ,or what is the solution.i have no knowledge of grafting or propogating trees.

I have recently acquired an allotment & would really like to plant some small fruit trees or bushes. There is no issue planting same. I would like a recommendation as to what grows well in north Co Dublin soil & climate, plus where are the best places to purchase.

Was so intent to plant fruit trees (bare root). I know that time is running out, but my garden is not ready yet. Is it possible to plant them into large pots and then transfer into the groung later when my area is ready?

I am digging up the grass around my apple trees to make it easier when cutting the grass and can see little roots-am I going to damage the trees by doing this?

We have a Jonagold apple tree for 3 years. Each year we have very bad rust on leaves and fruit. What can we do to resolve this.

My 3 espalier apples trees which are 40 years old have a fuzzy white disease on the branches each year which causes the affected branches to die back. Is this wooly aphid and what product would be best to spray the trees with?

I have 5 fruit trees to plant, 3 apple trees, 1 plum and 1 cherry. How far apart should I plant them? They are all standards.

My apple trees probably didn’t get the memo last year that it was the best fruiting year in a long time. We had a very poor harvest. What is the best thing to feed fruiting trees? & when? Having said that, our entire garden seems to be having a bad day compared to our neighbours. … read more

Hessayon in the ‘Fruit Expert’ reccommends a mixture of carbendazim & fenitrothion spray for blossom wilt and mildew in Apple trees. Where would fairly large amounts be obtained. Enough for 60 trees, Fiesta and Jupiter

I have canker on small discovery apple tree: its on main stem, and it’s not that old. If I get a replacement what would you suggest, and is there any steps I could take to reduce this from occurring again?

My apple tree which is a ‘Family’ fan trained type about 18years old and virtually disease free until 3 years ago when a fluffy white cotton like fungus attacked it -I believe it may be red spider mite – I spend about 3hours a week spraying it after flowering – is there anything i can … read more

I am ten years old ad have a couple of questions to ask you about gardening.What does it mean when the leaves on my one year old apple tree curl inwards (grown from seeds)? What month do I plant pumpkin seeds and can I grow pumpkin seeds indoors?

I had 20 fruit and nut trees (plus other soft fruit)delivered last tues and have left them wrapped in the two plastic wrappers due weather. Ground here is about workable daytime and wonder if I should try get them planted before next weekend colder weather. I intend apples and pears as espaliers and plums as … read more

I have a grafted apple tree (elstar and james grieve) this year the apples had grey spots on the skin. do you know what it is ?

I have planted a Bramley seedling, it is now about 20cm tall, how long will i have to wait before it starts giving apples ?

I would like to know what to do with two old apple trees at this time of year. My Father used to care for them but since he died they fall too soon, are too small and worms or insects have bored holes in them. I have heard that grease bands should be put on … read more

We made a new orchard in the spring – planting 28 apple trees; I scattered wild flowers around the area it looks lovely; The problem i have now is very strong dock leaves and coarse grass; The wild flowers are still in flower; Is there any way i can get rid of the weeds and … read more

I have two Bramley Seedling trees which I planted as year olds last November, I also planted 1 Elstar and a James Grieve beside them. Do you think the Bramleys will pollinate with the other two oris there a better pollinator I could plant as well. I have the space.

Many apples on my 35 year old Bramley tree are rotten. Wonder why?

I have a apple tree 3 fruit its grafted i planted it too near a wall ,and i would like to move to a more suitable position its 5years old .,when is the most approprate time to do this?

is it ok to prune an apple tree and when is the best time hasnt given any fruit yet only sown two years

Is there easy way of know when my eating apple tree fruit is ripe? Im sick of taking one every few days to taste and it not ready im wasteing fruit! An my cooking apple tree the fruit when stewed tastes too acid and looks like custard when stewed help?

Wasps have taken a great liking to my apples ( Katja and Discovery).I have sprayed them with ‘Bug Clear for fruit and veg’.It does’nt appear to be working very well, can you recommend anything else ?

Is there a way to stop bees eating apples off the trees? The bees seem to be busy eating, eating…. We will have no apples if they keep eating..

I have a cooking apple tree in my garden which is there for approx 80 years. There’s a huge crop of apples on it but you cannot use them. They look perfect but they are very sour and no amount of sugar can sweeten them.

I have a friend in the country who sowed fruit trees plums-damsons and pears about 5 yrs ago and which fruited well for the first few yrs but she has no fruit this year and wants to know what to do for next year. also her 5 gooseberry bushes which were laden with fruit 2 … read more

My son has recently bought a house in Bagnelstown, Co. Carlow. It has a huge garden, with good alkaline soil & some old fruit trees. They are quite wild now, and he wants to plan a new orchard for the future. Could you tell me which varieties would be best, as they have to be … read more

We are not sure what type of apple trees we are growing but they are young, they are at a max. of 12″. There is white fur growing on the leaves, it is not on the bark as suggested in so many other people’s blog. Is this a fungus, should I be worried. It doesn’t … read more

Coronet apple tree, 5 years old, got great growth and blossoms this year but when the blossoms died away the little fruit buds withered away and fell off? what happened? and how do I remedy this for next year?

I have some woolly aphids on an apple tree. I tried getting a chemical in the local garden centre and was told that Malathion was the only one that would do the trick. But that has been taken off the market. Can you suggest another?

Could you recommend some hardy perennials to plant under apple trees.

3 years ago I purchased a dwarf containerised apple tree with 2 varieties on 1 stem (Cox’s pippin and James Grieve). Year 1 produced 25 fruits. It was repotted after that season and produced only 2 fruit last year and 1 this year. It is outside in sheltered patio and has been since purchased. Pot … read more

have 3 apple trees approx 4 years old. very little flowers this year. now there is no fruit .after flowering the stalk fell off. whats wrong?

I have two apple trees – one Elstar. this is very heavily laden with fruit, should I take some fruit off. Also have discovered a lot of cob webby looking things clinging between leaves. What should I do?

My apple and pears were attacked by sheep. they have eaten the bark off the trunk and they have also eaten this years new fruit, What can i put on the trunk for them to survive, I am afraid these will die? They have totaly ruined my crop for this year, will they grow back … read more

I have an apple tree grown from seed about 15yrs ago planted out back, it is in poor soil and about 6ft tall and 4 inch wide at trunk base. i intend to graft an eatin variety onto it. Im wonderin is it to old to move it?

I was at our apple trees today ,noticed there was lots of ladybirds on them,one of them was black with gold spots,never seen one b4,cant seem to find any info on what it is,was wondering have you come across any of them.

One of my two apple trees (Elstar) has only a few flowers this year, while the neighbouring Discovery is fully blossoming. I gave both them some potash in Nov. and in March, and both also some stable manure. What went wrong?

Is captan spraying topical or generic? I mean, when spraying, will the buds that got a hit become good fruit, while the others will not, or will the whole of the tree profit even if only one half of the tree is sprayed?

last year was the third year of eighteen apple trees in our new orchard. There were only four apples in the whole orchard that developed. there was plenty of blossom.. would you suggest we buy a butterfly tree to attract some pollination. as i understand the bees have decreased in numbers. Thanking you in anticipation. … read more

I recently acquired 4 apple trees namely Bramley, Jonagold, Annie Elizabeth and Egremont Russet. I know that the first two are triploid and the last is a good pollinator. My question is will there be cross pollination with this selection and will I have apples? They all have blossoms on them at the moment.

Could you recommend Cooking Apple, Eating Apples, Plum Trees and Eating Pear trees to plant and grow now . Heavy Alkaline soil

I have a cooking apple tree which has had curled and dried out looking leaves for the past few years, It also has lines running across the leaves. However i have always had a very good crop of apples. Is there anything i can do to prevent it this year.

The leaves on one of my apple trees goes brown during the summer every year and I wonder if there is anything that I can do now to guard against this happening this year.

Can you please tell me the names of self pollinating fruit trees?

An old friend of mine has an apple tree growing in her garden and each year the apples are attacked by codling moth. Is there any way of preventing this preferably organic . She is talking of cutting it down

Having read your piece on greenfly eggs on apple trees, I decided to inspect my own young apple trees to find that many of them have the greenfly eggs around the buds.Can you recommend a spray for greenfly eggs that would not harm other beneficial insects and predators.I could let nature take its course and … read more

these are 2 of my 3 apples-this is their 3rd year in the ground(i planted them late summer 2008) had some apples off them last year…they are not dwarf stock but the big old fashioned kind…do they need some pruning and any advice on how much to take off would be very appreciated

I need to clean my trees with something but the shops say winter wash is gone off the market. I get a lot of moss on the trees, is there anything I can do?

I planted an apple tree last year.just wondering when apples will appear

I have some old and very large apple trees, 15 to 20 metres in height. Is it possible to prune these down to a manageable height? It would probably mean cutting large branches and even the upper trunk back to bare timber, with no growth point. Would shoots grow from cuts like this? And what … read more

Two of my apple trees have severe damge caused by rabbits. The cambium has completely gone around the girth up to ten inches high. The older tree is now weeping sap. I know this is bad from reading the literature. 1)Should I put some wrappinrg around them or leave it in the lap of the … read more

I have a pear and an apple tree on my allotment which is waterlogged. Apart from doing major drainage work on the allotment is there any other sollution to this problem? I am affraid that the trees will get root rot. The allotment is leased from my local council.

I have cleaned around the base of apple and plum trees. Is there anything else I should do at this time of year?

I planted some apple trees at the beginning of October. It is now 24th Oct and one of them has buds that have opened out. I presume the frost will kill the new leaves and I’m concerned that there will be no new buds on the tree in the spring time. Is there anyting I … read more

Why use grease bands on fruit trees? Why are these tree trunks sometimes painted white?

I planted 2 crab apple trees last year and have the first crop of fruit. They seem very small apples which I know they should be but they are very little. Should I harvest the tiny apples now?

i’ve had very few apples on my trees this year. usually i have many more than this year. is it a weather issue?

I would be most grateful if you could advise me to Fruit Grafting courses coming up in the next few months in the Leinster area. I haven`t had any luck to date.

For the last two years we had a reasonable crop of apples which were maturing nicely but in the last two Septembers they have completely disappeared would magpies or buzzards have stolen them as we have a lot of both around the area, any clues

My two year old apple tree (KATJA ) has produced a wonderful crop for the first time and are delicious.However I have been told that I should not pick them all this time round.I’m not sure why as they will fall off eventually anyway. Is it something to do with energy or is it a … read more

We have 3 apple trees in our front garden. We moved into the house nearly 2 years ago but do not know how old the trees are. They are quite mature though. We are fairly novice gardeners and in the last few weeks have found a grey sort of bubbly fungus on the trunks of … read more

We have about 6 (out of about 12) apple trees that produced few leaves this year, leaves have brown spots, are dry and fruit is sparse. They look sick. The trees are about 13 years old, dwarf, not sure the specific types, but various types. We have lived here 3 years and the past 2 … read more

This appears to be a bad Summer for Pollination of Fruit trees in the West of Ireland.Can you give me some ‘specific advise’ about the pruning of young Fruit trees. The trees are only in their second year from the Garden Center and are Apple and Plum.

I bought an apple tree today. I can’t find the information I am looking for on the internet. I wonder can you help me. It is Malus ‘Redlane’ and I would like to know does it need a second one to pollinate it.

Cooking apples are rotting on tree , leaves are curled.Most of the apples appear fine but some rot very quickly and fall.Any help would be appreciated.

my cooking apples which are a year planted are producing really big apples but close up the apples have huge fissures in them. i opened one and it looked perfect on the inside. its just unsightly on the outside. is it to do with inconsistant watering?

CAn you advise why my single apple tree had apples on for the first 2 years but none this year and how can I make sure it produces next year?

My dad’s apple and pear trees are not bearing any fruit this year. He is wondering if it is due to a frost that may have occured when he was away in April.

Our Bramley is sick, its 30 years old lots of blossom but few apples and leaves are sparse except on the top, would it have suffered during the dry spell? Our soil acid dries out but none of the other trees have suffered. We have had a bumper crop each year and was expecting the … read more

I have a problem with a new Bramley apple tree I planted this summer. It has a white fungus growing on where the branches meet the trunk. When I rub it off, its red!!!!! like blood. Can you help please?

is it a good idea to keep the amount of fruit on apple trees (a year planted) to a minimum so that the energy goes into the root system

do you need to spray every year even if no sign of scab?

My mother recently set apple tree ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ and she has noticed brown rusty spots or patches on the trees and she was wondering is there a spray to use on young apple trees.

What is the best treatment? Have used Nimrod and Bugclear to no avail.

I have 2 coronet apple trees. They were fine until about 2/3 weeks ago. They had brown/black spots on leaves which then developed into the the leaf becoming almost scorched or burned looking and crumbles away. They have been kept well watered and were fed potash some time back. One of them has no fruit … read more

I have a Coronet apple tree with leaves curling and dry what is wrong with it?

I have two young apple trees, this is their first year to blossom. I have them since they were little more than whips they were a gift in 2006. They appear to be very healthy, they are old varieties, Appletown Wonder and Glenstal Cooker.One of them has 4 – 5 blossoms and the other is … read more

I have two Conference pears put in two months ago grown as espalier on sunny wall. They flowered but now the leaves are curled and dry. maybe lack of water, dont know, hope they will recover. Also will they cross pollinate okay.

Copper sulphate is sometimes recommended for canker. Any views?

just purchased one Grenadier apple tree. The internet says partially self fertile….what is your opinion?. I am in suburbia and there may be other trees about but none I know of in my estate.

Gerry, ashes from wood fire are good as potash source, isn’t it? What about coal ash?

I have just invested in two new apple trees, Discovery and Katya, also have an old unproductive tree.when should I spray and with what? have sulphate of phosphate to feed in next few days .thanks

Is there still time to prune Bramley and Coxs Pippin apple trees planted last Spring.

We moved in to a new house 2 years ago. We have a space of approx. 40ft x 50ft which we hope to plant as an orchard and small veg patch. We want to sow varieties of cooking apples, eating apples, plums, pears and maybe cherry trees. Somebody mentioned to us to get dwarf varieties, … read more

hello GerryMy grandchildren are hugely interested in helping me in the garden they are aged six years and eight years like all children they expect instant results i have a polytunnell so seeds aregreat in that respect they are both boys they want an apple tree that will have apples they can eat in the … read more

I know about the “June Drop”, but my apples (Worcester Pearmain), growing against a South facing wall, keep dropping until they are all gone, long before they are ripe, or big enough. Is this a deficiency?

We have an apple tree thats continually getting covered in moss. Is there something we can spray/treat it with to get rid of it? Thanks.

I have geothermal pipes under my only south facing wall. Can I plant MM106, quinceA ,St Julien A and colt rootstock trees over them. the pipes are ! metre deep. The guy in the nursery said the root will extend below 1 metre.

Where can one purchase ‘winter wash’ for friut trees? It must have another name now – was it ‘tar wash’? Your help would be appreciated.

Hi! I’m growing two apple trees as espaliers. I got them as 1 year old maidens last winter, pruned them above a bud and they’ve grown the first level of branches this summer. However, one of them only grew one branch, on the left. Is there any way I can encourage it to produce another … read more

Gerry…I put wood ashes on my fruit trees, but i use firelighters to start fire. How poisonous is this for my garden. Thank you.

Hi Gerry, congratulations on a great site. I’m having difficuly sourcing trained apple and pear tees in Ireland – any suggestions? Kind Regards.Brian

I have a new ‘woodland’ garden, bounded by mature trees but freshly landscaped with paths and planting areas. In the middle, the least shaded area, bounded by wooden roundels is a patch planted with 5 young fruit trees and filled in with meadow grass. The meadow grass, though beautiful in the spring, grew tall and … read more

Hi Gerry. When is it suitable to prune apple and plum trees and about how much should you take off them? Thanks Breda.

looking for old variety of apple tree dont know botanical name it was always called lady finger.

Planted two years in unsuitable place. Can I move them now?

hi gerry i have just planted an apple ‘Elstar’ and pear ‘Conference’. There are no other flowering trees or shrubs in my garden yet its a new house ..do i need to plant something to cross-pollinate them?

Gerry,We grow our own fruit -plums, apples and damsuns. We have made delicious rum pot and damsun wine in the past. We are keen to make cider and would like to purchase an apple press. However, we do not know where one can buy these in ireland or are there course available on winemaking. Any … read more

I have a single Apple Tree “James Grieve” which I planted 3 years ago. This year there is a fair number of large fruit- We have had 2 or 3 windfalls in the past week (1st week Sept). The fruit is very firm to hard and lacks any sense of ‘sweetness’- There would appear to … read more

Gerry We have purchased a farm on which there are some very old apple trees. Part of the trees are actually rotten in that the branches just crumple when handled. Yet some of the branches are still alive and have produced quite reasonably sized fruit. We just wonder how and when we can cut off … read more

I INHERITED A SITE/GARDEN WITH SOME APPLE TREES UPON IT ,I AM TOLD THAT THEY PROBABLY GREW FROM SEEDS THAT WeRE THROWN OUT ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO . LAST YEAR I PLANTED 2 NEW APPLE TREES ALONGSIDE THE OLD ONES. THERE WAS PLENTY OF FRUIT LAST SEPT/OCT BUT THIS YEAR I HAVE NONE. SHOULD I … read more

My Bramley tree has grown very “leggy”with long thin branches that bend excessively with fruit. Can I shorten these branches and if so when?

Hi Gerry, I’m just wondering can I do the above,they are Coxs orange ippin and Apple Laxtons superb.Also how near do they need to be planted and when can I expect some fruit?Thank you

Dear Gerry,i planted both Malus ‘Cox’s orange Pippin’ and ‘Elstar’ May ’06. aThey have now produced fruit. They are both approx 2 metres tall 500mm wide. Fruit is about 1.5 inches diameter. Some apples have fallen (I need to support trees better also – weight dragging them sideways). Can you please tell me when the … read more

I inherited two trees when I bought my house 3yrs ago. One is an apple tree. The other one seems to have died! this is recent. I am concerned that the disease could have spread to the apple tree:which now has brown spots on it’s leaves. Should i have the dying/dead tree cut down-do I … read more

Any suggestions for a lovely apple tree and Pear tree and also cooker apple tree – planning my fruit and veg plot at the moment and would appreciate any suggestions. Soil is neutral.

newly purchased Elstar apple tree – in pot – taken home and soaked in bucket of water overnight as it appeared very dry. Following day the leaves look curled and the new growth has wilted. The second apple tree ‘braeburn’ looks a bit sad also but the morello cherry tree looks fine – all 3 … read more

what am i doing wrong while i am getting some small fruit i am getting plenty of growth

No Flowers on one of my apple trees this yearwhy is that?

My apple tree, a 15-year old Egremont Russet, fruits prolifically one year, and not at all the next. What can I do to get a (smaller OK) crop every year?

Gerry – I have 3 apple trees growning on a south facing wall. They are 4 years old. This year, for the 1st time, the leaves at the very end of some braches are looking witherd and have a greyish colour. What should I do.

can you use the ash from a wood pellet home heating system as a source of potash to soft fruit and apple trees.

Hi Gerry, I was reading the jobs to do in May ,I was wondering what spray to use on my apples and pear trees.The blossoms are already on the trees ,so would it be allright to spray them.hope to hear from you soon . Rosemarie.

planted 3 trees, apple, pear, plum last year. apple fruited, maybe dozen, v small, fell early. No great hopes for fruit, planted mainly for interest, fruit bonus. If left alone, not pruned etc. will they grow ok? Pear well flowering, apple starting, plum just leaves. Beside the sea, both sides, and garden high and fairly … read more

Are there any fruit trees that would grow in a new rural garden that is exposed to strong south-westerly winds? I plan to grow native hedging and shelter belts of trees, should I wait till they are established? Or would there be any point in planting fruit trees to give them some time to establish….even … read more

Gerry, In the last 10 days I planted several apple trees using rootstock M111 (large standard). I allowed 12ft between them and have now read elsewhere that I should have allowed 18ft +. Can they be moved now or will I leave well enough alone? They were from containers. Thanks.

I have space in my garden for an apple tree but I am told that one is no good as it will need a pollinator beside it. Is this essential?