Check supports on trained fruit

We grow a range of trained fruit here at Beechgrove and now’s the time to check the ties on their support frameworks. Younger stems are guided in the direction we want them to grow and are tied in – always tying on the outside of the wires, never between wire and wall. The existing jute string is removed and replaced. Old string and even rubber tying tube can harbour pests and diseases. Juvenile scale insects gather in significant numbers on the tying tubes on grape vines, prompting further checks for insects.

Training an apple tree against a wall is a good way to fit one into a small garden