Last month I completed a pretty radical round of pruning in the orchard. The pear trees got off lightly as they had done so well last year and only needed a few little snips to keep them on track, however some of the apple trees needed something more radical.
Tree number nineteen at the back didn’t even survive. It had no fruit last year and precious little foliage.By the time I had cut off all the diseased wood there was nothing left. Sadly it was completely overcome with canker.
The cox’s orange pippin I gave a pretty radical prune for shape and also to get rid of the worst diesased wood. Hopefully it now has a more ‘open’ shape and will fruit again happily when it has recovered.
The tree in front of number 19 also bore no fruit last year- or rather there were about a dozen fruit that never matured. I gave it a radical prune and I’m also hoping that the removal of the alder tree at the beginning of the wood helps.
The Norfolk Royal I gave the start of a good prune and then gave up- I think I shall finish next year and I never even started the Spartan.
The tree behind the Spartan also had a radical prune. Again, very few fruit last year so hopefully the prune will help.
easterneden 