Can you give me some advice on how to handle the Granny Smith in the picture below. The tree is probably 10 ft tall but the growth is on the top and it does not have many branches. As always Thanks for your help.
Unfortunately, a tight V angle like the one you have on this tree is very prone to breakage. I would try to eliminate it especially if your area is windy.
Do you want to do ladder work in the future or do you want fruit where you can reach it from the ground? Does this tree get full sun? It almost looks like it’s shooting up to find more sun.
I agree, looks like it’s reaching for the sun? If it’s in the shade most of the day it will never be productive.
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Ok. Thanks.
I do want to limit the height of the tree. It gets about 5 hours of sun.
It gets about 5 hours of sun. I could move the tree. I was hoping to use it as a pollinator for several other apple trees.
Also, It was in a pot for several years until I could clear the area to plant the trees. When it was in a pot it was in a shady area. Would it make sense to replace the tree. I appreciate all the help. Thanks.
I’d move it if at all possible; you won’t get many blossoms for pollination, it will just always be a tall lanky shade tree with any apples it does produce out of reach.
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Ok. Thanks.
Agree on moving. After move and when dormant I would prune the leader at about 32 inches to force out low lateral scaffold branches. Train them to wide crotch angles and select 3 or 4 well spaced around the tree as keepers.
Thanks for your help.
Before I really got into fruit growing, I planted a GS in full sun and it grew into the typical shape of a vertical pear tree without pruning. It only produced about a dozen fruit a year. When I finally got serious about growing fruit, I reformed the tree by bending the verticals to horizontal via the hinge method. Most of the new growth is still vertical (off the horizontals), but at least it produces a full crop on the horizontal portion that has calmed down. It’s the worst tree I have for watersprouts. I have to mow them down ever year.
Does GS have natural tendency to be vertical grower, or is just my tree? It’s supposed to be semi-dwarf, so I’ve assumed it was on m7 or mm106. However, I sometimes wonder it it could be on m111, given the vigorous growth of the watersprouts.