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You can grow your own food. We can help.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, FletcherFamily

I have been an organic gardener now for about 20 years, growing vegetables on an allotment in York, England.

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FletcherFamily

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 06:05

It,s going to be a good year for fruit i think. Even though Aprill was cold and wet.

Roger Doiron

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 07:25

What a nice way to welcome people into the garden! Are those pear trees?

FletcherFamily

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 14:03

They are two apple trees. They are called maypole trees as they have what is called apical priority. That is they do not grow branches but the trunk just keeps growing with small laterals that carry the flowers and fruit. They used to be popular but you don,t see them much nowadays. The trees are about 15 years old now, but about 8 years ago we decided to pull them over onto a steel arch frame.

antonis

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 07:54

Gateway to Eden.

FletcherFamily

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 14:04

Thanks Antonis. Nice thought.

Jessica Still

Sat, 05/05/2012 - 17:28

What a pleasure to see your apple arch in spring, Glenn! I have the astonishing view of the arch covered with apples. Thank you for more background on this creation. Do you ever have the opportunity to compare yours with Apical dominant apple trees that have never been bent over? I read that bending canes stimulates side-bud production, as when bending rose canes along a fence & yours are so full!

FletcherFamily

Mon, 05/07/2012 - 05:58

Hi Jessica, You are exactly right about the side bud production. As soon as you bend the leader over it loses it,s dominance and all the side buds on the upper side of the trunk gain it. You can see in the picture all the shoots on top of the arch are now heading for the stars. I have to do a little pruning each year to keep them in check. You could make a very interesting stepover type apple by digging up and laying a maypole trunk over nearly horizontal. If this was set about 9 inches above the ground you would get vertical 'cordons' growing from it at close centres. It would make a great fence given time. [ AT LEAST 10 YEARS.] Glenn

Jessica Still

Mon, 05/07/2012 - 20:49

Hi Glenn, Your pruning is very artful - the results are fresh & uncontrived - as antonis noted. :-) In your English climate, have you done anything with the rambler roses? Here I have always wanted to plant some across the river to run up some snag cottonwoods - left standing for the Pileated Woodpeckers. The *stepover apple* idea reminds me of some living fence photos I saved, will find & post on kgi.