Crab apple in Flower

Someone threw down the gauntlet and asked how many flowers I had this year. "Search me" I said.

"You can count them if you really want to know."

"Go on then, I'll have a cup of tea, and some of that wonderful treacle tart your wife makes; oh and a pen and paper."

So just after 1,200 later we sort of gave up with a dizzy headache; plus the bees were confusing us as well. I know I have shown this one before, but I so enjoy the sight of the flower and the aroma it gives off. I have a covered area where we always sit for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. As one goes over we remove to the display house and bring another over. I have read numerous time that NC. Apples should be repotted after flowering to maximise the benefit of flowers. This one was only re-potted six weeks ago, and I'm happy with the level of flower. I will not permit the fruit to set in total, far from it. Once the flowers drop, I will remove almost all. Leaving just a small selection of apples. I always strip down but even more so on re-pot years. The root ball was reduced by approximately 50%, fully washed, crossing roots, dead or decayed traced and cut out. 30% Kiryu, 20% Aqua-grit, 50% Akadama medium particles, with a finer Akadama top dressing. Pot is by Erin.

Tree as was twenty-five years ago when left on the shelf from a group of imported trees. All the rest sold but no-one wanted this one. It was 14-16cm in height in a tiny plastic pot.



Now 80cm in height. Whilst I appreciate the shape is perhaps somewhat off traditional prunus; I like it and it pleases me.

I think its a great tree with wonderful flowers. Thanks for sharing these pictures.

Neil

Love it!! Great tree and neat pot too!!

Thank you Neil & Paul.

Mike

The tree is lovely... The number of flowers is imense!!
It's suprising what a few years can do for a tree!!

Do you have any info on the aqua grit you used? Does it hold a small amount of water?

Cheers
Bry

Thanks Bry. yes it holds some moisture but more importantly nutrients. Kyodama I would imagine gives similar results. When K was unavailable I moved over to AG and will stick with it. This comes from Underworld:

http://www.underworldproducts.co.uk/index.php/aquatic/sand-a-gravel/aquagrit

Not at all cheap. I was fortunate though I purchased fifteen tubs from an aquarium store that was closing down. Just £2 a tub. It is sold as 'A clay-based gravel, enriched with trace elements.'

I tried a pine in just the AG a few years back; it grew exceptionally well. Had to watch watering though; twas just a trial really.

It is very lightweight.

Mike

Thanks for the info on aquagrit. Looks like a good product. One to add to the list... Always good to have a wider knowledge of different products out there on the Market.

I've got a crab apple tree in training... I've grown it up from seed. I think it's now around 20cm tall and 3yrs old. Repotted the roots around a rock this year Should start to get interesting in a few years time!!
Not sure it's a flowering type though.

Cheers Bryan

What a wonderful display of flowers!

ibm586 wrote:What a wonderful display of flowers!

Thank you very much.

Mike