Scab, a fungus disease, causes black marks on the apples, which sometimes join to form black corky patches. It is usually worse on trees which have been excessively fed with nitrogenous fertilizers but is seldom bad where trees have been compost managed and have received sufficient potash. Spraying to kill the disease on the trees may be done with Fuclasin.
The trees are grafted on Mailing II or Mailing Merton 104 stocks and are planted close together in the rows, giving a neat uniformity which is so desirable in carrying out many of the routine operations in the orchard. Once they have reached their predetermined height they never alter in shape or size throughout the whole life of the orchard.
The canker spore having entered a wound, or a spur, usually spreads concentrically, causing sunken 'shredded' wood to appear. Paint over the cankers the moment they are seen with Medo, which is made by Pearson's Antiseptic Co., Buckingham Palace Road, London.
Any side shoots present at that time should be pruned back to within five buds of their base, preferably to a bud pointing downward. After this, each summer, the one-year-old laterals that are 12 inches long are pruned back to five leaves in mid-July.
Any secondary growths that develop on these laterals are pruned back to within an inch of their point of origin in October. When the trees are 7 feet high, the main leader growing upwards should be cut back by half in May and from then onwards all growths developing at the top of the tree should be pruned back to within inch of their base each mid-May.
Bitter pit is undoubtedly due to allowing the tree to be unbalanced either by too heavy pruning, by giving too much nitrogen or by allowing the roots to be too dry in a droughty season. Once again, a dose of organic potash will help, as will correct management of the trees. - 15266
The trees are grafted on Mailing II or Mailing Merton 104 stocks and are planted close together in the rows, giving a neat uniformity which is so desirable in carrying out many of the routine operations in the orchard. Once they have reached their predetermined height they never alter in shape or size throughout the whole life of the orchard.
The canker spore having entered a wound, or a spur, usually spreads concentrically, causing sunken 'shredded' wood to appear. Paint over the cankers the moment they are seen with Medo, which is made by Pearson's Antiseptic Co., Buckingham Palace Road, London.
Any side shoots present at that time should be pruned back to within five buds of their base, preferably to a bud pointing downward. After this, each summer, the one-year-old laterals that are 12 inches long are pruned back to five leaves in mid-July.
Any secondary growths that develop on these laterals are pruned back to within an inch of their point of origin in October. When the trees are 7 feet high, the main leader growing upwards should be cut back by half in May and from then onwards all growths developing at the top of the tree should be pruned back to within inch of their base each mid-May.
Bitter pit is undoubtedly due to allowing the tree to be unbalanced either by too heavy pruning, by giving too much nitrogen or by allowing the roots to be too dry in a droughty season. Once again, a dose of organic potash will help, as will correct management of the trees. - 15266
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Once you have know the basics of fruit tree gardening, you can get out your tools and go to work.
