Posted in Fruit Questions on July 8, 2008 | 1 Comment »
When the cold wet weather of May gave way to a warm evening early in June I went to spray the fruit trees with a foliar feed. Walking through the apples I was struck by the contrast between a few trees with every leaf crimped and the trees whose leaves were in full vigour. [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on June 19, 2008 | 1 Comment »
How difficult is to control the pests in cherry in the UK ? What are the major locations of cherry cultivation in the UK ?
The reason I am asking this is that a company in Canada sells netting for cherry trees in British Columbia, Canada and it has proved very effective in the control of [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on June 10, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Can Adrian Baggaley or anyone else advise on the summer pruning of cordon and other forms of trained plums. I have read somewhat contradictory advice.
Some recommend pinching back to 6 leaves during the summer and then pinching any secondary growth back to one leaf.
Others recommend pinching back to 6 leaves during the summer and then [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on May 13, 2008 | 3 Comments »
I sometimes grow strawberries from seed scraped off the skin of the fruit. The results are variable, fruit comes in all shapes and sizes, and flavour is anything from excellent to wet cardboard; but hitherto the seedlings have always behaved like strawberries. Now, however, I have one that thinks it is a raspberry [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on May 8, 2008 | 3 Comments »
A recent article in the Telegraph newspaper suggested that ‘Families planting fruit trees in pursuit of the “Good Life” are putting their homes at risk of subsidence’. The writer went on to explain that according to figures produced by Sainsbury’s Home Insurance 12% of insurance pay outs for subsidence were caused by trees and [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions, tagged Add new tag on May 3, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I am interested in a Victorian gardener from Rutland. We have discovered that he may have been responsible for an apple seeding and would like some information about it.
The variety is Shillaker’s Seedling. I have done an internet search and tried our local libraries but so far my searches have been fruitless. I presume it [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on April 25, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The pictures below are of a tree in an community orchard in Harston, Cambridgeshire.
The bark has been shed completely on all of the main boughs, which have died as a result. There are extensive beetle larvae galleries on the affected areas.
Has anyone else experienced this sort of damage? Does anyone know what has caused it?
Bob [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on April 23, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I am researching the feasibility of planting a community orchard in North Wiltshire.
Orchards are not a typical landscape feature within the region which until quite recently was used primarily for dairy farming. Anecdotal evidence is that most farms had an orchard and that many of these have been grubbed up.
Does anyone know about this? I [...]
Posted in Fruit Questions on April 23, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Can anyone help with recommended pruning for closely planted Gisela 5 rootstock cherries. Distance is approx 2m and we are considering between bush (are our spacings too close) and pyramid.
Liz Dentith
Posted in Articles, Fruit Questions on April 5, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I am trying to find any information on the Copmanthorpe Crab, an apple named after a village outside York. Although Hogg and others record it as a synonym for Dutch Mignonne, Lindley questioned how a local apple grown outside York could be mixed up with a well known continental variety and called for closer comparison. [...]
