Fruit buds. If it were me, I'd leave them on so I'd get to sample some fruit this year. But that comes from a home gardener who likes experimenting with a variety of fruit in the backyard. If you are an orchardist and trying to maximize fruit production in future years, then follow the recommended pruning program. If you are a backyardy, let those clusters flower and fruit!

ummm.. the de-icer is a floating beckett brand. the pond is about 3 years? its roughly a rectangle i think 18 ft by 15... it has water lilies cat tails and some native plant, *a smaller version of arrowhead normally i empty it completelyin the winter to catch the fish. once they're all caught i fill it back up wait a few days and throw the plants back in and let it ice over. in the spring i usually end up emptying it once a again... im guessing that if i can leave the water and fish in over winter my water will be much clearer (its not that clear now) when i empty and refill i start the cycle of algae and the pond has to stabilize, right?

I would have thought it was your soil also,maybe you started some of them to soon? My first year, I sowed Sun Flowers in December,nota! A few weeks ago, I did about 10 containers of columbines,if our friends here, would not have told me when I sowed them, that they will be the very last to germinate, I may have tossed them, but now I know, I will be babying them well into fall, and they will bloom next year. Don't give up,oh, and I use the 1/2 gallon paper milk cartons, so far, they are my favorite, I cut mine length ways,you will get more seeds in there. Good luck,and have fun. cAROL

Are they still in containers? Have you re-potted them? What kind of soil are they in? Josh