Apple Tree Recovery – Pruning & how to revive an old tree

When we moved here some years back we were presented with quite a wilderness. The house was just about to reach at least its second dereliction in as many decades and the garden was in need of some serious help to try and bring it back to some semblance of order. A previous owner had planted up some wonderful fruit trees included a variety of Shropshire prune, plus a number of apple, cherry and pear trees however these had been abandoned for a number of years and its taken sometime to gradually bring as many as we could back into productivity. Ok, some people would advocate starting over with new stock plants but I really hate cutting trees down unless there is a very good reason such as disease or safety, besides theres something wonderful about a knarled old Bramley bursting into life again.

By the end of February is essential you have most of your fruit tree pruning complete before the plant begins to grow so heres a step by step guide to recovering a neglected spur bearing apple tree.

 

This particular tree has been pruned over previous years as it was in a terrible state so if you have one that really is a congested mess then execute this process over a 3 year period in order to control the regrowth and achieve a level of productivity without stressing the tree and exposing it to potential infection or disease.

As a basic rule of thumb the first pruning activity should be the 3D’s, this is to prune out the diseased, dead or damaged branches, but by the same measure you should look to shape the tree into a bowl structure. This will let light and air through into the canopy which will not only mean healthy growth but quality productive growth. As my grandfather told me once ‘aim to create a bowl shape with enough space for a pigeon to fly through and it’ll see you right’. The old fella’s tips have never failed me yet!

 

What you will need

Tools

• Pruning saw/Bow saw
• Secateurs
• Long handled loppers

 

Step 1

No action in this step, just observation. Take a good long look at the tree structure, try to visualise a bowl like shape. It’s always good to take step back and observe throughout the process also.

 

Step 2

Using a pruning saw remove all dead or diseased wood, cutting back to the main branch or trunk

 

Step 3

Look for any crossing branches, they will usually show rubbing on the bark as this one does. Remove them, they will cause a wound for disease in the long run.

 

Step 4

Prune out any whips growing on the main trunks, these will be unproductive and reduce the light and air in the tree if left to grow.

 

Step 5

Using a bow saw or pruning saw remove any central trunks that may sprout whips and interfere with the bowl structure you are looking for.

 

Step 6

Cut out two out of every three of the remaining new growth whips. Long handled loppers make this job quicker than ladders

 

Step 7

Prune the remaining new growth down to three buds from the main branch cutting about an inch beyond the terminal bud.

 

Step 8

Apply a good mulch of well rotted compost to keep the weeds down and give the tree a boost after its ‘surgery’

 

Step 9

Stand back, have a cup of tea, and survey the shape. Identify if there is any remaining pruning required in order to achieve that desired bowl shape

 

Fruits of your labours

Wheelbarrow compost riddle & drying tray

With having a fairly large productive garden and more chickens than you can shake a stick at, we create quite a bit of garden waste, though far from ‘waste’ it is, as we compost just about everything we can. We do this not only to supplement the vegetable plot but also to create our own potting medium.

 

We’ve found that mixing our home-made compost along with some of the composted PAS 100 green waste we buy in, and a bit of loam, creates a great recycled growing medium for a number of the pot plants we grow. The problem is though that whilst the green waste is screened, our own compost can be a bit lumpy, and needs riddling. The trouble is though that with the quantities the small hand-held riddles aren’t quite up to the job hence this simple device, a large scale compost riddle.

 

This design means I can riddle large quantities of compost directly from the compost bins and into the wheelbarrow.  I can also put the larger bits of compost that didn’t pass through the riddle straight back on to the cooking heap for further decomposition. You’ll be surprised at the quality of the riddled product.

 

The other useful element of this large scale sieve is that when it’s not in use it doubles up as an excellent tray for drying out onions and garlics, or ‘hardening’ pumpkins and squashes before storage. And when it’s not doing anything at all, it can be easily stashed away in the potting shed. The project will take no more than 30 minutes to produce and costs a few pounds

 

As a riddler...

 

...and now a drying frame

 

What you will need

Tools

• Saw
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Tape measure
• Wire cutters/Pliers
• Staple gun

 

Materials

•  Approximately 6metres of 25mm x 50mm treated timber batons

• 1m x 0.5m sheet of weld mesh with 1cm holes
• Wood screws

 

Step 1

Measure the width and length of your wheelbarrow to get the dimensions for the compost riddle. Ideally you will need either (or both) the sides or top and bottom of the frame in contact with the edges of the barrow.

 

Step 2

Using a handsaw or table saw cut the baton lengths according to the required measurements to make two frames. Sand off any rough edges.

 

Step 3

Drill and screw together each of the two frames using 2.5 inch wood screws. The joint need only be strong enough to hold the frame roughly in shape so a single screw will be sufficient.

 

 

Step 4

Using the wire cutters or pliers, cut the weld mesh to fit the frame. Make it a couple of centimetres smaller than the outside edge of the frame so as to avoid any sharp ends protruding.

 

Step 5

Lay the weld mesh over one of the frames and staple into position. If you don’t have a staple gun powerful enough then small U nails can be used but be sure to hammer them fully into the wood. 

 

Step 6

Place the second frame over the top of the frame with the weld mesh attached and sandwich the mesh. Drill and screw the second frame into place.

 

Job done, have a sit down and a brew now

 

 

“California Dreaming” – the Californian Compost Bin

Good soil can produce good crops, but being able to make good compost can create great crops! I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with the ‘dark art’ of good compost making, and whilst what you put in is key, there is also an important element in terms of what you put it in. We have all seen the many containers available on the market with their various claims, however composting has been going on long before plastic moulding was invented.

I’m also a bit of squirrel when it comes to gardening books, and regular browse the second-hand book shops looking for something different. It was whilst in such a shop at Whittington Castle I stumbled upon a 25-year-old copy Lawrence D. Hills “Month-by-Month Organic Gardening”. Inside it was a short section describing the Californian cylinder, and so curiosity got the better of me and I bought the book.

The Californian cylinder is an American invention as the name would suggest and was created by a keen organic gardener who had to work with poor soil conditions, he went by the name of Captain James Macdonald. It’s a simple concept, and perhaps not overly different from some designs at first glance, however its very quick to construct and very cheap to build, with practically no woodworking skills needed and the majority of the materials being available in the dark corners of most gardeners potting sheds.

This cylinder is 4 feet in diameter and about 3.5 feet tall so will hold a serious amount of waste. Use some chicken muck or a bit of “Chairman Mao’s Special” as an activator, and, if my maths serves me well, and reluctantly stepping into metric for a moment, it will, when full, create around 1000 litres of compost. Not a bad return for a couple of hours work and at best, a fiver of cost!

The Californian Compost Cylinder

What you will need

Tools:

• Saw
• Mallet
• Border spade
• Measuring tape
• Drill
• Screwdriver

Materials

• Feather board (4-6 inches wide) 4 x 5 foot lengths
• 2×1 batons  12 x 8 inch + 4 x 16 inch
• Stock fencing 3-4 feet tall x 13 feet long
• Garden wire and twine
• Cardboard or carpet for lining

Step 1

X marks the spot. Select the location for your cylinder and lay two of the planks in an X on the ground. Cut the outline using the border spade

Step 2

Using the border spade dig out the air channels, these need to be 5-6 inches wide and the same again deep

Step 3

Cut the planks to length and line the channel, use a mallet to knock in the end sections on plank. Be sure to have them overlapping the side planks for support

Step 4

Using the mallet again, knock in the short pegs to support the lining planks. These should 10-12 inches from the centre point of the cross

Step 5

Now hammer in the outer support pegs, one short one long. The diameter of the cylinder is 4 feet so these need to be 2 feet from the centre of the cross. Drill holes in the longer pegs.

Step 6

Put the length of stock fencing in place and shape to a cylinder. Secure the ends using garden wire.

Step 7

Now attach the edges of the cylinder to the longer pegs using garden wire. This will hold the shape and anchor it to the ground

Step 8

Line the walls of cylinder inside with old carpet or cardboard. Using a screwdriver, poke holes in the lining and tie it to the cylinder using garden twine

Step 9

Cover the bottom of the cylinder with twiggy material. This will help keep the air channels clear. Your compost cylinder is now ready for filling.

Once full the waste will take around 3-6 months to rot down depending on the weather. Emptying it is simple enough, just remove the ties holding the stock fence in place, peel it back and dig the compost out. Once emptied simply re-attach the stock fence, re-line it with cardboard and away you go again.

Leaf Mould – excellent source of soil conditioner

Leaf mould is one of the simplest things to create yet its source, dead leaves, are probably one of the most wasted sources of lasting humus. Come the autumn time I’m horrified to see people burning leaves, when I would without hesitation, happily take them all. In fact I might even venture to offer to clear them up!

 

A very quick, simple, cheap and ultimately effective way to compost down the leaves is by creating a leaf mould bin in a corner of the garden. It costs around £7 if you need to buy in the materials and will take less than an hour to make.

 

Leaf moulding is a way of creating excellent soil enhancer or mulch and is the one of the best ways of improving your soil structure, be it sandy soil or clay. Left to their own devices leaves will break down over a period of a couple of years however by heaping them in a bin (and adding some ‘household activator’ – read tiddling on them) you can accelerate the breakdown to around a year. This method was said to be pioneered by Dr Peggy Ellis of the HDRA and to some is known as a ‘Peggy Pile’.

A simple wire frame 1mx1mx1m will do the job

 

When collecting the leaves don’t worry about mixing up leaves from different trees, they will all rot down in the end, although where possible avoid those from holly trees, in my experience they take much longer to rot, and come the following autumn when you want to use the resulting ‘compost’ you’ll find their spiky leaves will still provide an unwelcome jab to the ungloved hand.

 

Once the bin is full put a bit of old carpet over the top just to weigh it down. The pile will shrink over the year as the leaves rot down, but in the end you will be left a valuable dollop of material which will benefit your garden no end.