Tree id - variety of crab apple

wipednwired · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:41 pm Post subject: Tree id - variety of crab apple

Can anyone identify the type of crab apple this is? I badly want to prune it now because it's dripping sap all over the car parked under it. Don't mind losing the apples this season but don't want to seriously damage it either if it's too early to prune. Any advice on the disease/ pest also welcome. Thanks!

Greengage · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:50 pm Post subject:

Aphid x??
Not a clue what variety it is and I doubt anyone else would either, "Katie"

wipednwired · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 6:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks Katie. I guess these are the options for the variety:

http://www.ucd.ie/plantmat/treeidentification/malus/

And on this page it says some are best pruned while dormant, while other varieties should be pruned in autumn to prevent "bleeding of sap". This is why I am trying to figure out the variety!

http://www.thepavilion.ie/the-forgotten-crab-apple/

wipednwired · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:03 pm Post subject:

PS Aphid was the right clue. I think it's Wooly Aphid.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=724

tagwex · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:50 pm Post subject:

Ha Greengage will love being called Katie. I believe he meant the variety was 'Katie'.

Silver surfer · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 10:09 pm Post subject:

Malus domestica Katy is I believe an ordinary size apple not a crab apple.

Quote Buckingham nursery...

"Raised in 1947 in Sweden (Katja). Cross between James Grieve and Worcester Pearmain. Attractive bright rosy-red fruit, juicy, crisp and pleasant flavour with a hint of strawberries. Regular heavy cropper. Very hardy variety. Good for eating and juicing.

It is very hard /impossible to say for sure from a pic which crab apple it is.
There are many.
See below which list 26. There are even more not listed!

http://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/crab-apple-trees

Greengage · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:31 pm Post subject:

OK should have been Katy and I know its not a crab apple, being a crab apple and looking at fruit it would be next to impossible to know what variety it is unless you are a pomologist.

wipednwired · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:17 am Post subject:

Thanks all - I guess I'll leave it until Nov then try to prune back. It's badly out of shape.

Sue Deacon · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:42 am Post subject:

I think the RHS has an apple ident. service. I heard something recently about an apple festival with an identity service too. I was thinking of sending some of mine to be identified. Now wish I'd paid more attention!

From what you wrote I think the Goat willow might be a big part of the problem. A friend has a number of apple trees on semi dwarfing stock. The overgrown property next door has a number of goat willows hanging over the hedge. She has a constant battle hacking them back so they don't swamp her trees.

Silver surfer · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:24 am Post subject:

Brogdale do an id service.
They have 2,200 Varieties of apples in their Collection!

http://www.brogdalecollections.org/

They need leaves and fruit AND money.
Last year it was £20 per fruit tree...plus P.P.

It is a wonderful service for people with very old apple varieties who want to preserve them for the future and are interested in the name

http://www.brogdalecollections.org/fruit-identification/

At the end of the day if you like the apples/tree then why worry about a name.
If you want a special named apple it will almost be cheaper to go out and buy a new tree.

The RHS do it...but I believe only for members.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/membership/rhs-gardening-advice/fruit-identification

Sue Deacon · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:56 pm Post subject:

I had heard of the Brogdale service, didn't realise they charged THAT much. What if you had an orchard of old trees. Shocked

I'm sure the one I heard of was related to a one-off festival - but still that's gone now for this year. Must pay more attention.