Apple tree question

[spader]

We have an apple tree in the back garden. Not too old about 15 years old.
It grew tall and scraggy, so I pruned it down to about 4 ft last year.
This year it is growing like a bush with lots of leaves. I am now thinking of
moving it to the corner of the garden right at the back.

My question is,

1. Could apple tree be trained as bush shurubs or hedges rather than tall scraggy tree?
2. Could apple tree work as a hedge blocking any animals or pets coming in from the neighbors houses?

 

[Mottie]

My question is,

1. Could apple tree be trained as bush shurubs or hedges rather than tall scraggy tree?
2. Could apple tree work as a hedge blocking any animals or pets coming in from the neighbors houses?

1. Yes. Look up Apple tree espalier.
2. No.

 

[spader]

1. Yes. Look up Apple tree espalier.
2. No.

If 1. is yes, then why 2. is No?

 

[Mottie]

If 1. is yes, then why 2. is No?

Would stop a horse or a deer but not a cat or a dog. I’ve never seen an impenetrable apple tree/bush/espalier at the bottom.

 

[spader]

Would stop a horse or a deer but not a cat or a dog. I’ve never seen an impenetrable apple tree/bush/espalier at the bottom.

Most bush shurbs would be able to stop dogs, but nothing can stop cats. Cats will come through anything.
Here we don't see horses or deers in the area, so they are not the issue.
Cats are alwasy big problem. They do lots of damage, killing birds and leaving the carcass in the garden, digging up the soil, messing the grass with their waste.

Cats can roam freely according to the old law, and the cat owners seem to think they have right to let the cats out, and do all the damages they do to the neighbors gardens, streets and properties. Is it not time to change the law, or introduce some measures to stop the vandalisms they keep blind eyes on for the problem?

Cats can roam. Of course, and they can keep as many cats they want. But is it not suppose to be their owners gardens and properties they should roam? Not other peoples' gardens and properties they should roam. Allowing them to roam and vandalise the other peoples' gardens and properties are just a form of vandalism.

We have some other bushes at the corner of the garden, which does the hedging job. But was wondering if the bushy apple tree / shrub would make it more secure in blocking space.

 

[Odds]

We have an apple tree in the back garden. Not too old about 15 years old.
It grew tall and scraggy, so I pruned it down to about 4 ft last year.
This year it is growing like a bush with lots of leaves. I am now thinking of
moving it to the corner of the garden right at the back.

My question is,

1. Could apple tree be trained as bush shurubs or hedges rather than tall scraggy tree?
2. Could apple tree work as a hedge blocking any animals or pets coming in from the neighbors houses?

When you say you 'pruned it down to 4''; what height was it before you started?
An established tree like that will not like to be moved and it sounds like you've cut back too far, forcing the tree into vigorous new growth.
Is there much fruit on it this year?

 

[Mike13]

Also, almost every single apple tree you buy has the variety you buy grafted onto a root stock different variety, if you cut it back too far then you will have a different apple fruit to the one you had before.

 

[spader]

When you say you 'pruned it down to 4''; what height was it before you started?
An established tree like that will not like to be moved and it sounds like you've cut back too far, forcing the tree into vigorous new growth.
Is there much fruit on it this year?

The apples it produced were some type of cooking apple, and they were eaten by the bugs, hence we were not bothered with the apples it produces at all.

When the tree were planted, it was about 1 ft tall.

 

[spader]

Also, almost every single apple tree you buy has the variety you buy grafted onto a root stock different variety, if you cut it back too far then you will have a different apple fruit to the one you had before.

We just wish the tree to survive in bushy form, when moved to the corner of the fence. Not expecting any apples from it.

 

[StephenStephen]

The tree has reacted to your vigorous pruning with some vigorous growth - lots of water shoots.
If you prune them out gradually over a couple of years or three, then you'll end up with a small tree. If you're happy with it being bushy as it is, then just prune it each winter, taking out crossing or diseased limbs, and any which are longer than you want.
I doubt if you've pruned it back below the graft, so I wouldn't worry about that, but keep an eye out for any suckers from the base - they will be crabapple rootstock- remove them if that's not what you want.

I wouldn't try to move a 15 year old apple.

If I was going to try, I would:

-Wait until it's more dormant this coming autumn
-Dig around it to prune some of the roots, then replace the soil
-Let it then regrow lots of fine feeder roots from those cut roots
-Make sure it didn't dry out next year
-Carefully dig it out and move it the following winter, taking as big a rootball as possible
-Make sure it didn't dry out the following year
-Expect it to do poorly or die anyway

My suggestion would be to buy a younger tree for the hedge!

 

[Odds]

The apples it produced were some type of cooking apple, and they were eaten by the bugs, hence we were not bothered with the apples it produces at all.

When the tree were planted, it was about 1 ft tall.

I meant how high was it when you began cutting back.

 

[spader]

The tree has reacted to your vigorous pruning with some vigorous growth - lots of water shoots.
If you prune them out gradually over a couple of years or three, then you'll end up with a small tree. If you're happy with it being bushy as it is, then just prune it each winter, taking out crossing or diseased limbs, and any which are longer than you want.
I doubt if you've pruned it back below the graft, so I wouldn't worry about that, but keep an eye out for any suckers from the base - they will be crabapple rootstock- remove them if that's not what you want.

I wouldn't try to move a 15 year old apple.

If I was going to try, I would:

-Wait until it's more dormant this coming autumn
-Dig around it to prune some of the roots, then replace the soil
-Let it then regrow lots of fine feeder roots from those cut roots
-Make sure it didn't dry out next year
-Carefully dig it out and move it the following winter, taking as big a rootball as possible
-Make sure it didn't dry out the following year
-Expect it to do poorly or die anyway

My suggestion would be to buy a younger tree for the hedge!

Great advice thanks. Too late. I dug it up, and moved it last night.
It was very deep rooted, and took an hour of digging.
The root had some damage in the middle of digging by the shovel blade.
I dug up the corner of the garden, and moved it to there, gave good amount of water.
This morning, the tree looks not happy with a hint of wilting leaves.
Hope it survives. If not, it will be cut, and burnt in the wood stove after 1 - 2 year sesoning and drying.

We are clearing the garden moving the plants around to make centre of the garden look more spacious and open, and couldn't really wait until later of this year for the moving and clearing.

 

[spader]

I meant how high was it when you began cutting back.

Ah, ok. It was about 8 - 10 ft. It was cut back a few times in last 10 years.

 

[StephenStephen]

Great advice thanks. Too late. I dug it up, and moved it last night.
It was very deep rooted, and took an hour of digging.
The root had some damage in the middle of digging by the shovel blade.
I dug up the corner of the garden, and moved it to there, gave good amount of water.
This morning, the tree looks not happy with a hint of wilting leaves.
Hope it survives. If not, it will be cut, and burnt in the wood stove after 1 - 2 year sesoning and drying.

We are clearing the garden moving the plants around to make centre of the garden look more spacious and open, and couldn't really wait until later of this year for the moving and clearing.

Good luck with it.
- You could put a pipe in the ground next to the tree, going down to the roots, so you can water them directly - ideally 100mm diameter (4"), but useful even if smaller than that
- Water it at about once or twice a week with a lot of water
- Remove a good amount of the top growth - maybe up to a half of the water shoots
-Don't be tempted to feed it

 

[spader]

Good luck with it.
- You could put a pipe in the ground next to the tree, going down to the roots, so you can water them directly - ideally 100mm diameter (4"), but useful even if smaller than that
- Water it at about once or twice a week with a lot of water
- Remove a good amount of the top growth - maybe up to a half of the water shoots
-Don't be tempted to feed it

Sure, great advice thanks. Yeah, I found apple tree can be resilient.
Once seen, a cut and thrown apple tree twig was rooting itself on the soil.
I will keep feed and water it. Hope it will recover from the moving shock.