Does This Look Right For Fruit Tree Pruning?

13 years ago

First time pruning my 3-year old drawf apple trees and cherry tree. I cut them to about 10ft. I just wanted to check in to see with you all if I pruned them properly. I'm not interested in them growing any taller than they are right now. The apple trees bore fruit for the first time last year, but only 6-12 apples each that disappeared over-night (kids or birds I don't know). I hope I get some fruit this year. lmk if this looks right. Thanks in advance!

I know the trees are close, but I have no choice (small back yard), so I am growing these to see if I can "get by" this way. Now that they are over the fence they are getting better sunlight.
{{gwi:62397}}From 02132011

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Comments (7)

jollyrd
13 years ago
I see lots of suckers at the ground level, esp on the middle tree. I think you want to get rid of them and eliminate few suckers in the crown -- to create better air circulation. Esp considering how close they are to each other and to the fence
bencjedi
Original Author
13 years ago
Oh those are raspberry canes trying to take over from the other side of the fence. They were not all that productive last year. I may as well rip them out. Thanks
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I have several diseased fruit trees and need to correct some severe problems. I planted two dwarf North star cherries about 15 years ago. They got huge-- about 30 ft. high. In their early years they were very productive. After about 8 years, both developed black knot; one died but maybe not from that. We tried to keep the stuff pruned out but never succeeded; it always came back even worse. The tree that remains is an unsightly mess. It's too tall to effectively prune out the infection with any tools or equipment we have (long handled loppers, a telescoping lopper with a rope). Note: We really can't climb ladders safely. Unfortunately this tree is at a critical spot in our landscape, right in front of our house. Removing it would be a huge undertaking and would probably destroy other plantings as well. My preference would be to prune it severely and keep it sprayed as it grows back. I could live with it being cut back severely if that would restore it to a good-looking healthy tree a few years down the line. How feasible is this? If it can be done, how do we go about pruning it? The main branches are about 4"- 6" in diameter. What would happen if we pruned it to 5' above the ground? That would give it three sturdy, well- spaced limbs. Would it develop new branches? Do cuts have to be made just above existing small branches? How does one help a tree like this develop fruiting branches? How long do these trees normally live? We also have plum trees in the back yard with black knot. We will deal with these the same way we will the cherry. We also have apricots that are healthy but don't produce. They were supposed to be semi-dwarf but are easily 35 feet tall. I've looked at books and online articles, and none of them seem to address these questions. I'd appreciate any help with this. Thank you, Janice
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The branch won't move higher. If 4ft off ground the center of the branch will remain 4ft above ground. Branches only get longer when green and growing. Once the wood and bark harden, no more increase in length in that section. Primary thing is keep the deer away until it's big enough to take eating lower leaves and antler scrapping. That's 4-5 yrs at least. I won't prune now. What you do next spring is dependent on whether it's tall enough for branches above deer height, 4-5ft. You might need to straighten up that top shoot to extend the trunk. Once tall enough head back above deer height to force side branches.
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I am not surprised about the citrus being all rootstock. It wad indicative to what i had seen in various photos while researching. Now, i was reading up on rootstock, and came across some info on grafting. With it being all rootstock, would grafting be a possibility i can consider with that one, if i cut most of it down and got some budded branches from a different, healthy tree? As far as getting thr owners get new trees, i cant even get them to let me just remove them,, so anything i do at this point is out of my pocket, so I'm trying to be economical. If grafting is possible, i would like to at least try before replacibg it entirely. As for the other tree, the other day, i noticed these green fruits growing in little bunches of 3 up near tge top that lpok like apples, maybe?? So could they be apples? And if it's growing fruit, then is the tree ok?
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Mags, With the apple: I think you are correct that it could be opened up so as to admit more light. By removing those central, vertical branches, the tree would also be shortened. Find a couple good horizontal branches and cut to them. You may need to stop there. The rule of thumb is no more than 1/3rd each year and you've already taken 10% or so, wouldn't you say? The pear: (I can see what you mean by a horizontal problem. Oh, you mean the branches!! :o) After you remove the problem branches as mentioned by others, you may wish to take off all of the lower branches. It looks like it has developed some height and since the width of the tree is starting to cause some problems, perhaps those 4 (is it?) bottom branches could go. And the plum: I find it rather difficult to "open up" a plum tree. Perhaps the best thing to do is to just be quite vigorous in taking out the competing branches. You've also got a descending branch or two that needs to come off that one. Careful about removing too many fruiting spurs. Just my 2 cents and Good Luck! digitS'
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Scott F Smith
13 years ago
I can only see the front tree well. Based on what I think I see, it looks like there is too great a density of limbs. Remember the "prune so a bird can fly through it" idea. It looks like you are going for an open vase there so I would remove some of the more internal scaffolds. Some of the next higher branching points also probably need thinning.

Hopefully harvestman will catch this post, he is the pro (literally) on this issue.

Scott
alan haigh
13 years ago
Thinning cuts are needed and not heading cuts!

Then there's the diameter issue. Best if scaffolds (branches that will create trees framework that are attached to the trunk) are not more than 1/3rd the diameter of the trunk at point of attachment. More than a half and you're looking for trouble.

Three, or at most four, scaffolds per tier- four per tier is usually the right amount after the first tier. 3 to 4 feet between tiers.

Make sure the scaffold branch has a central leader (much like the trunk) and branches are 1/3 to 1/2 the diameter of the scaffold where they attach (preferably 1/3). Remove all over size branches.
MisterTristern
13 years ago
I agree with the assertion that it is too dense in the crown.
creekweb
13 years ago
As harvestman has explained, one option is to go with a central leader system. But it looks like, as Scott mentioned, that you may be going for an open vase, or at least the tree in the foreground, as it has been pruned to this point, looks to easily conform to that shape. Open vase may also be better to keep the tree short, as is your intention, though you can also easily keep a central leader tree under 10 feet. Consider removing the most central of the main scaffolds to open up the center and then spread the more vertical oriented remaining arms with tie downs or attached weights. In this system the main scaffolds are permanent much as the central leader is permanent in the central leader system.
alan haigh
13 years ago
If you decide to keep those oversized branches and follow CW's sound advice, limit your scaffolds to 3 per tree, or probably just 2 if the fence is going to cut off that side of growth.

Make sure that all wood coming off the scaffolds start as the shoots without too much vigor. Do this by following the ratio rule I already suggested for choosing scaffolds but apply it to wood off the scaffolds in relationship to the scaffolds. Small wood is where fruit forms and the structure you're making leaves no room for secondary and tertiery wood to be well lit. The idea is to have the maximum amount of small wood and minimum of big wood.

Does This Look Right For Fruit Tree Pruning?

Comments (7)

jollyrd

bencjedi
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Does This Look Right For Fruit Tree Pruning?

Comments (7)

jollyrd

bencjediOriginal Author

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bencjedi
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