Pruning Day Reflections, and Question
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- 29 days ago
- 29 days ago
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Pruning Question ......zone 7....Raleigh NC
Comments (3)I would certainly prune out narrow crotch branches and oversized ones, at least on the peaches. If a branch on the peach tree is more than half the diameter of the trunk you should definitely remove it as you can get an incredible amount of growth the first season if trees get ample water. Such a branch will suck energy from the rest of the tree and have to be removed next year anyway. Cornell and Rutgers recommends pruning peaches shortly after growth anyway as it reduces the risk of canker and doesn't slow them down appreciably. Unlike many other species, peach growth is not slowed much by pruning- partially because they grow vigorously throughout the season while apples and pears push most of their growth during spring surge....See MoreQuestion on Care for Everbearing & Day-Neutral Strawberry Plants
Comments (2)I remove the dead leaves and decayed matter to prevent it from becoming a hiding spot for pill bugs and slugs. When the plants start to blossom, I spread diatomaceous earth around the plants to ward off the slugs and pill bugs. Here is a link that might be useful: DallasFruitGrower...See MoreIs this a virus? + a pruning question..
Comments (5)First of all, it is never necessary to prune suckers. Old wives' tales about suckers include that they don't bear fruit, that they aren't "real" branches, and that they steal energy from the rest of the plant so that the plant is better off without them. None of those are true. As far as not being "real" branches goes: tomatoes have a main stem, leaves, flower trusses, and branches. All tomato branches start out as suckers. The only reason to prune to one stem (i.e. remove all suckers) is lack of space for a wider plant. Those interested in growing particularly huge tomatoes usually prune to one stem -- but it's unclear how much of a role such pruning plays in giant fruit. Disadvantages of pruning to one stem include a greatly reduced fruit crop, the risk of sunscalded fruit due to reduced leaf cover ... I think I'm forgetting some others. Okay, pruning takes time: but then, the more time you spend with your plants, the quicker you'll notice diseases, aphids, and hornworms, so that's a toss-up. Now, I'm saying this as someone who was raised to prune to one stem. I realized it was a disadvantage. I wanted more tomatoes than that! (And being 5'2", I thought that perhaps with multiple stems, the plant would be shorter and the top easier to reach.) [Whether or not you prune suckers on indeterminate (or "vine") varieties, determinate (or "bush") varieties should never be pruned, since determinate plants naturally terminate their stems and stop growing after a certain amount of flower clusters. Pruning a determinate means losing the majority of the crop of a naturally shorter-lived plant.] About your forking stem: sometimes unpruned suckers stretch out so it's not obvious they originated in the crotch between a leaf and the main stem. And sometimes -- rarely -- a growing point does actually fork into two stems. But your main stem looks unnaturally widened in that area ... kind of double, as if two stems were stuck together. That happens sometimes with plants, either the result of a mutation in a single cell, or occasionally a mutation that affects the entire plant and can be passed on to its offspring. The technical term in at least some cases (I am not a botanist) is fasciation. Sometimes when I'm pruning my apple trees I find a branch that turns into a fan of branches, very similar to the fingers on a hand. I've also found weird dandelions with 1" wide stems below rectangular flowers. You can prune it if it makes you feel better. But why? Although raised to prune to one stem, I feel better having more tomatoes to eat (and inflict on family and neighbors and friends).......See Moreto prune or not to prune (that s the (rambling)question
Comments (5)Has it started to produce fresh new canes at all? If so, I think I'd just let them grow, then cut out the old flowered canes in late winter next year. Then you'll get the best of both worlds, enjoying the hips for most of the winter. I planted one last summer. It has hit its stride already and is likely to behave like a monster unleashed in my small, crowded town garden. I'm going to have to cut a lot off after it's flowered just to keep it at bay. I just liked the name so much (it consorts so nicely with the Bishop of Llandaff) that I couldn't resist planting one. I've seen it engulf entire buildings in other people's gardens, since, though!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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