Apple tree doesnt lose its leaves

[kevs-chickadees]

I wouldn't worry a lot about it not dropping it's leaves in the fall. You're in a warm climate, and the tree will lose the old ones when the new ones start pushing them out in the spring.

Don't trust a container tree ( or even ball and burlap ) to be planted at the correct depth. Some are, most aren't. You should be able to see the root flare where it goes into the soil. If you hold your hand out in front of you, and imagine your fingers as the roots, where your wrist ends and your palm widens out is what would be the root flare. If your tree looks like a telephone pole coming straight up out of the ground then it's planted too low.

Yes I have a telephone pole then, guess it's to low.

 

[kevs-chickadees]

We've had a very warm winter last year here in zone 7b (around 8a). This year, we're lacking cold... and 1 of our apples have been going nuts. It also didn't drop leaves, had some blooms on it, now I have tiny apples & yellow leaves that won't drop. The requirements for chill hours for ours was like 150 as well. It's done me no good. 4 years and only puney apples.

We are growing Lodi apples and Johnathon. Do you know what kind yours are? Honestly, here in NC... its rare to grow anything other then granny smith when not living in the mountain area. I now see why!

It's a Golden Dorsette with chill hour req. of 150, some say as little as 100. Working on getting a Anna to go along with it. I was reading another thread about the pruning and that has brought on a lot more questions. I have that paperback book that has been talked about ( Backyard Orchardist ) and it has helped out a lot but I was wondering about the branches that will start out at a 45* angle from the trunk and then after about 6" of growth turn and grow straight up. Do I need to prune those off and where? I know I need to wait til the beginning of Feb.

 

[vfem]

I prune my apples at the end of Feb (roses Feb 14th ) I make sure there is no major lead branch in the center and work it so it grows out. We do this with the peaches too. Peaches are so much more productive in our climate then apples.

I was thinking on some of our 'coldest' nights I was going to test the ground temps around the roots... I'm starting to think that may be even having an affect. If the ground is much warmer then the air temps, even if the air is freezing I think that may be adding to the lack of chill factor?

Though I've been reading over the years and doing what I can, I'm still really new at this orchard maintenance.