New needing help with apple tree

[Solstice_3]

Hello, I just signed up to the forums.

I'm a novice gardener and I'm struggling with what to do with my apple tree. I planted it in January this year, it's a James Grieve Cordon, pixy (not sure what that means it was a gift). I didn't realise I had to do anything with it so I haven't pruned it yet. It's planted 20/21" from a low wall at a slight angle and has branches coming out all around none of them are at the side more to the front and the back. Can I leave it to grow as a bush tree or is it too close to the wall, there is a 5ft fence on the neighbour's side, if not how do I train it?

Thanks for any help you can give.

[WendyC]

Welcome to the Vine. A picture or two would really help. James Grieve is the variety, cordon is the way it has been trained. Pixy is the rootstock but I'm a little confused as it is one used for plums. Apple rootstock usually begin with M.
What do you want it to do? Grow against the wall or trained as a cordon?

[Solstice_3]

Thank you for your reply, will try and post pictures now





Hope that helps

[Solstice_3]

Tried to edit post but it didn't work :/

I'd like to grow in side trained if I can't grow it as a normal tree. My mum bought me a plum tree too so she must have confused the info when I asked her. The apple tree is supposed to be a dwarf though.

[Jungle Jane]

Same tree as me. You can leave it to grow how it is,it will stay an easy to manage size,but the branches droop a bit with the weight of the apples,so you might want to tie a few branches onto your fence (it looks like you have a handy wire trellis) so it's fan trained? I use a wire for support,great little tree.

[Solstice_3]

Thanks for your reply, it's not trained at all at the moment, that's what I am unsure about - all the videos have trees trained from day one so they aren't bushy like mine. I'm not sure how to train it

[Jungle Jane]

My trees about 6 yrs old,it wasn't trained for the first few years,it was exactly like yours,with branches coming out at the front (I've left them there,but you can prune them a bit shorter in the winter if you want a proper fan shaped tree). I didn't know what I was doing,last year I just tied one branch to the wire because it was drooping with apple weight & that branch has grown really well,longer than the others,I need to do the same with the other branches,but it's in a difficult spot on the corner of my shed. Whenever you plant trees,give them some bonemeal for good root growth.

[Solstice_3]

Thanks, I'll leave it and just tidy it up I think we did mix some bonemeal in when we planted it and some homemade compost. Will mulch it over winter. Thanks for your help