Braeburn Apple Tree Question

[21again]

Our local Aldi are selling off their fruit and ornamental trees, £1.99 for the fruit and £2.99 for the ornamental as they all look half dead.

I thought it would be worth a gamble so bought the last apple tree.

It is very 'sticky' looking ie dead but I have just unwrapped the roots and there are lots of pale new roots and leaves growing out of the them.

Do I just pull off the leaves and plant as normal?

Some of the roots have leaves growing half way down them, if I cut off a couple of those roots and planted them, would anything come from those?

It does say in summer to cut back the stems to about 6 buds from the main stem.

Should I do that anyway due to the fact that most of the stems may be dead?

Ta.

The only other fruit ones they had left at that price were raspberry canes which I haven't seen before so gave them a miss.

[rustylady]

Could you post a picture? I can't understand how leaves could be growing out of the roots.

As to cutting roots off, I really don't think this would be a good idea. If it did "take" you would get whatever the rootstock is, not Braeburn.

[veggiechicken]

Roots with leaves? Is this the rootstock growing, not the apple?

[21again]

I will go and get my camera and try and post a pic, back in a few mins.

[21again]

I have had it sat in a bucket of water for half an hour, that is the ball of soil behind that has just fallen off.



The roots with the leaves were all inside the ball of compost.

[21again]

Haven't got a clue about these things, so not worth growing then? Or perhaps it may be worth it just for the birds to sit on on their way to our bird table.

[rustylady]

Looks like the rootstock is trying to grow. You could plant it if you want to.

[21again]

I think I will give it a go. We don't have anywhere to grow anything in the ground as we have patios top and bottom of the garden with lawn in between.

Ta.

[rustylady]

What are you going to grow it in then?

[21again]

Well I have a couple of trees that I bought from Tesco, both also reduced to half price (£3.50) which I thought were worth a gamble.

I planted them in 50cm planters from Wilkinsons. The Opal in 2009 and the Stella in 2010.

They look to be doing much better this year than previous ones, I was going to plant this in a similar pot.

I must read up on how to care for these as I have never done anything with them, just watered every now and then.



Just realized you can't see a lot in these photos but there is quite a bit of blossom on these compared to last year, so fingers crossed we get a good crop.

[rustylady]

That size pot should be fine. Nice summerhouse, by the way

[21again]

Ta!

A prezzie from the MIL after years of us patching the old shed up.

[21again]

Better pic of the Stella, not sure if I should take some of the blooms off or not, what do you think?

I read somewhere that you should take some off to get better fruit.

[orangepippin]

I would leave the blossom, there isn't too much for the tree at this age.

[Kirk]

From the picture the rootstock is the bit throwing out shoots, it is below the graft.
If it grow then you will get a crab apple of some variety.
If there are any shoots from the grafted Breaburn bit these need to be allowed to grow, if the rootstock gets going then this will grow at the expense of the Braeburn.