Oullins Gage Gage tree

Owner: Roger

Location: Burton Latimer, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, United Kingdom

Age:	Planted in about 2004
Age of this tree:	20 years
Rootstock:	St Julien A
Soil:	Clay
Climate at this location:	Warm summers; wet winters
Pruning:	Yes
Tree form:	Bush (wider at top than bottom)
Height:	Between 6ft / 2m and 15ft / 4m
Cropping:	Heavy crops
Growth:	This tree grows easily here
Herbicides:	Un-treated
Pesticides:	Un-treated
Local pests:	The leaves sometimes get infestations of aphids; wasps are troublesome in July

Owner's comments

I try to rely on natural predators to combat aphids, though if the infestation is very severe I will resort to one dose of spray. I have to keep a close watch for instances of brown rot during wet summers. The old method of suspended jam-jars with pierced lids and half-filled with a dilute sweet solution is very effective as a wasp trap from early July onwards. A late frost in 2012 drastically reduced the crop for 140+ in 2011 to just 12!

Season records for this tree

2014
Spring blossom: 31 March
The earliest that I've ever had blossom on this tree
2013
Spring blossom: 29 April
Size: 4.0m / 13.3ft high 4.0m / 13.3ft wide
The tree escaped the late frost which ruined the crop last year. Lots of blossom, and at least there were some pollinating insects around.
2012
Spring blossom: 14 April
Heavy blossom again (some pruning last year). Late frost may be a problem, though.
2011
Spring blossom: 5 April
Harvest: 3rd week July
Very heavy blossom again this year; possibly the most the tree has yet had. High pollinbation rate = best crop yet. Tree pruned back in June; wasp traps up in early July. Some very minor instances of buird damage and brown rot, but otherwise a very good year indeed.
2010
Spring blossom: 23 April
Harvest: 2nd week July
Good blossom, though less than last year. Was affected by late frost and only ten blossoms fruited!