apple tree question

[scothunter 12,609]

ok i have a bramley cookig apple tree in my garden,last year i got two large baskets of fruit from it,this year there about 6 on it.what would cause that?its healthy enough,although it is shooting up pretty high.

[Rake aboot 4,936]

Seen it before in apples,, every now and then they have a totally barren year

[craigyboy 1,274]

did you prune it last year mate,apple and pear trees need pruning every winter it makes for more fruit the following year,trees that haven't been pruned become less productive and become congested with old and dead branches

[scothunter 12,609]

did you prune it last year mate,apple and pear trees need pruning every winter it makes for more fruit the following year,trees that haven't been pruned become less productive and become congested with old and dead branches

 

i didnt craigy no.the top branches are huge,my mum takes them all to make apple pies,and she is mighty pissed off there only about 6 on the tree.lol

like i said last year there were two washing baskeys full of big healthy apples.when do i prune them.could i do it now?just i have a skip here and be a good time to get shot of the branches

[craigyboy 1,274]

did you prune it last year mate,apple and pear trees need pruning every winter it makes for more fruit the following year,trees that haven't been pruned become less productive and become congested with old and dead branches

 

i didnt craigy no.the top branches are huge,my mum takes them all to make apple pies,and she is mighty pissed off there only about 6 on the tree.lol

like i said last year there were two washing baskeys full of big healthy apples.when do i prune them.could i do it now?just i have a skip here and be a good time to get shot of the branches

the best time is when the tree is dormant,usually between nov-early march,also theres a chance your tree could suffer from biennial bearing,which means one year you get a bumper crop followed by very little or none at all,i think it affects bramleys

[Bulldogman 55]

Weirdly on my drive home from shift this morning there was an interview with a commercial grower on radio 4 farming programme...maybe you can get it on i player.

 

They basically said they are getting out from Bramleys because of the intensive needs of pruning and also claimed this year was a weird one as the blossom came too early and was then hit with a frost, killing many of the apples and the pollinating insects....they said the dry spell affected texture as well so their entire bramley crop was going for juicing....