Apple Planting
I need answers about apple planting. I've grown six apples from seeds of three different varieties, they are 1 year old and are 7 and half feet in tall. Most of them are fastly growing but some of them don't seem to grow that fast. I wish they could have branches, how can I encourage branch grow to them? Can I prune them as they grow taller to have a reasonable height? Thanks... Jamil @ Philippines
Last edited: 11 May 2017 01:24:33
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HELLO JAMIL.
APPLE SEEDS ARE LIKE CHILDREN. ONE PARENT APPLE PRODUCES FLOWERS (THE MOTHER) AND ANOTHER PARENT APPLE PRODUCES FLOWERS (THE FATHER) AND THE BEES COME ALONG AND FERTILISE THE FLOWERS.
THE APPLE SEEDS THAT FORM IN THEIR COMBINED BABY APPLES LOOK LIKE BOTH THEIR PARENTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, AN APPLE IN A SHOP CONTAINS SEEDS THAT WILL NOT GROW INTO THE SAME VARIETY OF APPLE.
SO YOUR SIX LITTLE TREES ARE ALL NEW VARIETIES. SOME TALL, SOME SHORT, SOME RED, SOME GREEN.
YES, YOU CAN PRUNE THEM AND THAT WILL ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE BRANCHES. BUT COMMERCIAL APPLE TREE GROWERS CONTROL THEIR TREES IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
TO CONTROL THEIR HEIGHT, THEY GROW ANOTHER TYPE OF TREE, WHICH BECOMES A ROOTSTOCK. EACH TYPE OF ROOTSTOCK MAKES A TREE OF A DIFFERENT HEIGHT. THEN THEY TAKE A CUTTING FROM THEIR NEW BABYBTREE AND GRAFT IT ONTO THE ROOTSTOCK.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT AN APPLE TREE YOU CAN SEE A SWELLING ON THE TRUNK NEAR TO THE SOIL. THAT IS WHERE THE ROOTSTOCK AND THE NEW VARIETY ARE GRAFTED TOGETHER.
BY GRAFTING THE NEW VARIETY ONTO A COMMERCIAL ROOTSTOCK YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKE THE TREE FLOWER AT A YOUNGER AGE, GROW TO A STANDARD HEIGHT, HAVE MORE RESISTANCE TO DISEASE AND MANY MORE THINGS.
GOOD LUCK.
Last edited: 11 May 2017 07:42:56
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
Thanks Pancyface! Such a wonderful knowledge to have shared with me.??