Bought an Apple Tree

[LovelyLadyLux]

I bought a small apple tree called "Goodland." Nothing special about the variety of apple tree except it was 'on sale' at a decent (ok really cheap) price.

Now I have it home and it is about 1.5m high with a leafy branched out top.

I'm thinking to plant it in a pot and keep it on the back deck and position it so that it will afford some shade for the back window.

Do you think an apple tree (semi dwarf with a maximum growth to 3M as per the tag) would live in a big plant pot?

I don't care so much to get the apples but I'm looking for something decorative to have on the back deck that would provide a bit of shade from the Sun (if it ever comes out again!).

[Horus]

It would do better in a box like planter of say 30" cube and is it self fertile or do you need a pollinator?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Hadn't thought about a box style but that could be nice and 30" wouldn't be too big or too small. It is in what I'd call a 3 gallon pot right now and cause it is desperate for re-potting UP I think that is why it was on sale.

I believe it needs a pollinator but there are other apples trees around. Mostly it was a decently sized nicely shaped tree and I've been looking for something else that is high(er) on the back deck that in the right position would give a bit of a break from full hot sun coming in that one back window......course today with NO SUN in sight it isn't really crucial to have something out there.

Mostly it was a visual of a potted tree with green UP there vs all waist height or lower.

I have seen some potted trees produce fruit so if I get an apple it'll be a bonus

Will have to check around for a square pot - lots of guys here make cedar planter boxes (just a box shape hadn't occurred to me). Thanks H!

[Horus]

LLL, if you are handy (or know someone) they can be made quite nicely out of 'decking' timber which is usually quite cheap, has been protected against rot and very robust.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I've been mulling over making a box. I'm not handy or unhandy, am somewhere in the middle. I probably could make one. Cutting the wood would be the most difficult part.

[Horus]

It can all be done with 90 degree square cuts, can you get hold of a 'Chop' saw or just get the timber cut to length?

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'm positive the son in law has a chop saw - BUT - he'd never let me borrow it. NOBODY borrows any of his stuff and quite frankly the Guy works close to 60 hours a week so I hate to bother him about anything.

I was actually wondering if the lumber yard would pre-cut it for me. I think, if memory serves they will do 1 cut for free. Not sure if they'd do all the cuts or not.

[Horus]

If you like I can always do you a design drawing and a cutting list to go with it and you could ask them for a price to cut everything to size.

[Kiya]

Good idea Horus

When Roy has been making a few pieces around his place he always takes his measurements for shelves, sides, tops, bottoms etc etc to B & Q & gets it all cut there, I don't think its dear at all to get cut

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'll check with the lumber yard next time I'm there H to see what they'll cut And IF they happen to the wood I need. What they have in the store will depend on 'when' the last boat landed.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I solved my planter dilemma. When in the State I went into a garden shop/fruit stand and they were clearing out HUGE (granted plastic) pots. Somewhat decorative in that they're not the standard black nursery pots. Got a beige one and given the price it'll do more than fine for the apple tree

Alls well that ends well (And thank you for the offer to draw up plans for a proper planter Horus )

[Jayway]

Would you like a fig tree LLL ? they are much prettier than apple trees. I am thinking of chopping mine down as its untidy. My rubber tree is beautiful, grown from a 4 foot stick a neighbour threw out.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Actually they are starting to sell fig trees here and I've been seriously thinking about it. Here you need to grow them though specifically on the hot side of a house.

Actually here if we're growing peach, nectarine, apricots we have to grow them UNDER a shelter so the rain doesn't splash them otherwise they get this weird disease seemingly right away that rolls the leaves. Commonly called "peach leaf curl" but it has a proper name.

I've got strawberries growing and blueberry bushes. I've not got a garden area - small but will expand it and I'm growing tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, beets, zucchini and squash. I figure I have a spot down the back for a maybe a plum tree or pear tree.

Cherry trees love it here but they tend to grow really large and typically the birds will swoop in and eat all the cherries before you have a change to get any.

Might try raspberries but I find them a bit of a pain to have to keep transplanting.

[Horus]

Might try raspberries but I find them a bit of a pain to have to keep transplanting.

LLL, Raspberries are fine where they are just so long as you cut back the last fruiting wood (after fruiting) and leave the new wood to fruit the following year and so on.

[LovelyLadyLux]

LLL, Raspberries are fine where they are just so long as you cut back the last fruiting wood (after fruiting) and leave the new wood to fruit the following year and so on.

Never knew that. I thought you had to dig up the new starts and transplant them - kinda along the lines of strawberries so I figured they were too much work.

I do love fresh raspberries but figured them as being too much work to bother with. Maybe need to re-think the raspberry situation