Saturday, April 3, 2010
Pruning Apple Trees
Most Ohio soils, however, are not well-drained. They usually consist of silt and clay particles, and drainage is often less than desirable. In soils that drain poorly, plants should be planted somewhat higher than they were in the nursery. More air needs to reach the root system when soils drain poorly. In these soil conditions, plants can be placed from 2 to 4 inches higher than they were during their growth in the nursery.
The width of the planting hole should be at least two or three times the diameter of the root ball. After placing the container-grown tree in the planting hole, back fill with soil. Apply water at the rate of two to three gallons per tree every two to three weeks. Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep. Refer to Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-1014-97 Preparation and Planting of Landscape Plants, for more information.
Plant dwarf trees about 8 feet apart in the row and allow 14 feet between rows. Semi-dwarf trees should be spaced 10 feet apart in the row with 16 feet between rows.
How Do I Prune and Train Young Apple Trees?
Bare-root whips need to be pruned and trained so that they will develop into properly shaped trees. Container-grown apple trees are normally two- to three-year-old trees. These trees need lime spreading and light pruning.
Bare-root trees should be cut or "headed" back to 24 inches to 28 inches above ground at planting. All broken or damaged limbs should be removed. This procedure allows branches to form at desired heights, improves the strength of the tree, and provides a balance between the top and roots.
As the branches reach 4 to 6 inches in length, spring-loaded clothes pins can be used to form proper crotch angles (Figure 3.) These clothes pins should be removed at the end of the first season. Branches that begin to grow at 18 inches or lower can be cut off during the summer.
After one and two years of growth, all lateral branches below 18 inches or below the first lateral are removed. Remove limbs that have narrow crotch angles (less that 45 degrees).
Apple trees are trained to the central-leader system which will allow three to four groups of four branches to develop for a standard-sized tree. The central leader is cut in March at 18 inches to 24 inches above the last group of limbs to ensure the development of more limbs (Figure 4).
Figure 4. A one-year-old apple tree with lateral branches and central leader (CL).
A two- or three-year-old apple tree needs limb spreading to achieve a tree that is wide at the bottom and tapers to a point as shown in Figure 5.
During the third and fourth years, remove all unwanted branches from central leaders and continue to spread limbs as necessary. The central leader will eventually be cut back into second-year wood, to bring the central leader into balance with the rest of the tree. Maintain a central leader and pyramidal form on into maturity. Never allow an upper tier to shade out or outgrow lower limbs.
UC Davis on early shaping/pruning of fruit trees
http://cekern.ucdavis.edu/Master_Gardener/Planting_and_Early_Care_of_Deciduous_Fruit_Trees.htm
Unlike shade trees, deciduous fruit trees should be pruned every year before bud swell for optimum growth and yield. Pruning need not be complicated, but fruit trees are less forgiving than most shade tree species, and with incorrect pruning the yield of fruit will be reduced or eliminated, and the life of the tree will be shortened.
There are three pruning phases in the life of a deciduous fruit tree. The first occurs at planting, when the first cut should be made to foster development of a vase-shaped structure, since an open-center form is preferred for almost all deciduous fruit species on the San Joaquin Valley floor. After a bareroot tree is planted, the trunk should be headed at 24-32 inches above the soil surface. This cut may be emotionally difficult to make, because it may seem $10 of a $15 tree has been summarily removed. In reality, this most-important cut serves to establish low origination points of structural branches, which will allow most pruning, harvesting, and pest management to be performed without a ladder during the life of the tree. When we purchase a tree at the nursery, we are paying for a well-developed root system and the top (scion) variety. The upper structure of the tree may induce purchase by the buyer, but should be removed upon planting. Trees in agricultural fields need higher heads for equipment passage, but at home a low head greatly facilitates tree care.
The second phase of pruning serves to establish structure, and this phase begins the year following establishment. The low heading cut will result in several branches growing outward at various directions and angles, and three or four strong, upwardly growing branches spaced at intervals around the trunk should be selected as scaffolds. Additional branches can be removed. Pruning the next few years emphasizes structural development, including a well-spaced system of scaffolds and laterals.
The third phase of pruning begins with the onset of maturity, which is 5 - 7 years for most fruit trees. At this stage, the tree should be pruned for fruit production, with consideration of the location of fruiting wood. Pruning at this stage serves to invigorate and direct growth of the tree, with a goal of keeping it forever young; that is, annually producing new fruiting wood. Deciduous fruits differ greatly in the amount and location of wood which should be removed. Of trees often found in home orchards, peaches should be pruned the most severely and cherries the least. A detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but principal determinants for pruning are the location and amount of fruiting wood. For example, peaches bear fruit on terminal wood of the previous season, so well-spaced lateral shoots with flower buds are retained. For peaches, it is common to thin (remove) half to two-thirds of the laterals, and to head (shorten) remaining fruiting wood. Apricots, plums and sweet cherries bear fruit laterally on spurs, which live three, five, and ten years, respectively. Therefore, up to 1/3 of the wood may be removed in mature apricots, about 1/5 of the wood in plums, and only light annual pruning is needed for sweet cherries.
Unlike shade trees, deciduous fruit trees should be pruned every year before bud swell for optimum growth and yield. Pruning need not be complicated, but fruit trees are less forgiving than most shade tree species, and with incorrect pruning the yield of fruit will be reduced or eliminated, and the life of the tree will be shortened.
There are three pruning phases in the life of a deciduous fruit tree. The first occurs at planting, when the first cut should be made to foster development of a vase-shaped structure, since an open-center form is preferred for almost all deciduous fruit species on the San Joaquin Valley floor. After a bareroot tree is planted, the trunk should be headed at 24-32 inches above the soil surface. This cut may be emotionally difficult to make, because it may seem $10 of a $15 tree has been summarily removed. In reality, this most-important cut serves to establish low origination points of structural branches, which will allow most pruning, harvesting, and pest management to be performed without a ladder during the life of the tree. When we purchase a tree at the nursery, we are paying for a well-developed root system and the top (scion) variety. The upper structure of the tree may induce purchase by the buyer, but should be removed upon planting. Trees in agricultural fields need higher heads for equipment passage, but at home a low head greatly facilitates tree care.
The second phase of pruning serves to establish structure, and this phase begins the year following establishment. The low heading cut will result in several branches growing outward at various directions and angles, and three or four strong, upwardly growing branches spaced at intervals around the trunk should be selected as scaffolds. Additional branches can be removed. Pruning the next few years emphasizes structural development, including a well-spaced system of scaffolds and laterals.
The third phase of pruning begins with the onset of maturity, which is 5 - 7 years for most fruit trees. At this stage, the tree should be pruned for fruit production, with consideration of the location of fruiting wood. Pruning at this stage serves to invigorate and direct growth of the tree, with a goal of keeping it forever young; that is, annually producing new fruiting wood. Deciduous fruits differ greatly in the amount and location of wood which should be removed. Of trees often found in home orchards, peaches should be pruned the most severely and cherries the least. A detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but principal determinants for pruning are the location and amount of fruiting wood. For example, peaches bear fruit on terminal wood of the previous season, so well-spaced lateral shoots with flower buds are retained. For peaches, it is common to thin (remove) half to two-thirds of the laterals, and to head (shorten) remaining fruiting wood. Apricots, plums and sweet cherries bear fruit laterally on spurs, which live three, five, and ten years, respectively. Therefore, up to 1/3 of the wood may be removed in mature apricots, about 1/5 of the wood in plums, and only light annual pruning is needed for sweet cherries.
Earth Easy Tips for Growing Fruit Trees
Tips for growing productive fruit trees
• Be careful taking your new tree home - trees can die of shock. Keep root ball damp and shaded from sun.
• Always keep graft line clear of debris and above ground. If the graft line goes below ground the tree may revert to its root stock and give the wrong fruit - like crab apples!
• Thin the fruit. If the size of the fruit produced from your tree is below expectations, it may be due to an over-abundance of fruit on the tree. The tree has only so much energy to use to produce fruit, so thinning (removing some of the fruit) is essential to produce large fruit in some species, such as peach and apple. For best results, thin fruit trees early in the season, when the fruit is still quite small.
more at: http://eartheasy.com/grow_fruit_tree.htm
• Be careful taking your new tree home - trees can die of shock. Keep root ball damp and shaded from sun.
• Always keep graft line clear of debris and above ground. If the graft line goes below ground the tree may revert to its root stock and give the wrong fruit - like crab apples!
• Thin the fruit. If the size of the fruit produced from your tree is below expectations, it may be due to an over-abundance of fruit on the tree. The tree has only so much energy to use to produce fruit, so thinning (removing some of the fruit) is essential to produce large fruit in some species, such as peach and apple. For best results, thin fruit trees early in the season, when the fruit is still quite small.
more at: http://eartheasy.com/grow_fruit_tree.htm
Great Gardening Tips
EVERYONE uses his illustration on how to plant fruit trees!
Robert Kourik's main website. But his blog is even better with more tips, illustrations - he is a great gardening teacher!
Robert Kourik's main website. But his blog is even better with more tips, illustrations - he is a great gardening teacher!
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