Apples subject to regular pruning will behave like pollards - they will put
on increment much more slowly than maiden trees. All the points ref aging
the orchard are spot-on; and I wouldn't cut down a tree; especially as it
may be habitat for Noble Chafer larvae and other rare bugs (and lichens).
Take an increment core sample (dbh the tree, halve it, mark the borer with
eg elastic band or tape, a little more than 1/2 diameter, aim for what you
reckon will be the centre, given lean, crown shape etc. Extract the core,
plane it down on the top side (in relation to the tree's growth, obviously)
wet it (I use duck-oil), and count the rings with a hand lens. As it would
have grown quickly for the first few years, the ring widths towards the
centre will be fairly wide, so it doesn?t matter if you miss the exact
centre - you can guesstimate the last few rings from their curvature, as
they'll show you which side of the centre you've gone.
If you can find a copy, get "Increment Core Sampling Techniques for High
Quality Cores (Les Jozsa, Research scientist, wood Science Dept
Forintek Canada Corporation, March 1988)" I got my copy from Michael
Richmond's, a good few years ago, but the RFS or AA libraries probably have
copies if its out of print
As well as the age of the tree, you'll get all sorts of fascinating info as
to its growth pattern - heavy prunings, drought years, etc.
Oh, and its worth remembering that if it was a good, heavy yielding variety,
and grafted low down (as most old trees were) or a seedling, as many Devon
Cider trees were, then it may have been stumped and had a new stem led up
from the re-growth, so it may be a tree of one age on an older root system.
A good contact for all things relating to old orchards is the People's Trust
for endangered species www.ptes.org as they are carrying out a survey of the
orchards in the uk, looking at them as a resource for biodiversity, fueled
so to speak by the search for the Noble Chafer (Gnorimus nobilis)
All the best
Rupert
-----Original Message-----
From: Bettina Broadway-Mann [mailto:bbmht30@xxxxxx.co.uk]
Sent: 17 July 2008 18:29
To: UK Tree Care
Subject: ageing orchard apple trees
Dear All,
I would be obliged if someone out there could point me in the right
direction for info on ageing Apple and Pear trees in an old orchard.
Until a few years ago it was in active management, and the diameter at
breast height of the trees varies from 180 - 420 mm.
Thank you for your help.
regards,
Bettina
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