edit: got a few great tips, thank you! Going to learn how to do it myself :D
Starting to realise that the crowd who pruned our apple trees probably didn’t know wtf they were doing despite being tree surgeons. Anyone got any tips for dealing with excessive water shoots in old apple trees? The RHS site says they’re bad but doesn’t exactly go into detail on how to deal with them. I assume I just get rid of them but what’s stopping them coming back every year? #gardening#apples
@CatherineFlick Probably because it’s really hard work, the craft of root pruning is not widely talked about… except in agriculture where they can just run through the orchard with machinery. It was a concept I was taught in my youth by a very ancient gardener… also, other than peat cutting, a classic use for the Lurgan spade.
@drdrmc yeah, I think it’s going to have to be something I learn to do myself, because I really like these apples and it’ll be an annual effort anyway so might as well get some good gear and learn right?
@CatherineFlick Any heavy pruning on old apple trees will create a lot of new growth the first year. You can cut any of these off at any time if you don't plan on growing out a new limb from them. Your fruit sets on 2 year old growth usually so don't cut off all the new growth, if it's needed.
Cut them as close as you can to where they are growing from with shears or loppers so they have a better chance of healing, or a few buds out if they're for future fruit.
@Irisfreundin wow this is great thanks! Just for clarification as a total tree newbie (having inherited 3 very large, very overgrown apple trees), when you say “you can cut the older ones back to two eyes” do you mean the old branches or old water shoots? And what is “two eyes”? Thanks again so much!
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