Help please with my apple tree

Your advise please guys..
20 plus years ago I purchased two apple trees.
Neither really produced the goods. So Im ashamed to say I hacked them down at ground level and left the root stock in place.
At that time I had other ideas for the space.
Now one of them, a Crispin has been growing strongly over the last few years.
Last year it come up with some nice size fruit, if a little bland but made wonderful pies and apple jelly.
I think It is now time for me to attend its needs.
The first picture shows the base with two trunks growing from the stock.
Question is: should I remove the smaller on the two? (the left one)

Second picture is showing the business end. The branch on the left is the one I am considering removing.

Third picture is showing general location
Forth is some of last seasons fruit.
Thanks guys
Robert

 

Wow. I think you're lucky. From what I understand, most commercially produced apple trees are based on grafts, with the rootstock being crab apple. That being the case, I would have thought that if you cut one right down below the graft and it came back, you'd just get crab apples.

 

Robert

By the look of it, both those shoots seem to be from the rootstock. Which means that their fruit is whatever the rootstock was - it's highly unlikely to be a Crispin.

You also got it planted rather close to a building.

I would grub it out and start again with a new tree in another part of the garden with as much light as possible and bare earth around the roots.

You'd get better crops in the long run, I reckon.

 

HID has just remembered it was a"Ballarina" tree.
So I have searched the old www and come up with this.
Quote::
[FONT=verdana,modern][FONT=verdana,modern]Originally referred to as â??pole treesâ??, this range of trees has been produced in conjunction with East Malling Research Station and the whole is called â??Ballerinaâ??. The growth of Ballerina trees is such that they make very short side breaks and hence no pruning is necessary. So far six cultivars have evolved from crossing the original sport with the latest and best type of varieties from E.M. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana,modern][FONT=verdana,modern]All Ballerina trees this season are available on MM106. Due to their compact potential, growth will only reach 8ft. after five years of growth, hence advantages are no pruning, no staking, easy to spray and easy to pick. Ideal for upright pillar, garden ornamentation (i.e. either side of entrances), plus a host of other applications.[/FONT]

Must admit I do not understand all the above:dh:
Maybe someone can explain?
Yes its close to the garage but I think the tree was there first..
I think at this time I would like to give it one more seasons growth and see what it comes up in the way of a crop.
So. the remaining question. is do I remove the small shot?
If I do should I treat the wound?
Thanks again guys
robert




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Robert

Hmmmmmm. The fact that it's a Ballerina would explain why it hasn't branched much but has retained its "pole" like appearance with little fruiting spurs. But that would also suggest you left enough of the fruiting stock to produce those shoots, when you cut it down. Which, from your photo, doesn't look to be the case so, a bit of a surprise!

I still think it's likely to be an unreliable tree but if you want to give it one more season, I'd prune out the weaker of the two shoots. I believe the modern approach is to leave the wound bare, provided you've made a clean cut. This has certainly been my experience.

Years ago, I had to prune a big old Crimson Bramley and started off by putting Arbrex on the stumps of the bigger branches. I soon ran out of the stuff but I carried on pruning. There turned out to be no difference between the treated wounds and the untreated ones. The old tree went from strength to strength - no disease at all in the wounds.

Good luck.

 

Robert

Just had another look at your photos. Is that some kind of gall growing on the shoots, at their base? You might want to Google "apple tree gall" or "crown gall" and see if that alters your plan for the tree.

 

Thanks for advise Flinty.
I have googled gall and not really decided that is the issue.
If I remember I shall take some close ups tomorrow and post for comment.
robert

 

If it was in my garden Robert I'd cut off the smaller bough (on the left) and give it a coat of wound paint. Those growths at the base look like adventitious roots.

 

adventitious roots?
Thats a new one on me Dave. I had to google that!

 

Hope you understood it Robert. I've just done a Google and had to have a lie down after reading the explanation on Wikipedia!:hehe:

 

Ok. Left branch removed and a close up of the growth.
Should I be concerned?

 

Robert

Sorry - I missed this post.

Well, I think these growths are the adventitious roots that Dave mentions although I'm happy to admit that I didn't know that term before.

I don't think they're a particular cause for concern like, say, a disease would be but they're a clear confirmation to me that you've got one very mixed up apple tree! Don't be surprised if it starts behaving in other peculiar ways!

 

I must admit when you look at that stuff close up it almost looks evil.:skp:

 

Remember me?
Look at me now.....

 

Now that is a pretty picture!