Fruit: Tree Forms and Rootstock

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Most fruit trees prefer a sunny position. Avoid exposed situation if possible; otherwise plant closer together to provide mutual protection. Choose a tree form and rootstock to suit the available space, allowing adequate room for the ultimate size. Fruit trees are grafted onto various rootstocks mainly to control their growth and form. Details of available rootstcks will be found described in each section.

TREE FORMS - Fruit Trees can be trained into many different forms, making it possible to grow fruit in any garden however small, again each form will be described in each relevant section.

PRUNING - A basic guide to required puning will be found in each section, however for an in depth guide to pruning we recommend the Royal Horticultural Society book 'The Fruit Garden Displayed'.

TREE FORMS
MAIDEN - A maiden tree is a one year old tree, which requires training.

BUSH - For the small garden where a traditional tree shape is required a bush is the best choice, as the branches are within easy reach for picking, pruning and spraying.

CORDON -Where space is very limited cordon fruit trees are ideal, each tree is planted at an angle of 45 degrees against wires or a fence abour 2 foot six sinches apart and trained as a single stem, all side growths are pruned back from early summer to encourage the formation of fruiting spurs. We do not usually stock cordons as they are easily trained from maidens.

HALF STANDARD - Useful where space is not a problem or for a tree to grow in a lawn. These trees are trained to have a 3-4 foot clear stem before the lowest branch. Usually grafted to a vigorous rootstock a half standard will form a medium to large heavy cropping tree.

ESPALIER - Excellent for covering walls or fences, these trees consist of a single stem rom which more or less opposite pairs of branches are trained out at right-angles on each side, along wires.

FAN - As the name implies this involves training branches outwards from a main central stem, forming a complete fan of branches. These trees are only suitable for training against a wall or fences using training wires.

FAMILY TREES - A very useful form of tree usually grown as a bush, the tree has three diferent varieties grafted together, these have been selected to pollinate each other so the tree will fruit even when planted on its own.

Procedure for pruning Bush / Half Standard (Apples and Pears)

First winter after planting - Choose three or four leading branches as the framework of the tree. Cut out any unwanted leaders especially in the centre of the tree and cut back the chosen leading branches by half or two thirds their length to an outward facing bud.

Second winter after planting - By now the tree should have six to eight new leading branches, cut these back by half to an outward facing bud.

Third winter after planting - New growth which is to be kept as part of the framework of the tree should be pruned back by half its length. Unwanted new growth should be cut back to four buds. Any new growth which crowds the centre of the tree should be completely removed.

Pruning an established tree- Most varieties produce their fruit on spurs along the branches. Prune these by removing any dead or diseased wood and any branches which are growing into the centre of the tree. Leading branches should be left unpruned and side branches (laterals) should be shortened by half their length.

* Certain varieties produce their fruit on the tips of the branches (tip bearing varieities). These include Blenheim Orange, Bramley's Seedling, Discovery, Lord Lambourne, Tydeman's Early and Worcester Pearmain. Prune these by removing diseased and overcrowded branches, cut back some of the leading branches by half their length but do not prune lateral branches which have fruit buds at the tip.

Procedure for training / pruning a Cordon

After planting a maiden tree, the main stem should be cut back bu one foot to encourage side growth, a new leader should then be chosen and tied to a cane and allowed to grow until the top of the training wire is reached, then remove the growing tip. All the new sidegrowths should be pruned back to the third leaf from the main stem to encouarge the formation of the fruit bearing spurs.

Procedure for training / pruning a Espalier

Espallier trees are usually supplied with teo tiers of parallel branches but can be trained to produce as many tiers as you like.

First winter after planting - Cut back the leader as near as possible to two opposite bubs; leaving 12-18 inches. When growth begins remove all but the top three shoots. To encourage fruiting spurs along the horizontal branches these can be cut back by one third of their length. When the new growth is mature, usually at the end of July, the two lateral branches can be tied to the third training wire. New growth produced along the horizontal branches should be cut back to the third leaf from the main stem, except the terminal shoot which should be left unpruned and tied to its support wire.

Second and subsequent winters - Repeat above procedure until the required number of tiers is reached.

APPLE ROOTSTOCKS
MM111 - A vigorous rootstock mainly used for half standard trees, reaching a height of approximately 12-14 feet in ten years. Excellent collar rot and general disease resistance.

MM106 - A semi-vigorous. general purpose rootstock, often used for bush, cordon, espallier and half-standard trees, reaching a height of approximately 12-12 feet in ten years.

M26 - A semi-dwarf rootstock good for a bush or cordon where space is limited, reaching a height of approximately 8-10 feet in 10 years.

M27 - A very dwarf root stock producing a true mini-tree reaching no morethan 6-7 feet, also suitable for cordons.

APPLE POLLINATION
Apples are divided into groups 1, 2 and 3, according to flowering time. To ensure pollination choose differnt varieties of apples from the same group. Varieites labelled S.F. (Self-Fertile) may set a crop on their own but are more likely to crop if pollinated by a different variety from the same group. Varieties labelled T. (Triploid) must be planted with two different varieties from the same pollination group in order to set fruit.

Common Problems with Apples
Scab - Yellowish-brown to black blotches develop on leaves and fruit- leaves fall prematurely.

Mildew - White coating of fungus develops on leaves and shoots.

Codling Moth - Fruit tunnelled by caterpillars, often exterior holes.

Woolly Aphid - Grey-brown aphid coloured in white fluff, which gives the appearance of a fungus.

Aphid - Leaves, buds or shoots infested by insects, foliage sticky, sometimes shooty.