Categories
Orcharding

Modified Lorette System Pruning, Summer 2017

Earlier this year I talked about establishing our air-pot mini-orchard; three apples and a morello cherry that we’re growing in Air-Pot containers. At the time I mentioned that I was planning to use a Modified Lorette system of pruning in an effort to develop the best possible network of fruiting spurs without over-taxing the trees. […]

Categories
Cottage Garden Project

Time To Thin Out The Apples

The three apple trees that we potted up into our Air-Pot mini-orchard are all doing very well so far. After blossoming profusely back in May they’ve all set fruit quite well; a couple of them maybe too well. Here’s a cluster of developing fruitlets on our ‘Cornish Aromatic’: As you can see, there are four […]

Categories
Cottage Garden Project

Air-Pot Mini-Orchard Update: It’s Blossom Time

I’m very happy to report that the fruit trees we bought from Grow at Brogdale and potted up in Air-Pot containers back in February all seem to have settled in nicely and are producing a healthy flush of blossom. Here’s our Malus domestica (apple) ‘Herefordshire Russet’, putting on a lovely show in shades of pink […]

Categories
Cottage Garden Project Orcharding

Establishing Our Air-Pot Mini Orchard

With the weather turning a little warmer and the immediate threat of frost receding this week, I took the opportunity to pot up our newly-delivered fruit trees. Even more importantly, I gave them a formative pruning to set them up for their future roles as small, hopefully highly productive, fruit-bearing trees. Here’s how I went […]