Calling for Spring!

* Gala  apple tree * photo by Suzanne *  Late February 2013

Hello dear readers!  Here we are dancing into early March with Spring around the corner!  I'm here to tell you, it's time to get busy with garden Spring clean up, and, pruning projects.  I don't know about you, but just thinking about all that needs to be done, makes my head spin!  UGH!!!

*** Well, anyway ***

Why are we here today?  We're going to prune my Gala apple tree that my husband Karo planted a few years ago.  If you saw my previous post, "A Sweet Gala Tribute", from October 3, 2016,  you know that now is the time to prune!  According to my research, you should prune these trees in late winter, or very early spring.  Well, folks-we've got a little of both going on right now!

note: The featured post on my sidebar is "A Sweet Gala Tribute" if you would like to read it.

*** I'll run through a little history first to bring us up to speed! ***

The first photo above is the little tree in late February of 2013.  I believe it was sometime in 2011 or 2012, as Karo was eating a Gala apple, he discovered a tiny root on one of the seeds in the core.  He planted the seed in a coffee can at first, then, later we potted it to see if it would continue to grow.   Below is this tree in the same pot, just a little over a year later.  See how it has grown!

* Gala apple tree * photo by Suzanne * April 24, 2014

Finally, I am able to convince Karo that it should be planted in the ground!

* photo by Suzanne * April 24, 2014


Karo staked it to an old broomstick handle, or a rake!

***  Now, look at the tree!  ***  This is late September 2016

I didn't know if the tree should be pruned or not, so I looked up the care of Gala apple trees, and did come across some suggested pruning tips.

***
a.  Suckers
b.  Stubs or broken branches
c.  downward growing branches
d.  rubbing or criss-crossing branches
e.  upward or interior branches
f.  competing leaders
g.  narrow crotches
h.  whorls



The above diagram was very helpful to me, I HOPE!!!
  Here is my tree after winter's winds and cooler temperatures "ravaged" its appearance!  The leaves turn an ugly dried brown, but not all of them will fall off the tree.
  It has quite a dead appearance, doesn't it?


* photo by Suzanne * February 28, 2017


* photo February 28, 2017

Here is the Gala after my "butcher", I mean, pruning job!  And, you can see the debris on the ground that I took from the tree.  Gosh, I hope I didn't mess it up!  Well, time will tell.

I noticed some nubs on the branches, and my heart was sinking as I pruned, AAGH!  This tree has never blossomed in the Spring, and I have hopes that it will this year.  Some of the other trees in the area are already blooming, however, these nubs could be leaf buds.  And, it might be a good idea to find some fruit tree nutrition to help boost it along.

The photo is out of focus, but, maybe you can see the nubs I'm speaking of.
I circled one of them.

* photo by Suzanne * February 28, 2017

Have any of you ever pruned an apple tree?  We had several established apple trees on a lot of our property in Kansas as I was growing up, but, my parents didn't prune them.   They were already producing apples and blossoms when we moved to that residence.  I guess I am a bit skeptical, but my fingers are crossed that this pruning will yield more growth, green leaves (again), and possibly some blossoms, followed by apples...one day!



I hope you enjoyed today's juicy program, and if any of you has an apple tree small enough to prune, maybe the tips I mentioned will help you out some.  If my tree blossoms or starts exhibiting some leaf growth, I will send a photo and keep you all updated.

In the meantime I will thank:
Blogger
Google
Yahoo Images
weekendgardener.net (for the diagram and pruning tips)
For the cute animations, I am grateful to fg-a.com

All photos of the apple tree were taken by me (property of Suzanne Prickett)


*** Thank you so much for coming by today.  Please stop in if you have time, and say hello.  I would love to hear from you anytime! ***



"Cling, Swing, Spring, sing,
Swing up into the apple tree."
~T S Eliot

Sending blessings to you all * Be safe * Love and Laugh a lot! ♥
  Hi Mom!  

A Sweet Gala Tribute

~Farmers market * Haltom City, TX

photo by suzanne * September 26, 2016

Hello dear readers! Here we are into October, with a few cool breezes gracing our city, and, all is buzzing in anticipation of Halloween! 

Well...don't look so skeptical!!!

Today, we're going to touch lightly on a subject I don't know a whole lot about!  The home where I grew up, in Kansas, had an adjacent lot, and there were 3 apple trees already growing and thriving on this lot when my family moved to the home.  Two of the trees produced green apples (I'm guessing Granny Smith), and one tree produced an apple that would turn red (don't know what it was).  So, I must say, I spent more time eating the apples, than trying to figure out what kind they were, or how to grow them, lol!

Right now, though, I'm going to focus on the Gala apple, which seems to have originated from New Zealand in the 1930's, with an Orchardist by the name of 'Kidd', who crossed the Golden Delicious apple with the Kidd's Orange Red.  This union made the Gala one of the most widely grown apple varieties in the world!  Gala apple is known for its sweet, pleasant, flavor, and, good keeping qualities.  It is said to be suitable to drier, warm climates, and, available year round from northern and southern hemisphere suppliers.  The tree is capable of reaching heights over 20', with a maximum spread of 22'.   And one tree can take over an entire yard if the conditions are right.  Gala was introduced into the United States around 1974, after a plant patent for the cultivar was obtained in October of that year.  This is interesting, as, I figured that we in the US always had Gala apples!!!  

"Gala is aromatic and juicy, great for slicing or sinking your teeth into raw!"

~Southern Living Magazine

***

Now, if you're about to purchase some Gala apples and, are wondering how old they are, the color is a good indicator.  If the apple is very pale, then it's probably from the new season crop and was picked early.  If the apple is very dark, possibly it has been in cold storage for a while, where it matured, or, was left on the tree longer in order to mature.

AND, WHO KNEW THIS?
Gala apples keep well in cold storage.  Though the season only lasts 9 to 10 months, the Gala can be refrigerated for some months, making them available all year in some of the Australian markets.  In the UK, the season begins in August, and, storage makes the fruit available nearly all year long.

Moving right along!

Here are some useful pruning tips for young apple trees that I will be using myself.

These pruning tips are alphabetical & coincide with the drawing that follows:
A.  Suckers
B.  Stubs or broken branches
C.  Downward-growing branches
D.  Rubbing or criss-crossing branches
E.  Upward or interior branches
F.  Competing leaders
G.  Narrow crotches
H.  Whorls


*****

Well, my gracious readers, we're about to come to a close on our Gala apples program.   I hope this information helps you with any future apples purchases.  And, I'll bet you're ready to devour one of those juicy fruits as we speak!  I can't just yet...I just had some dental work done, and, it's soup for me tonight! 

As I said earlier, "I don't know much at all about raising apple trees".  But I just so happen to have an apple tree in my front yard.  I hope that what I've learned through my research will aid in success of Karo's tree.  So far, so good!

  The story goes like this:
My husband Karo was eating a Gala apple one day, and, a seed fell out with a small root attached.  So Karo, planted it in a tiny pot.  It did start growing, and before long, it was planted in a coffee can.  He really didn't expect much from it, and eventually planted it in a larger pot, where it stayed for a little over a year.  He was so skeptical about the future of this tree, but, I finally convinced him to plant it in our yard.

~Apple tree * April 24, 2014
* photo by Suzanne



~ Apple Tree * September 10, 2016
photo by Suzanne

~Karo's apple tree * October 1, 2016
Scootie and Me * photo by Rusty

It's hard to see in the sun, but, the tree towers way above my head now.  The leaves will drop soon, and, then I will do some pruning as Winter's close nears.

****

I am dedicating this post to my husband Karo, who passed away in January this year.  I am so proud to watch this tree as it grows, and, I am looking forward to its first blooms.  I have to chuckle about it, because Karo was sure it wouldn't grow to be very large! 
He would be pleasantly surprised!   

* I will keep you informed of this tree's progress as time goes by.

and now, my thanks to:
 weekendgardner.net
homeguides.sfgate.com
 orangepippin.com
wikipedia
Southern Living
Blogger
Yahoo


And, my sincerest thanks to you, dear friends for stopping by to see what's happening at MyTexasGardens!   If you have time, step in and say hello!  I'm always glad to hear from you.

Prayers and best wishes for safety and well-being going out to the folks in the path of Hurricane Matthew.

Take care, love and laugh!  I will see you next time. ♥



Oh...EEK!!!  Really?