Its coming folks.. while I am most likely behind a touch for those living in some parts of the B.C. for pretty much the rest of us here in Canada, its time to either get out or buy a good couple needed tools for starting your spring fruit tree pruning.
So this thread is going to cover older fruit tree pruning, starting out with whips, work out way though the hard stone fruits and then move over to the soft fruiting bushes and finally end up with cane fruit 🙂
What is the must haves for most pruning?
A pair or two of good hand held pruners (with a matching blade sharper)
At least one good saw blade that has teeth that cut BOTH front and back
and at least one good pole saw
So here is my question for you.. how much overall is the MAX you should take off a tree in any one year.. (you can do less of course) but this is the MOST recommended?
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
If my memory is right, I believe I was taking two feet off a heritage apple tree and it is fine. That was fifteen years ago and I plan on cutting it back again in a few weeks
hmm, I have never heard of it being given in feet, the standard recommend is that you should not remove more then 1/3rd of the tree at any given year.. that is a typically well looked after tree.. if you have a older tree that you are re-starting, then it goes down to 1/4th for 3 years with a rest year on the fourth year and then moving up to the 1/3rd for the next three years and then a rest year.
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
That is something i’ll Have to do over the next few weeks.
Somewhat related question here. I have an underperforming plum tree that just appear sickish for the past 2 years. I’ve only been getting a handful of plums from the tree who has ash-like deposits on the leaves, despite the treatments recommended at the local nursery. I was thinking about just cutting it down altogether this winter but haven’t had the chance to do so yet.
Can I just prune the heck out of it and see what comes out of it?
Hi HP
Can you send me a link from the net on what the ash-like deposits on the leaves look like, it does not need to be your photos, just track me down what it is if at all possible and that will let me answer so much better on it overall.
Do you have a idea of age of tree? young tree, middle age but got a health issue tree, or a older reaching the end of its life tree?
Plumes normally tend to be heavy producers so something is really going on, could be the wrong type for the zone and it never produces well, or could be the health issue and if so.. what is effecting it.
I am never going to recommend that you just prune the heck out of anything lol.. There are rules to the pruning for a reason.. but pruning it will help it in the long term when done correctly, have you pruned it at all in the past two years?
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
FarmGal, I’ll pm you details when I get a chance.
hmm, I have never heard of it being given in feet, the standard recommend is that you should not remove more then 1/3rd of the tree at any given year.. that is a typically well looked after tree.. if you have a older tree that you are re-starting, then it goes down to 1/4th for 3 years with a rest year on the fourth year and then moving up to the 1/3rd for the next three years and then a rest year.
Thanks. From your numbers, I was well within allowance. I took a weekend apple pruning course at a college and followed their recommendations. Will go easy on the younger ones that I hope to improve the yield on.
