I bought, ordered and planted two Lil'Big (dwarf) Gurney's Goldrush apple trees just this late winter and both are bearing apples- one tree has three and the other eight! This variety is insane! I never expected apples my first year. I setup a trellis to espalier them this weekend by sinking a couple 8ft 4x4 posts on both sides and stringing a taunt wire for them to be 'willed' to grow on. I have two semi dwarf trees (Fuji and McIntosh) that are bearing finally after 6 years (one tree has 12, the other around 40) and both trees are like 15ft-18ft tall. Seems reading the advice from the experts here, I need to get on a step ladder and cut the leading branches off the top (and now is ok to do it, right?). Mine are in an interesting predicament in that they are technically too large for my tiny yard and had a fence right up against them for the last 6 years and then a month ago a new neighbor wanted to build a fence on his line which necessitated that I move my fence to the other side of the trees opening up the side that was previously shading them in the afternoon (otherwise my trees would have been boxed in on both sides). So now the morning sun is blocked by the fence from the east on the lower half of each tree but from noon on they get sun overhead and then on the west side. Like you I was thinking I need my apples up higher because of this fence-shading which is why I allowed the trees to continue their upward exploitation. The apples that have formed are up high on the Fuji, but low on the McIntosh which doesn't make sense to me, but I am just happy I beat the previously yearly records of exactly one or zero apples per tree per year. I put blooming and rooting fertilizer out in February and saw the most blossoms ever. It certainly helped.

Good for you.....It would be good exercise, but like swimming upstream in a swift river. If it were possible, postpone the digging until Fall arrives and leaves drop off. It would be very good to deep soak the whole area around each tree so as to change the clay into slushy, gooey, soggy consistency. Dripping, falling-apart wet. With rubber gloves, a sharp shovel a hand pruner, and a garden fork you could slowly try to uncover and clean each root and remove the slushy clay encasing the roots. Cut the roots as far from the trunk as you can. Especially salvage the thin, mossy roots. Gentle handling is very worthwhile. After the "fillet" of tree/roots comes out, you could hose it off to get rid of the remaining soggy clay. If it were possible, soak the entire root structure in a water-holding "vat" made of any kind of frame that could support 6 mil thick plastic sheeting that would make a shallow swimming pool. Let the trees soak for a day or 2 in water that is enhanced with fertilizer. For me, I use a strong dose of Superthrive in the water. Instead of digging a big hole for each tree and covering the tender roots with chunky native soil, I would use several bags of nursery's bagged potting soil to pour on top of the trees to make a mound on top of the undisturbed soil there with the tree staked upright and sitting on top of the soil. Keeping the mound continually moist is necessary so the thin mossy roots don't croak. All of this is greatly improved if done in late Fall. Good luck.

Forecast by NWS is for this coming morning. I'd better protect my plants when I get home tonight! "Special Weather Statementfrom the National Weather Service: SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY- CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 430 AM PST TUE FEB 14 2006 ...WINTER RETURNS WITH MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA... SPRINGTIME CONDITIONS WILL BE REPLACED BY SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES AND A RETURN TO RAIN AND SNOW THIS WEEK. A COLD AIRMASS PUSHING SOUTHWARD OUT OF CANADA WILL BRING AN END TO THE MILDER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPERIENCED RECENTLY WITH DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY EXPECTED TO BE 10 DEGREES OR MORE COOLER THAN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. EVEN COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CLIPS THE NORTH STATE AND THEN MOVES INTO THE GREAT BASIN. ONLY VERY LIGHT AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS DRY SYSTEM WITH MOST SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS BUT SNOW LEVELS ARE LIKELY TO BE QUITE LOW. WEDNESDAYS DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO BE AS MUCH AS 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW THOSE OF SUNDAY AND MONDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE MUCH COLDER AS WELL...WITH HIGHER MOUNTAIN VALLEYS DROPPING INTO THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS WHILE 20S AND 30S WILL OCCUR IN THE FOOTHILLS AND CENTRAL VALLEY. A SECOND COLD SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTHWARD INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY AND WILL KEEP CONDITIONS COLD AND UNSTABLE THROUGH THE PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND. PRECIPITATION IS AGAIN FORECAST TO BE RELATIVELY LIGHT WITH THIS SYSTEM BUT SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN QUITE LOW WITH SNOWFALL POSSIBLE TO THE LOWER FOOTHILLS. "

My temperature gage in my outdoor atrium hit 104 today and we broke a record here in Houston today, 100 at the airport that broke a record held since 1902 they said. Man that is very hot for this early in the summer, not even officially summer yet! They did open the cooling centers around town today since they are already seeing case of heat related illness at the hospitals. They said it would still be in the 90's tonight at 8pm right now it is 99 and it is 5:47pm. I sure am thankful for all my big giant trees that surround my house and help cool us down, a big plus for living in a forest area!