Another fine tree..

**ancee** · 06-12-2012, 05:09 PM

Sounds like your having a great time! We're deciding on a tree for the front, but don't want the neighbourhood kids coming in scrumping! Would like to put a real christmas tree in but it'd get nicked!!

**WendyC** · 06-12-2012, 05:24 PM

[

It's going to be planted in the front garden, all open plan with everyone else's. My neighbour had his stupid Rowen ash snapped off. Justice! Why is the country been planted with either Rowan Ash or Flowering Cherry's?? our council have just planted a short Avenue of them, what's wrong with the most regal of all, Lime or Oak? No, it has to be 'Looks great for a day flowering Cherry' wouldn't be so bad if they fruited. Just a flurry of flowers then boringgg.

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[/QUOTE]

I have to agree that flowering cherries are not my favourite but of course it is important to consider the size of the tree and the spread of the roots. You may want an oak tree right outside your house but it will always be the wrong tree in the wrong place. Oaks are woodland trees.

**veggiechicken** · 06-12-2012, 05:36 PM

I have oaks in my back garden, they are most definitely not a tree to be planted on the roadside, give the spread of its roots and branches. I'm sure you would soon get annoyed if it was outside your house blocking the light.
By "Rowan Ash" I presume you mean a Rowan tree otherwise known as Mountain Ash, although it is not part of the Ash family. These are delightful small trees with interest throughout the year and with the bonus that the berries are loved by birds. Can't fault it myself

**Bren In Pots** · 06-12-2012, 06:41 PM

We've got a couple of Mountain Ash in our garden and the birds really flock to them for the berries.

**WendyC** · 06-12-2012, 06:53 PM

I planted a crab apple for the same reason. Blackbirds love them, although not many this year.

**FB.** · 06-12-2012, 08:31 PM

What's the rootstock on the Egremont Russet?

**How much?** · 07-12-2012, 08:38 AM

Hi FB, it's on a M26. I'm a bit naughty really because the front garden has a 2 meter service strip under my lawn and we are not supposed to plant anything with injurious roots within the zone. Egremont will be planted at 2.1 meter. I will keep it well pruned vase shape, and tell the roots to behave!

veggichicken, Have to disagree re the Oaks on the side of the road. We have loads nearby. One of the finest sights there is an Oak in late autumn, one of the last to shed its leaves. The golden leaves contrast beautifully with the old 'blackened by rain' trunks and heavy branches...

Birds? where are they? I have my nuts hanging out but no takers! I guess they are still feasting on the hedge rows which are teaming with berries. No, it doesn't mean it's going to be a hard winter, just means it's been a good year for berries

**FB.** · 07-12-2012, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by How much? View Post

Hi FB, it's on a M26. I'm a bit naughty really because the front garden has a 2 meter service strip under my lawn and we are not supposed to plant anything with injurious roots within the zone. Egremont will be planted at 2.1 meter.

Apple tree roots are not particularly invasive, nor particularly large. Apples have relatively few and relatively small roots (one of the reasons why they easily lean). In fact I regard apples as bushes; they do not grow at tree-like rates, nor do they attain large sizes compared to most trees.
Currant bushes and hazel hedges grow faster than apple trees.

A self-sown seedling cherry tree at four metres is more likely to be a problem than an M26 at 1metre.

Many trees are blamed for subsidence and root-related damage (and to be fair sometimes massive old trees can be a problem) but often subsidence is due to the building's construction not being suitable for the conditions.

**Feral007** · 07-12-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by FB. View Post

Currant bushes and hazel hedges grow faster than apple trees.

A self-sown seedling cherry tree at four metres is more likely to be a problem than an M26 at 1metre.

Many trees are blamed for subsidence and root-related damage (and to be fair sometimes massive old trees can be a problem) but often subsidence is due to the building's construction not being suitable for the conditions.

Well that's a relief! My currant bushes will be bigger than the apple trees! We have apple trees planted around town around here. I think it's lovely. And yes, we all 'pinch' them. And there's apparently a quince tree somewhere between here and Canberra on the highway.........next year it's mine! Must admit we do have flowering cherry trees tho and I love them. Here in our tiny little place, and also in town.

**How much?** · 07-12-2012, 10:08 AM

Here's one for you FB,

Same variety of apple, one on M9 dwarf, one on M26 semi dwarf
M9 is just lightly summer pruned. M26 winter and summer pruned to keep it in check.

Will both trees have similar yield and size?

**Two_Sheds** · 07-12-2012, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by How much? View Post

but, the postage was �6

.... If the tree had been �16 with free delivery I would have been over come with joy!

That makes no sense at all. (as you know!)
Postage IS expensive these days. I post one daffodil bulb, it costs �2.20 minimum

Originally posted by WendyC View Post

You may want an oak tree right outside your house but it will always be the wrong tree in the wrong place. Oaks are woodland trees.

We've had TWO oaks planted in what is now the school veg patch. TWO! Yes, they looked cute as saplings, but they are rapidly getting to be far too big, and they shade out everything else. There's also a horse chestnut in another bed, which sucks all the goodness out of the soil so everything pretty struggles.
grrrrr

**FB.** · 07-12-2012, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by How much? View Post

Here's one for you FB,

Same variety of apple, one on M9 dwarf, one on M26 semi dwarf
M9 is just lightly summer pruned. M26 winter and summer pruned to keep it in check.

Will both trees have similar yield and size?

The M9 probably won't need summer pruning to keep it under control. The M26 might, though.Once established and shaped as required, I'd cease winter-pruning the M26 if it is to be kept at M9 size; winter pruning tends to invigorate, increase branching and delay fruit bud formation.

But in general, yes, it should be possible to grow the same variety on different rootstocks and by using good pruning to end up with a tree of roughly similar size and productivity in both cases.
The vigour of each can also be adjusted by giving each tree different amounts of water and/or nutrients.

To get a tree of the desired size, it would be better to look at the soil first, then decide how big you want it, then decide how much feeding/watering/spraying/pruning you're prepared to do, and at that point you can decide on the rootstock with the best balance of features for your needs.
Unless M9 is grafted with a really vigorous triploids variety, it does tend to need a lot more looking after than M26; M26 being able to look after itself and compete against other plant in most soils while M9 is not generally strong enough (although, as mentioned, the scion grafted to the rootstock can make a difference).

**FB.** · 07-12-2012, 10:43 AM

Originally posted by Feral007 View Post

Well that's a relief! My currant bushes will be bigger than the apple trees!

Currants and hazels grow faster than apples (although it does vary a bit with cultivar, rootstock and scion), but in the case of currants they may not get bigger.

Currants are relatively short-lived and, like hazels, tend to be pruned much harder and differently to apples. Hazels and currants are pruned as if coppicing, while apples, being grafted, would revert to rootstock if treated this way, and would become multi-stemmed bushes.

**FB.** · 07-12-2012, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

We've had TWO oaks planted in what is now the school veg patch. TWO! Yes, they looked cute as saplings, but they are rapidly getting to be far too big, and they shade out everything else. There's also a horse chestnut in another bed, which sucks all the goodness out of the soil so everything pretty struggles.
grrrrr

Alternatively, "pollard" them and use the logs to make a hedgehog winter shelter - kids will approve.
If you happened to pollard the trees around mid-September (very early autumn when the leaves are still green), it'd knock them for six and they'd be very slow to recover; they may even die the following year.

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