Topic: Help Needed With Fruit Trees

[Manouche]

Earlier this year I bought an Apple and Cherry tree from Lidl. They were sold in poly bags with a little soil around the roots. It did not say on packaging how old the trees were.

I have planted them in very large pots and they are now showing young leaves on all but two very thin branches.

I'm not sure if they flowered as we were away on holiday and came back to the first tiny leaves.

Should I have pruned or should I prune these young trees now as I do need to keep them a managable size for my small back garden.

Don't want to plant them in our allotment as we may move house later on.

Can anyone give advice as I'm reading all info on fruit trees but don't know how old mine are.
Did anyone else buy these young trees and how are they doing.

The cherry was called Stella  and Apple was Cox's.
 
I'd really appreciate some help here. xxx
 

[Gobby]

I doubt very much if these tree's are of a dwarf root stock variety so they'd have to be fairly stonking pots, but leaving that aside leave them this year to do their thing and prune between winter and spring when they are dormant, to get back the shape you want.
If they are the same size as the pear i bought from lidl, i wouldnt expect fruit this year anyway.

[Digeroo]

I have bought four little apple trees from Lidl.  They have all done well.  I did not prune them the first year becuase I thought they needed all their strength to get going.  Had a couple of fruit off each the second year.  They are not however very good at labelling.  Golden Delicious seem to produce red fruit.  It is very tasty.  Have you got other apple trees around to pollinate.  James Grieve - well that produces a nice fruit too but is not the same as other James Grieve, and Granny Smith - well you guessed it that is not green either.

Problem is there was no indication on the label as to the rrot stock, so I am concerned they might suddenly get a bit big for their boots.  Contacted Lidl and they were very charming on the phone but no idea what I was talking about.

Flowered well this year, but not many bees around.  Sorry not very good on the pruning front.  Tend to go on the principle if it is not flowering cut it off.  Looking forward to the 'Golden Delicious'

[tonybloke]

They are on a dwarfing rootstock. prune the leader, and the laterals by about 1/3, this will encourage new growth on the side shoots (the ones that fruit) by the reduction in Apical Dominance.

[ceres]

prune between winter and spring when they are dormant, to get back the shape you want.

It's not a good idea to prune cherries and stone fruits during dormancy because of the risk of silver leaf.  These should be pruned when the sap is rising.

Here's the RHS advice on pruning new apples and a bit on cherries:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0906/pruningnewapples.asp

http://www.rhs.org.uk/growyourown/cherry.asp

If the trees have a strong central stem with some side branches, it's likely they are at least 2 years old.

[Manouche]

Thanks all for your replies I'm a bit wiser now and have just been out and done the job!
 I told them they'd feel much better for it and they certainly look pretty good to me.
 Only time will tell!

[PurpleHeather]

I have had trees from them.

Just let them grow the first year, avoid them fruiting to put the energy back into the roots rather than the fruits. If you can.

They are young trees, hence the price. You could transfer them later, into the ground. It depends on just how big the pot is. A huge one will keep them for a couple of years. But they are not meant to be tiny and will grow to big standard trees eventually.

As for pruning, that is highly debated but the fact is that growers prune to produce huge volumes. You wont need that quantity but you will eventually want to cut large branches which grow in places you do not want them and that is what I do with my established fruit trees. Chop them off when they grow where I do not want them and I still get loads of fruit.

Keep them watered though especially if there is a dry spell. A bit of feed wont hurt.