Step overs

[ojay54]

New experiment creating stepovers by cutting the leader and training 2 good sideshoots,rather than my preferred,bend the leader over method.....Only time will tell.....

If any body fancies a go ,but needs a bit of reassurance, I'll gladly go into details.

[diggernotdreamer]

This sounds brilliant, why wouldn't it work?? what rootstock do you use for your stepovers. My fruit trees are still mainly unpruned due to me being scared to do it, you did tell me what I should do and I am really hopeless with instructions. My trees seem to be growing with all the branches pointing skyward I really think I should have a go with the stepovers

[Green Aura]

I've been looking at them since we moved up here - the wind makes growing tree fruits really difficult. However, my OH thinks differently so we replace them every couple of years after they've produced no fruit and died of cold.

[diggernotdreamer]

What temperatures can you go down to there GA, we have a lot of fierce NW and W winds, but usually it doesn't get colder than -6 except when it went down to -9 one year and then -21 another, but the fruit trees weren't planted then, they were in the shed waiting to go in

[Odsox]

Temperature has nothing to do with it.
The very best apples, well Cox anyway, are grown in the Garden of England, Kent, and don't let anyone in Hereford, Worcester or Gloucester try to tell you differently
Anyway, my point being is that the temperature in the Weald of Kent frequently goes down to -10 and has been down to -20, and yet they've been growing apples, pears, plums and cherries there since the 1600's (not me personally you understand)

Salt winds are probably to blame Maggie, so step overs would probably be ideal for you. When gales are forecast just cover them with sacking

[Green Aura]

It doesn't get very cold at all, but the wind chill seems to see off our trees like nothing else. On years when it's very cold but not windy they survive and windy but not cold ditto. But cold and windy has seen them off every time.

That's why we're growing in pots that we can move out of the wind and keeping our fingers crossed.

[ojay54]

DND,these are pears so they're on pixy.Apples want to be on M27.

For all you Salty Dogs,they are a good idea,a 3ft shelter would see them right.

I start them in 10 lt containers for 2-3 years,as I find it easiest to deal with,I'll plant out in later years.

BTW you can grow apples in coastal areas,they just need protection from prevailing winds,so some sort of dwarfing stock and a netlon barrier will do the trick,and (just like Kent)you should be spared too many late frosts.

[glyn.c]

i do hope you are right ojay, we are exposed to the south west and west winds blowing straight down the solway firth , we have a drystone dyke about 3 1/2' tall and i planted 5 fruit trees in their shelter then the hens run netted and about 5 1/2' high and then a row of cordons ,im hoping that they all get established ok !