Pro's and cons of bare rooted v pot grown?

[Snadger]

With a bit of luck & a following wind I would say you may have apples around September You may want to limit the crop this year though to allow it to establish.

That quickly? Didn't think I would get a crop the first year!

[nick the grief]

I would guess so as the fruit buds should be there already Snadger.

[Snadger]

Just checked the weather forecast and it's due to be fine tomorrow. I'll be up bright and early to get the newspapers then straight to the lottie to plant my apple tree!

Got a large ornamental white fibreglass pot about 20" diameter and same height. Going to knock some drainage holes in the bottom and see if I can scrounge a few broken pots somewhere.

Been doing a bit reading up and had intended to add bone meal to a basic John Innes no 3 mix.......apparently not recommended?

What I've read is use garden soil and nothing else? The fibrous roots 'scorch' very easily so no fertiliser?

Undecided how I'm going to play it yet, anyone any ideas?

PS I was warned off staking it also?

[Mrs Dobby]

Good luck with the planting Snadger!

The 2 apple trees we have in our garden were just taken out of the pots they came in and a hole dug, a few slow release food pellets added to the bottom of the hoel and then planted and watered in, that was what it said on the instructions, so that was what we did! They seem to be doing ok, and have been in for 18 months now without dying, so we cant have got it too wrong! lol!

[nick the grief]

......Been doing a bit reading up and had intended to add bone meal to a basic John Innes no 3 mix.......apparently not recommended?

What I've read is use garden soil and nothing else? The fibrous roots 'scorch' very easily so no fertiliser?

Undecided how I'm going to play it yet, anyone any ideas?

PS I was warned off staking it also?

There will be no need to add Bonemeal to JI3 as it has all the nutrients it will need for a few weeks. If you add too much fertiliser it will burn the young roots so why not use a JI1 or 2 mix instead? (less fertiliser) if it's growing well it will use up all the fertiliser in about 4 weeks in the pot so you would need to start and give it a feed avery week in the growing season any way to keep it productive & healthy.

As to staking, it's a trade off. if the trunk is allowed to bend it strengthens the fibres ( like doing excersise really) but the problem is the top of the tree is quite an area to catch the wind and so it rocks the root ball and stops it establishing properly and so could snap off if it were a strong wind.

What you can do is put a stake in at an angle lower down the trunk to keep the rootball still & allow the roots to get a hold but still allow the top to move, this isn't easy in a container though.

What you can do is make up a sort of ladder typ affai out of tilling lath & then fix this to 4 shorter stakes that go thru the rootball & stop it rocking like this.

(from above)

(side view)

[Snadger]

The deed is done!
Planted the Sunset apple tree today in very large pot (It'll take two to shift it!)
Punched holes in the fibreglass bottom with an old screwdriver and spun it round to open them up a bit. Put one of my recently aquired 49p growbag contents in bottom. Filled it to 2" from top with screened loam taken from my leek trench (mix of loam, sand and last years muck) no fertiliser, no support post.

Set plant in middle of pot and made sure top soil level was 2" below rootstock graft.Topdressed with material rootball was in (looked like well rotted wood chippings) Firmed in really well and watered!

Jobs a guddun!

Intend dresssing with bonemeal in Spring once buds have set. If it gets its roots into growbag contents it will get a bit of a feed from that anyway! Come to think of it the apple is well named as it will get the SUNSET and sun rize!

PS I found out today that my lottie is in a bit of a frost pocket but have sited apple so it gets the winter Sun. Hopefully this will give it a bit frost protection when it's budding and I can always move it if need be!

[Snadger]

Nick, it's a bit late I know, but your attachments aren't working for me!

[nick the grief]

Nick, it's a bit late I know, but your attachments aren't working for me!

Hi Snadger,

Don't know what happened there so I re-loaded them