It is possible to grass down in between cordon trees and much of the mowing can, of course, be done mechanically. The grass underneath the cordons themselves has to be cut from time to time by hand, but can be allowed to lie there as a mulch. I often uses the excess from in between the cordon rows as a mulch in the rows themselves, and this does discourage the growth of grass underneath the cordons to reduce the amount of handwork, in consequence, to a minimum. For the very small garden there is a lot to be said for the Family tree.
These trees were first of all produced by Jack Matthews of Suffolk, but they are now available from most nurserymen. The Family tree is a collection of varieties grafted on to one tree, all of which have been carefully chosen to cross-pollinate each other, as well as to ensure that the tree growth is as evenly balanced as possible. Thus someone with a very tiny garden can plant one tree, knowing that it will bear three different kinds of apples.
Oblique Cordons can be vertical also, of course.] They are bought budded or grafted on to the M.IX stock and care being taken when planting to keep the union of the scion 3 inches above ground level.
Family trees can be bought bearing (a) three cooking apples, i.e. early, mid-seascn and late; (b) three eating apples for mid-season; and (c) one cooking and two eating apples; or (d) three late varieties of dessert apples. Choice varieties of apples are is Arthur Turner. It is a regular and abundant cropper, grows fairly upright and will pollinate Bramley's Seedling. A nice dark green round apple with slight orange-red flush on one side. Season Aug.-Oct. Resistant to scab.
When the trees are three years of age, the area may be grassed down as advised for pillar trees. Once the number of arches have been formed, the laterals are pruned back regularly in summer, when they reach a length of 9 inches; and in the winter, if the spurs get too long and there are too many fruit buds on each one, then these spurs may be reduced in length.
Some French growers adopt what they call L'Arcure Libre method and then they allow the laterals to develop at will once the general shape of the trees has been formed, hence the word Libre. - 16035
These trees were first of all produced by Jack Matthews of Suffolk, but they are now available from most nurserymen. The Family tree is a collection of varieties grafted on to one tree, all of which have been carefully chosen to cross-pollinate each other, as well as to ensure that the tree growth is as evenly balanced as possible. Thus someone with a very tiny garden can plant one tree, knowing that it will bear three different kinds of apples.
Oblique Cordons can be vertical also, of course.] They are bought budded or grafted on to the M.IX stock and care being taken when planting to keep the union of the scion 3 inches above ground level.
Family trees can be bought bearing (a) three cooking apples, i.e. early, mid-seascn and late; (b) three eating apples for mid-season; and (c) one cooking and two eating apples; or (d) three late varieties of dessert apples. Choice varieties of apples are is Arthur Turner. It is a regular and abundant cropper, grows fairly upright and will pollinate Bramley's Seedling. A nice dark green round apple with slight orange-red flush on one side. Season Aug.-Oct. Resistant to scab.
When the trees are three years of age, the area may be grassed down as advised for pillar trees. Once the number of arches have been formed, the laterals are pruned back regularly in summer, when they reach a length of 9 inches; and in the winter, if the spurs get too long and there are too many fruit buds on each one, then these spurs may be reduced in length.
Some French growers adopt what they call L'Arcure Libre method and then they allow the laterals to develop at will once the general shape of the trees has been formed, hence the word Libre. - 16035
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Should your fruit tree garden be subject to frost, choose varieties which flower late.
