Supports and apples

Today was an excellent day and I planted everything that I've had sitting about for a while. I started with my broad beans ('Super Aquadulce') and cleaned up the soil again. I dug a trench 22cm wide and did a double row of beans, alternating the seeds (thanks to John Seymour for instilling that piece of common sense). I then placed hazel poles around the trench and stretched some string at two levels to act as a support.

I've got a lot of beans left to plant, so I'll do another one of these, a metre apart. I'll then fill the gap with catch crops, such as lettuce, spring onions and radishes.

Laura and I bashed in the supports for the apple cordons a few days ago (there were photos but they've vanished off the camera). I finished the wires yesterday and added the apples today. As I am training them into a cordon, I started by attaching three canes to the wires at an angle. I then cut back all the side laterals to three buds before planting each tree (a one-year-old maiden) 75cm from its neighbour.

Cutting back the laterals encourages fruiting spurs to form in clumps on each lateral.

I chose 'Egremont Russet' (2x) and 'Rev. W. Wilkes'. The former is an eating apple while the latter is a cooking apple.