Friday 26 August 2011

Recognising and treating Canker on Apple trees

www.adamsappletrees.co.uk 

Fungal Canker is a common problem on apple and pears especially in the wetter west of the U.K.
It will infect young twigs in the Spring and cross infect to older wood, it can infect the trunk and rarely it will kill a tree. On the positive side older trees badly infected will often fruit well, as the tree is put under pressure where the sap flow is constricted, it can infect fruit and effect storage qualities.

Look out for young stems/leaves dying back, this was in July but it can occur from Spring onwards

Stem infection is more noticeable in wet weather
The stem becomes constricted and growth beyond dies back 
The cure - a multi - pronged attack is required

1.Recognise and remove on a regular basis, in the west of Britian check trees monthly, remove any infected wood  cutting back a foot from the infection at least. Burn the wood removed, treat cut surfaces either with 10% bleach, or use armillatox from a garden centre, or rub wound with soil[this contains so many competing organisms the fungal canker is crowded out]. Treat secateurs with 10% bleach  dip between cuts.

2.Encourage strong hard growth, regular pruning of apple and pear trees rejuvenates trees and keeps them healthy, though excessive winter pruning will give too much growth and little fruit. Summer pruning is good in August to encourage fruiting and remove unwanted growth.
Dont overfeed apple and pear trees with fertiliser, or even manure, as this encourages sappy growth prone to canker infection.

3.Apply Lime, calcium applied in the form of ground limestone or garden lime encourages hard growth resistant to infection. It also improves fruit storage. On sandy soils apply lime every year on clay soils every other year. For a young tree a few years old a few good handfuls, for a large mature tree half a bucket. Sprinkle a handful of lime on the soil used when backfilling around a newly planted apple tree.

4.Choosing the right tree, some varieties are more susceptible to fungal canker than others. Bramley has been shown to be resistant, Spartan more susceptible.


5.Live with canker under control,doing all of the above will greatly reduce fungal canker and keep trees healthy. Older trees may have a lot of infection that cannot easily be pruned away, though paring with a sharp knife and treating as above [point number 1.] will help. In the long term keeping older trees and living with canker can be more acceptable than loosing the tree, they maybe fruiting well. There is evidence that trees will heal over cankerous wounds.

www.adamsappletrees.co.uk






Tuesday 16 August 2011

International Craft Cider Festival - Rocks

Adams Apples took a stand last weekend at the FIRST International craft cider Festival near Caerphilly
Jess and Rowan [Daughters of Adam] on the Adams Apples Stand set up and waiting for business

The Northern Ireland Brothers want to give up the day job to major in their sweet cider business

Normandy Perry naturally carbonated this one slips down

These Normandy craft ciders can only be made in small quantities on the farm

Bill Bleasdale with the pony tail - amazing guy lives up a mountain, grows cider apples ,makes cider, sells trees ,builds and restores old cider presses and has written a terrific book 'Grow Apples and Make Cider' check out his website www.welshmountaincider.com..........he also makes stained glass...GO BILL

Rachel Matthews show organiser [Apples growing from her dress], Andy Hallet show sponsor.........Thanks for a good weekend

Expensive £7/bottle but worth it

Saturday Morning ,before drinking began ,visit Caerphilly Castle .......its enormous

It is hardwork but the tasting of the cyder must go on.............My favourite Black Dragon Cider make with Kingston Black and nothing else


Friday 5 August 2011

What to do with Morgan Sweet ?

Probably the earliest ripening cider apple variety is Morgan Sweet, this season it is ripe in August.
Pressed now it will make a sweet cider ready for Christmas. But to make a blend one is short of tannin and acidity. Foxwhelp, a vintage variety, is also an early ripening variety and is a bittersharp, so this could make a good blend. Some new varieties developed by Liz Copas for early ripening, Hastings [Bittersweet], Gilly [Bittersharp] could also be used.
Another alternative might be to juice the early fruit chill or freeze it to blend with later varieties in October.