- I have planted 5 new apple trees this year, one of them Antonovka on G16 is the smallest. It woke up OK, but every leave cluster was filled with blossom buds. I tried to remove all of them, but it took some time, as it was difficult to separate blooms from leaves. Now, all thees, but Antonovka, are growing well, giving new grows.Antonovka is not developing at all. It has same small leaves it initially opened and doesn’t grow at all. And leaves do not look good as well. All the trees planted in similar conditions. Is anything I can do to stimulate it to grow?
- One of 5 trees planted was rootstock G41 I bench grafted and planted in the pot. It gave me about 7 inches shoot already. When should I do initial pruning on newly grafted tree?
Bumping up 
. OK, first question may not have answer, but second should!
Experts, please!
Are these bench grafts I’m assuming? You need to stake those trees growing away quickly. For the small one maybe give it some time if it’s a bench graft but you can lightly water it frequently to help it along. A bench graft is handled different from a grafted tree because a grafted tree can be given a little nitrogen to encourage it to green up where as a bench graft need time to form the union and sometimes they simply don’t right away or at all.
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I’m fairly new at this… but… I initially let all the leaves grow until I see the graft has taken. Once the graft has taken, or at least in my mind it has taken. I start pinching off the root stock shoots. I leave one rootstock shoot on for another week just to make sure the graft is really going and after that I pinch it as well. By now you should have two or three shoots on the graft going. Once I feel good about what shoot is going to be my main shoot I pinch either back or off the others. This help move all the nutrients to the shoot I have choosen. A week or so after that I check again and if my main shoot is taking off really good I pinch all other off and then put a support stake next to it and make sure it is supported and growing straight up. I don’t prune the main shoot I chose and just let it grow until the following year at which time, I might prune …
Now… there are many ways to skin a cat… I skin mine this way.
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The one that is slow growing came from Cummins, it started OK, but stopped growing after I removed flower buds it was covered with(despite it is just a whip!). Should I give it some nitrogen?
The one that grows fine - I bench grafted this spring, planted in the pot and I am going to transplant it to the garden this fall. I will stake it, but what I need to know is when I do my first pruning on it? In fall after I transplant it or next spring?
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Thanks! So far I only have one shoot, so I guess I have to leave it alone till next spring.
Summer prune your new trees the first year unless disease is a problem there. I would give the struggling tree some fertilizer in its water until it starts to grow. Nitrogen can burn so don’t overdo it.
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All you need is one shoot. That shoot will grow up to be your main leader. Then off of that will come your limbs.
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Yes, I know that. Just the trees (whips) I got from nursery all look pruned, so I guess at some point i will have to prune the main leader as well to encourage branches or they just prune for easy packing?
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Galina,
7-8 apple scionwood that I grafted on to my existing trees bloomed. I picked off those blooms and noticed that those grafts are not growing as much. My theory is that they are naturally set back when energy for the blooms got picked off. I have no concern and believe they will grow fine after they have time to adjust.
Like @clarkinks said, if you want to fertilize, don’t overdo it.
You do not need to prune your first year graft on the rootstock. Plant it in ground in the fall. Next spring, you can decide how you like to shape it. I’d let it grow out this year.
I’ve pruned too soon many times. Once you cut it, you won’t get it back. Better take your time than rushing into it.
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I agree with @mamuang but I do prune in the first year when needed. An example would be if a tree starts growing in a pitch fork shape with sharp angle branches then get rid of the 2 sharp angled branches and let the central branch grow straight up. The reason why you want to prune it is so those branches that are sharp angles you know need to be removed are sapping energy that would have went to the central leader. In my situation My goal is to get the trees taller ASAP and that means reducing side branching. Once the tree is several feet tall if you crop the top it causes lateral branching but it’s just a strategy I use not to say it’s the right way or only way to do it.
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