Sunflower7
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:34 pm
Location: Pennsylvania in USA

I need to know about my apple trees

Hi everybody.
I have 2 apple trees in my back yard but both trees never had decent apples because of neglect and growing wild.
These about 25 years old 15 -20 foot tall apple trees have thousands of branches and every spring covered with thousands of flowers.
Is there way for me to make these apple trees to have decent fruits?
I know without looking at trees, it is hard for people to figure out what is needed to make these trees to have decent fruits but I am just wondering if I should get rid of these trees or try to nurse back to have decent fruits.
Sorry for my English.
English is my second language.

DoubleDogFarm
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Sunflower,

I would start be thinning out the canopy. Remove any branches that are growing straight up. Remove dead branches and branches that are rubbing. I would do the pruning over maybe a 3 year schedule. Some say not to remove more than a third of the tree per year.

Basically bring more light and air into the canopy.

Eric

JONA878
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Location: SUSSEX

Hi Sunflower.

The most important thing that you say is that your trees are covored with blossom and I'm therefore assuming that they carry plenty of fruit but that the fruit is very poor quality.

Light and air movement is the most important things that all fruit trees need.
So in the winter period when the trees have lost their leaf you must thin some of the branches out.
Remove upright and crossing branches to open up the centre of your trees.
However....take your time over this.
A few large cuts over two or three years is far better than a major re-working in one...especially as your trees are already in full fruit bud mode.
The last thing you want to do is over prune them too quickly and shock the trees into massive re-growth which could easily make them go bi-annual or worse ..fruit bud shy.
Once you are getting decent size and quality fruit then you can start to check on disease and pest problems...but first get the trees in balance.
Take your time.
After 25 years they aren't going anywhere.

And....your English is just fine. Wish mine was as good half the time.

j.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I live in Southern NJ (USDA Zone 6b) and it's almost time for me to prune my apple trees. Usually a week after Valentines Day/last week of February to first week of March is the right time for me.

If you live in the southern 1/2 of Pa, then your schedule is probably similar, if in northern 1/2 (Zone 6a or 5), then wait another week to 2 weeks.

Sunflower7
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:34 pm
Location: Pennsylvania in USA

DoubleDogFarm, Jona878, and Applestar, thank you for taking your time to reply.
One thing I forgot to mention was 2 years ago, I hired tree service people and they removed 1/3 height of the tree and pruned some branches to help air circulation and exposure of sunlight.
I told them not to remove more than 1/3 branches.
Problem is these apple trees still have thousands of branches and have miserable fruits that taste too awful for me to eat it.
Last year I raked hundreds of follen fruits and put in compost.
Having large trees benefit environment and good for our health plus organic fruits and vegetables are so expensive.
I still cannot decide if I should get rid of these apple trees and expand my vegetable/fruits garden or keep them and try to improve these trees to have decent fruits.
I am too old for climbing up ladder to remove branches.

JONA878
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I would suggest first of all Sunflower that you take a few of these apples along to a nursery and get them identified.
No matter how poor the quality of an apple , it should still display some of its true taste if it is ripe.
The fact that they taste so awful makes me wonder if they are either crab, cider or culinary apples.

Even so. I would still get more of that excess wood off the trees.
Remove another third this winter.
It will be better to remove a few really big branches than lots of little cuts.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Yes, I believe a local Agricultural Extension Service is where you'd get the best ID in the U.S.

JONA's is right though. It's possible these apples are not dessert apples but would excel once properly prepared -- cooked or juiced. Um -- Do cider apples make good apple cider even if you don't plant to brew into cider or vinegar?

Odd Duck
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Location: DFW, TX

Crab apples can make possibly the best jelly you've ever tasted! Add a little mint and you're in breakfast heaven! Or add a little jalapeno and make a pork roast to die for. They can also be used for divine apple butter.

Definitely see about getting the trees ID'd if possible. If they are producing fruit that is consistently 1-1.5", you very well might have crab apples. Not a bad thing if you ask me, but you might want to plant other apple trees as well for eating apples (if you have room). Crab apples are supposed to be good pollinators. Jona and AS could tell you more, I'm sure.

JONA878
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Cider apples are pretty useless for anything else but cider production.
Some of them may look beautiful and very colourful but the sugers in them never get to the stage where they are pallatable.
A lot of cooking varieties do get to a stage where some folk can eat them...but a true cider apple never gets anywhere near sweet enough.
A good rough 'scrumpy ' cider is a treat on a hot summer day....but oh boy...it can take your head off if your not careful. gg.

JONA878
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As Sharon says Crab apples are superb for jelly and jam making.

They are also the best of pollinators for other apple trees.
Like all the Malus species they have very viable pollen that lasts over a longer period than 'ordinary ' apples.
That's why all the ornamental crabs.....Golden Hornet, John Downie, etc. make such good pollinators in gardens that have limited space.



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