Cornish Gilliflower Apple tree

Owner: Jan

Location: Castel D'Aiano, BOLOGNA, Italy

Age:	Planted in about
Rootstock:	MM106 (I think)
Soil:	Shallow clay/chalk on rock
Climate at this location:	Very hot dry summers, severe long winters
Pruning:	Not yet
Tree form:	Bush (wider at top than bottom)
Height:	Up to 6ft / 2m
Cropping:	Does not usually produce any fruit
Growth:	This tree grows fairly well here
Herbicides:	Manual treatment (hoeing and weeding)
Pesticides:	Chemical treatments
Local pests:	Aphids,canker,codling moth,deer,wild boar,processional (I think moths) plant louse (some kind of sap-sucking hemipteran)

Owner's comments

We live at 500 metres up in the Appennines. It has taken a lot of work, guesswork and care to get these trees, brought from the UK established. Constant watering was necessary for the first Summer. Despite advice not to mulch(provides home for voles!) or feed them, this year for the first time we have done both, and it has made a great difference. Organic pest control is definitely not enough, especially for codling moths and various other, unknown caterpillars. We are expecting a small crop for the first time this year.