Overgrown Apple Tree

Hi
I’ve just recently acquired an allotment in October and am trying to clear, tidy and prune before the new planting season. I have an enormous Apple tree which I just don’t know what to do with. When I got the allotment there were lots of rotting apples on the floor. I’d like to try and tame it and ensure some nice apples in the autumn. I’ve attached a picture and would welcome suggestions about which would be best branches etc to keep. Should I be treating this a 2 trees essentially due to the split at the bottom?

 

You've got your work cut out there, Samantha Is the LH side trunk hollow? If it is, I'd chainsaw (or get a friendly co-allottmenteer to chainsaw) it at ground level, then tackle the remaining tree to clear out some of the spindly growth. Any crossing twigs or branches, anything obviously dead or diseased. You'll sacrifice most of the fruit this year, but it will improve the quality from then on.

 

Hi, I don’t think the LH side is hollow. Although I did see a hole in part of the trunk, so I will check next time.
Do you think I should take height off the tree? And if so how much (that’s if I could get up there!)

 

Caution. Please check out your rental conditions.

 

I've done a similar job with the apple in my garden.

As noisette says, the first priority is chopping out anything that's not in good shape. You also want to remove all the twiggy growth in the middle between the main branches. You need air flow through the middle to avoid the conditions which allow mildew to build up.

I wouldn't take it down to ground level. But you can comfortably take it all back to head height main branches. A determined person with a decent bow saw will manage; power tools make it easier but they aren't really required.

After that, it will try to reach for the skies! Keep on top of that. Trim vertical branches you don't want, or use cord and weights to train them more horizontal while they're still flexible. That'll make apple picking much easier.

And during the year, keep going with pruning out all the shoots which'll clog up the middle of the tree.

That's my call anyway.

Oh, and use a sprayer with dilute Jeyes fluid to disinfect the cuts in the tree and your tools. I neglected that first off, and had to cut back more which got fungus infected. No problems since I started that.

 

In the absence of any agreement to the contrary, I understand if the tree was planted by a previous tenant, ownership normally passes to the landlord at the end of their tenancy. Only trees planted by an existing tenant are their own property.

 

It's a good point, but on an allotment the owners are the council and they're unlikely to care. It's past the point where the previous tenant of the allotment could come and extract it!

 

Thanks for all the advice so far. I’ll try and tidy up as much as I can before it starts to warm up. I’ve checked the rental agreement and there doesn’t seem to be any rules about cutting back any trees and it does actually say to keep the plot in a good condition so a good prune would definitely benefit this tree I think. I haven’t decided yet what to do with the LH side. I guess I need to have a look it at it again when I go at the weekend. Would you say that the LH side could be cut to the same height as the RH side? Or would that be too much to take off all at once?

 

Don't worry. It's a well-established mature tree, so you really can't hurt it by chopping off as much as you want.

Do be aware that you're not going to get any apples this year and not many next year. The buds for this year's apples are already on the tree, and cutting back to the trunk will lose them. And after getting cut back, there won't be much flowering wood set up for next year. The year after though you can expect a good crop!