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| The same tree in 2009 |
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| North Pole Apple after pruning. 1.19.15 |
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| North Pole Apple after pruning. 1.19.15 |
I pruned North Pole apple tree, about 14 years old. The goal is shorten the spurs enough to maintain columnar shape, exposing all apples to sunlight. Shorten the top so all are within my reach. I am 5'10 so that means, about 8 ft tall.
Next to clean up the mess under the tree. Important for disease and insect prevention. I didn't have the energy, but this week would be a good time. Last year's apples were all wormy - I refuse to spray poison - and in my frustration, I didn't clean them up
Columnar apples are descended from a sport growing in a Canadian orchard on a McIntosh apple tree. That was in 1961. The original, named for the the farmer, is McIntosh "Wijcik". Most if not all columnar apple trees are descended from the Wijcik mutation. Hundreds of crosses have been made, resulting in many novel columnar apple trees. I don't know how the apples, from those trees, taste, or how productive they are. This North Pole is a good apple. I am not a connoisseur, so not the best judge. The main issue is wormy apples, which is culture method, not the tree's fault. Cleaning up under the tree is important, and I plan to bag them next year.
The gene leading to columnar growth has been mapped on apple chromosome #10, known as the "co" gene. This gene is present in all columnar apple cultivars. The mutation is entirely natural - Anthony Wijcik was looking at his McIntosh trees and happened to observe the unusual branch. He cut it, using it as scion, propagated it, and ultimately sold it for propagation and development. That tree was patented by Stark's Nurserys, but the patent has since run out.
Columnar apple trees are known in the UK as "Ballerina" trees.
In wikipedia, Fisher is given credit for discovering the Wijcik McIntosh, but in Fisher's own writing, "At a Research Station Field Day in 1963, a grower approached me and said he had a peculiar stunted shoot of 'Mclntosh' originating adjacent to a cut at the top of a 50-year-old 'Mclntosh' tree. He had discovered this in 1961. I picked up an empty cigarette package and hastily wrote down his name and address, intending to visit him. Unfortunately I lost the package. Fortunately, two years later (1965) at a similar Field Day I recognized the same man, Mr. Tony Wijcik. Prior to harvest I visited his orchard in East Kelowna and inspected his sport. Although located in an advantageous position at the top of the tree in regard to light exposure, fruit from this sported shoot matured somewhat later than apples on the rest of the tree and had only fair color. The fruit was tightly packed on the very compact single shoot measuring about four feet in length. Mr. Wijcik had, by this time, taken buds and propagated a row of about 20 trees on M.26 rootstock."
I have tried to locate a patent on North Pole apple. I don't think there is one. It may have a trademark, which would mean progeny could not be identified by that name, but would be legal.
Back to this particular tree, I have not found photos of old columnar apple trees. Most catalog photos show very young specimens, often in containers. They look like sticks with apples glued to the sides. The mature tree is more sturdy, and the spurs tend to grow longer with time.
I have found that pruning the spurs back keeps the shape nicely. I stubbed the top many years ago, and annually remove most of the growth above that point. The bearing is prolific. I just need a way to prevent insect damage to the fruit, which is true for all of my apples.
