Pruning Fruit Trees

[Roger Tonkin]

Off to see daughter on Wednesday. Last night she calmly request that I
bring my lopers and prune her apple and pear trees! She moved in during
the summer and has had a good crop, but wants them controlled a little
bit.

Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!

[Jake]

On Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:46:09 -0000, Roger Tonkin

Post by Roger Tonkin
Off to see daughter on Wednesday. Last night she calmly request that I
bring my lopers and prune her apple and pear trees! She moved in during
the summer and has had a good crop, but wants them controlled a little
bit.
Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!

For apples, have a look at
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-prune-apple-trees-between-autumn-and-spring
which'll demonstrate how to do it.

The RHS site has a page on pruning both at
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=90

This will be my first year for pruning a pear so I'll be interested in
any advice others offer. All I know is that pears are treated
differently from apples as they bear fruit nearer to the main stems so
you need to allow more stems to develop. But you'll presumably be
pruning established trees so for you the issues will be different.

Hope this helps a bit.


Cheers, Jake
=======================================
URGling in between collecting leaves at
the dryer (east) end of Swansea Bay.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Jake
For apples, have a look at
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-prune-apple-trees-between-autumn-and-spring
which'll demonstrate how to do it.
The RHS site has a page on pruning both at
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=90

My pruning task is rather smaller.

Last November I bought a 2-year bare-root family apple tree from
Blackmoor. On M26 stock I have Discovery, James Grieve and
Sunset.

After planting I cut back the branches by about 1/3.

It is healthy, but has not put on a great deal of new growth, and
I am unsure exactly if, and when to prune again.

Chris

[Chris J Dixon]

Last November I bought a 2-year bare-root family apple tree from
Blackmoor. On M26 stock I have Discovery, James Grieve and
Sunset.

After planting I cut back the branches by about 1/3.

It is healthy, but has not put on a great deal of new growth, and
I am unsure exactly when and how to prune again.

Chris

[Sacha]

Post by Chris J Dixon
Last November I bought a 2-year bare-root family apple tree from
Blackmoor. On M26 stock I have Discovery, James Grieve and
Sunset.
After planting I cut back the branches by about 1/3.
It is healthy, but has not put on a great deal of new growth, and
I am unsure exactly when and how to prune again.
Chris

They have help and advice on their web site
http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/pruning.php

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Sacha

Post by Chris J Dixon
Last November I bought a 2-year bare-root family apple tree from
Blackmoor. On M26 stock I have Discovery, James Grieve and
Sunset.
After planting I cut back the branches by about 1/3.
It is healthy, but has not put on a great deal of new growth, and
I am unsure exactly when and how to prune again.

They have help and advice on their web site
http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/pruning.php

Yes, I have already read that, but am still having difficulty in
applying it to what stands before me. Some of it, taken
literally, would remove more than this year's growth, which can't
be right.

Chris

[Jim Jackson]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by Sacha

Post by Chris J Dixon
Last November I bought a 2-year bare-root family apple tree from
Blackmoor. On M26 stock I have Discovery, James Grieve and
Sunset.
After planting I cut back the branches by about 1/3.
It is healthy, but has not put on a great deal of new growth, and
I am unsure exactly when and how to prune again.

They have help and advice on their web site
http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/pruning.php

Yes, I have already read that, but am still having difficulty in
applying it to what stands before me. Some of it, taken
literally, would remove more than this year's growth, which can't
be right.

I think they mean pruning of the NEW growth.

If you don't have much new growth, then check it's general conditions.
Is there competition from other nearby trees or near a headge or
fence - what's growing over the fence? Is the soil is poor health or
overlying heavy clay builders rubble etc.

If so sort that out and prune the new growth back a bit harder than you
did last time.

[Jim Jackson]

Post by Roger Tonkin
Off to see daughter on Wednesday. Last night she calmly request that I
bring my lopers and prune her apple and pear trees! She moved in during
the summer and has had a good crop, but wants them controlled a little
bit.
Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!

Don't cut like a hedge! You'll remove all the fruiting branches and it
will be a few years before you get a crop again. My neighbour had a
gardener that did that, cut all the branches back heavily every 3 or 4
years. Rarely got a crop. The trees crop wonderfully now and aren't really
taking over.

Will established trees I tend to take out whole branches that are in the
wrong place, then I take out stuff growing into the centre of the tree -
it helps combat disease if air can move easily thru' the tree in summer.

With a lot of apple trees, if you prune back the side shoots off the main
branches to just a few buds, you will encourage fruiting buds to form.
Long whippy stuff shooting up, can be pruned back to sensible lengths.

But beware, hard pruning in winter will mean there is a lot of new growth
to prune next winter too!

[Dave Hill]

Post by Roger Tonkin
Off to see daughter on Wednesday. Last night she calmly request that I
bring my lopers and prune her apple and pear trees! She moved in during
the summer and has had a good crop, but wants them controlled a little
bit.
Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!
--
Roger T
700 ft up in Mid-Wales

It depends so much on age and size. Just remember 1/3 off to promote
fruiting growtrh. 2/3 to get growth.
Try looking up on google,several short fils on pruning.

[Janet Tweedy]

Post by Roger Tonkin
Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!

That's one thing I would never attempt on my own, purely because unless
you identify if the tree is spur or tip bearing and so on and so forth
you can really mess things up!! Can you not get someone to do it for
her?

[kay]

Post by Roger Tonkin
Off to see daughter on Wednesday. Last night she calmly request that I
bring my lopers and prune her apple and pear trees! She moved in durin
the summer and has had a good crop, but wants them controlled a little
bit.
Never having pruned fruit trees before, any guidance as to how to go
about it, things to avoid etc. Or shall I just follow my instincts!

I suppose it all depends on what your instincts are!

I've moved over to summer pruning with my mature apple trees on th
principle that winter pruning encourages growth, and is the way to g
with young trees when you want to encourage them into growth. Summe
pruning has the disadvantage that the developing apples get in the way
but you do get a lot less of those long whippy growths that you need t
prune away the next time.

But my trees are mature - 6 inch dia trunks - your daughter's may be
lot smaller, in which case pruning now is fine.

Start by having a close look at the trees, and see the differenc
between leaf buds and the short fat stubbly growths (spurs) which ar
where the flowers come from. Bear this in mind when you decide whic
twigs to cut back, and which to take out completely. For each individua
twig, do nothing or do a lot - don't just nibble! But others have give
you or referred you to good advice.

As to tip and spur bearers - most apples seem to be spur bearers - i
you can't find spurs on one of the trees, then it may be a tip bearer s
prune with caution.

Oh, and you'd be better with secateurs and a sharp pruning saw
Difficult to be sure of a clean cut with loppers


--
kay