pruning & orchard care

[...]... foliage or woody growth Light pruning usually means less than 1/3 the branch length or amount of growth is removed Plants that are not tolerant of pruning or are slow-growing should receive light pruning Hard Pruning Usually means removal of two-thirds or more of the foliage or woody growth Plants that require hard pruning are tolerant of pruning Growth is usually stimulated by pruning Good training of... recommended for use in gardens or orchards Four-leg ladders are unstable and dangerous on uneven surfaces or soft earth The best stepladder for gardeners is called an orchard ladder The orchard ladder has three legs and a wider stance Orchard ladders come in various sizes The 6or 8-foot model is most useful Larger sizes are heavy and difficult to use In setting up an orchard ladder, make sure the third... counteract this effect See opposite page for more information on establishing renewal leaders SUMMER PRUNING Summer pruning of vigorous young trees reduces tree vigor, but does not interfere with flower-bud formation Pruning during or soon after bloom stimulates as much regrowth as dormant pruning Later summer pruning creates a dwarfing effect up to the time when shoot growth stops Early summer to midsummer... summer pruning Pruning from midsummer to late summer delays acclimation of trees to fall cold Pruning at this time increases vulnerability to an early freeze Don't prune trees in fall, especially if winter cold threatens Summer pruning slightly increases the amount of chilling required to ensure normal leafing-out in spring This factor is important in areas with warm winters Although summer pruning. .. down with ropes or wire cable to help develop wider crotch angles Branches can be tied to the central leader to help support them Pruning Pruning is used as little as possible for training purposes Pruning reduces tree size and delays onset of production For best results, use pruning moderately in conjunction with spreading Spread trees first, then determine which limbs to keep and which limbs to remove... helps you determine the location of pruning cuts Fruit-bearing wood is positioned terminally, laterally or both See the table below for fruiting habits of various fruit trees Bearing habit influences the number and kind of pruning cuts Species that fruit only on current-season's or previous-season's growth require more pruning than trees that fruit on spurs More pruning is required to renew fruiting... for more information Pruning a tree can put you in touch with sudden dearth! Each year thousands of homeowners are electrocuted when pruning tools, ladders, or bodies come in contact with energized power lines A 230-volt houselead can kill, and so can an ordinary 115-volt extension cord Carefully check to see if a line of any passes through a tree before attempting to prune Look carefully Sometimes... explained throughout this chapter Commercial orchards train fruit trees for ease of pruning, spraying and harvesting Methods are quick and efficient, with little concern for the tree's appearance As a home orchardist, you should train trees to be beautiful and practical It is not always necessary to train peach trees in a vase shape, or grow apple trees in an orchard Peach trees can be trained to an espalier... grow longer DEGREES OF PRUNING When asked how to prune a particular plant, expert gardeners often answer "Prune hard or prune light." These are general terms, but they do have consistent meanings There are intermediate terms, too, and every gardener must interpret these terms in individual applications The following pruning descriptions and common sense are the best guides Light Pruning Suggests minimal... position Because midsummer pruning has a dwarfing effect, it is not used for training trees Dormant-season pruning plays the major role in training TRAINING SYSTEMS Different training systems have been developed to fit various plants and situations Some systems are simple and easy; others are more difficult Vase or Multiple Leader—This system is widely used by commercial orchardists The mature tree . are shaped by selective pruning. Bonsai is the art of dwarfing and shaping trees and shrubs. A favorite saying about pruning is, "Prune when the shears are sharp." Like most maxims,. plants. A deciduous tree's response to pruning varies with the season. The most regrowth will occur in spring if pruning is done during the dormant season. Pruning during spring will. Pruning during mid- to late-summer will result in the most dwarfing and little regrowth. Pruning during fall months will produce results similar to pruning during dormant months. TYPES OF PRUNING