Apples- what are these strange tips and am i pruning right??

bookmonster

These are howgate wonders - I'm planning to check if they are ready yet at the weekend with husband and ladder as most of them are inaccessible. What are the funny patches on them? And am I pruning the tree right? It's mostly fruited right at the top Is that  just where the bees fancied this year?? 

pansyface

Do the spots go right into the flesh or are they on the surface of the skin only?

Right inside = bitter pit.
Skin only = scab.

You can read up about bitter pit and/or scab.

Your tree looks fine. Maybe the frost came along one night and kept close to the ground and frosted the flowers lower down. The flowers higher up maybe escaped and were able to set fruit.

bookmonster

Thanks, I'll look those up. Never thought of frost as it's a late b loomer, but we did ave a rubbish spring

Chrissy the gardener

Where you trying to grow your apple as a cordon or fan with the branches trained to grow lateral? If so you should of pruned the growing stem a lot lower.
the strongest growth is now at the top so that’s where you will get the fruit.

bookmonster

Chrissy do you mean I should have tsken the top off? I was wandering that. Only got to the top tier this winter and never got round to it, anything I can do to help?

pansyface

Sorry, I didn’t realise that you were trying to train the tree into an espalier. I thought it was just supported on the trellis to save space.

Did you work out whether it was bitter pit or scab?

Chrissy the gardener

Yes if you are training it as a fan ago espalier,
you might be able to rectify it when it’s dormant in the winter, in the meantime look up growing and pruning fruit trees as espaliers.

Chrissy the gardener

Chrissy the gardener said:

Yes if you are training it as a fan or espalier,
you might be able to rectify it when it’s dormant in the winter, in the meantime look up growing and pruning fruit trees as espaliers.

bookmonster

Thanks, I'll do some research, I think I just failed to chop the top off last year as i didn't organise my husband and a ladder in time, I'll make sure we do it this winter. The pear tree will need similar attention - but cropped fine and low down, though it's a U cordon. Bizarrely it seems to be flowering at the top now... 

bookmonster

It's bitter pit, but on htis specimen at least doesn't go in very far. Most of them are affected - ****heatwave I guesss - will they be ok to eat if I cut those bits off? They're cookers anyway so will be cooking and tasting before eating. @pansyface n at least

bookmonster

I've harvested them all as some apples were very ripe, the wasps have been having a good time.