Pruning fruit trees

[sandbur]

Sandbur,

Your collection seems a bit like mine might be someday. Don't do central leader on some of them?

Sandbur,

Your collection seems a bit like mine might be someday. Don't do central leader on some of them?

The two trees, deer are near in the center of the picture are flowering crabs and they get less pruning. The trees on far left and far right, by the deer, we’re planted over 30 years ago, before I knew much about pruning. I am trying to do better, but some of these old trees are a mess. Kids, working days, nights, and weekends, and other things kept me from doing a better job on those old trees. It is easier to do a better job when retired, but I probably won’t live to see the results. Excuses, I know. I have three varieties tacked on that larger flowering crab. It is a way to grow and try some different apples instead of waiting so long for bench grafts.

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur,

Your collection seems a bit like mine might be someday. Don't do central leader on some of them?

Just a few more comments. Some advice years ago was to leave a substantial branch on the southwest side to reduce/ prevent sunscauld. It did seem to work versus old trees where I didn’t do that. I also have some flowering crabs and even trees up to the fruit size of dolgo that have done ok by being nearly totally ignored after planting. These were planted over 30 years ago with a cage of 10 foot long 2x4 welded wire. Dense growth was inside the cage and it shaded the trunk to protect against sunscauld. Wild crabs grow in our prairie environment as more of a tall bush anyway.

 

[Wild Thing]

I had thousands of apples left on the trees in my fenced “People” orchard this year. This orchard has been fenced since 2008 and i have never had a deer or turkey inside the fence (except one time when i left the gate open. This year I had a flock of turkeys fly into the orchard 2-3 times per day until they had eaten every last apple around the first week of February. You can see that every square inch of snow inside the fence is littered with turkey tracks.

 

[sandbur]

One more comment about ignored trees, specifically those with fruit the size of Kerr or chestnut and larger. I have several trees seriously disfigured from heavy fruit loads on the central leader. This is more of a problem with every other year bearing of fruit. I strip the blossoms and fruit off of the central leader for as long as I can reach them. I wish I had done that years back.

 

[sandbur]

I had thousands of apples left on the trees in my fenced “People” orchard this year. This orchard has been fenced since 2008 and i have never had a deer or turkey inside the fence (except one time when i left the gate open. This year I had a flock of turkeys fly into the orchard 2-3 times per day until they had eaten every last apple around the first week of February. You can see that every square inch of snow inside the fence is littered with turkey tracks.


View attachment 50424

Turkeys have been flying into my 5 foot exclusion fence of seedlings from wild crabs.

 

[bigboreblr]

Sandbur,

Dont need this tool myself for a few years, but you might find it worthwhile soon.

https://www.grandpasorchard.com/Tree/Z-CINCH

 

[bigboreblr]

Wildthing,

You forgot to post a pic of the 2 trees you got by your hunting shack.




martinsburg, wv 1 million bushels...

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur,

Dont need this tool myself for a few years, but you might find it worthwhile soon.

https://www.grandpasorchard.com/Tree/Z-CINCH

Thanks. The kinks are interesting also, but when discussing rootstocks, I don’t see Anty or dolgo mentioned.

 

[bigboreblr]

I looked at the rootstock link on that cinch too page. Not many orchards put them on those rootstock. Bluehill and saint lawrnece are the only 2 I have seen.

I got about every major rootstock coming in G210, M7, B118, M111, Dolgo, and have about 15 anty from last year not grafted. Wish somewhere cold hardiness was examined a bit better.

 

[Maddog66]

What do you think of my apple pruning rig? I released and did some major pruning on wild apples yesterday. When i step off the sled and break through the snow crust, I’m up to the middle of my thighs (6’5” tall).

 

[sandbur]

What do you think of my apple pruning rig? I released and did some major pruning on wild apples yesterday. When i step off the sled and break through the snow crust, I’m up to the middle of my thighs (6’5” tall).

We don’t have that much snow, but I wear snowshoes. I can prune higher without a ladder.

 

[bigboreblr]

nice little setup. Put my toy to work for the 1st time besides trucking in my stuff for a weekend. Cabin is about 100 yards from the road, and the town backfills our dipped in driveway with snow when the groom. Trail is 30 yards from the cabin. Was downing a few 10-14 inch maples around the parking lot and dragging the chunks with my tow sled.

I would like to see some of them wild apples. Also, how is that stihl pole saw. Tempted to switch to some sort of electric system, so far got a basic milwaukee drill n light Like stihl stuff though. I have a sithl gas pole saw. I do snowmobile trail maintenance, do a mile on my club and the neighbors as well as help out on work weeks on a club or two in NY.

Was looking up pole saws and saw this.

LimbZipper is a pruning system for growing knot-free, high value logs.

limbzipper.com

Here's my old polaris toruing, hit 10,000 miles last month. Sold my 2020 skidoo grand touring 600 ace over the summer. Debating buying a new skidoo 600 ace rengade or maybe an expedition, likely wait until the polaris is toast. If i get a 1/4 mile of logging lane cleaned up this year, I can prune a hunting spot for maple browse and apple trees at the club. Thinking of making a ground blind there, planting some red dogwood in the area this spring too.

Here's my old polaris and my club's cabin. This club, beer is a more endangered species than deer, grouse, and rabbits.

 

[Maddog66]

I don’t usually sing the praises of my tools, or recommend people buy something. But for moderate habitat work and setting up/ brushing deer hunting stands, that pole saw and the Stihl battery chainsaw in the old case, are the 2 best investments I’ve ever made (except tractor :)).

They both take the same chain, but have different battery platforms (same charger).

I have them both with me, and use them, every time I work on every project….from pruning and releasing, to trail maintenance, to brushing out field edges, to girdling huge basswoods. I’ve put them both through the same or worse conditions than my gas stuff.

Add in a M18 battery pruner to those 2, and it might be the perfect go kit for property maintenance

 

[Maddog66]

That’s a great idea Sandbur…..hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if I could drive tree to tree Superman style on my sled? I hate putting them on and off

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I am way behind on pruning (as in I haven't started) but thankfully I have newer trees that probably don't need a ton. I have a question (sorry in advance for hijacking the thread) about the tree pictured below. It is an Arkansas Black from Turkey Creek that has added some good leafy growth but hasn't grown a ton vertically. It was only planted in spring of 2021, so I know I have to be patient. (and I really like the tree as it is a very solid specimen!)
What pruning should I do on this tree? It seems to have 3 central leaders? Or just 1 central leader and a couple big branches. Definitely will take some of the smaller stuff down low and keeping the big what I think is the central leader in the middle. What should I do with the other 2 bigger branches? They are only about 3.5-4' above the ground. Sorry the pic quality isn't great just snapped it on the way out the driveway this morning. Thanks in advance for the help!
View attachment 50157

got this one trimmed up nice....

but then ran into this beast...dont think these are leaders but wasnt sure what to do so I just left it...I know I need to prune some of hte lower branches but what about that top?

 

[bigboreblr]

As you look at the top, the one in the middle looks like the leader. The growth "socket" on the middle one is the most vertical.

The top tree by the road, whats your plan on the lowest branch? Keeping it for another year or two? That crotch angle should be spread a bit. not too much.....

Was pruning yesterday and put a spreader on the top branch on my crosswbow, put a little too much juice on it. I wanted a bunch of scionwood for new trees in crossbow, so no huge loss. Poor guy took a beating yesterday.

Alot of those vauge basic pruning guides show them completely removing verticalish competitors My guess the left one is a lateral and the right one is a competitor.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

As you look at the top, the one in the middle looks like the leader. The growth "socket" on the middle one is the most vertical.

The top tree by the road, whats your plan on the lowest branch? Keeping it for another year or two? That crotch angle should be spread a bit. not too much.....

Was pruning yesterday and put a spreader on the top branch on my crosswbow, put a little too much juice on it. I wanted a bunch of scionwood for new trees in crossbow, so no huge loss. Poor guy took a beating yesterday.

Alot of those vauge basic pruning guides show them completely removing verticalish competitors My guess the left one is a lateral and the right one is a competitor.

Thanks for your input! I plant to remove that lower branch on the tree by the road next year, so I'm not to worried about the angles.
I would like to keep that slightly lower left branch (I agree I think it is a lateral) on the tree with all the branches. The top of that cage is 5' so they are at least close to that mark height wise.
Just was very confused as to what to do with all the multiple leaders, but I like the idea of keeping the "middle" one (not the one that sticks up to the right or the smaller one behind).
Is there any benefit to waiting to see which looks the liveliest or is it all just based on how straight up it is?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Just was very confused as to what to do with all the multiple leaders, but I like the idea of keeping the "middle" one (not the one that sticks up to the right or the smaller one behind).
Is there any benefit to waiting to see which looks the liveliest or is it all just based on how straight up it is?

I agree with what Bigboreblr said about keeping the straightest one in the middle (the one that points to the word "leaders" in your sentence above the bottom pic. ) Personally, I'd also take off the bottom 2 branches, starting with the one going diagonally across the lower right corner of your 2nd pic. Why waste nutrients growing limbs you'll take off later?? Then I'd cut off the other "competing leader" that points to the word "of" in your sentence above the pic. Then - I'd prune those other 2 long limbs that are growing above the top of the cage, so that an outward-facing bud ON THE BOTTOM of those limbs was 1/4" BACK from your pruning cut the end of your limb. That'll force new limb growth to grow outward and not upward. Shortening those 2 limbs that way will lessen their competition with your central leader too - making growth hormones push the leader higher.

Next year, I'd take off that thicker limb going off to the right at about 2 o'clock, so your lowest limbs are "moving up" until they clear your cage. I learned from experts that apple trees respond to how you prune them. By our pruning cuts, we can more or less "steer them" in the direction we want them to grow.

PM if I can be of any more help, since our tree locations are in the same neighborhood.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I agree with what Bigboreblr said about keeping the straightest one in the middle (the one that points to the word "leaders" in your sentence above the bottom pic. ) Personally, I'd also take off the bottom 2 branches, starting with the one going diagonally across the lower right corner of your 2nd pic. Why waste nutrients growing limbs you'll take off later?? Then I'd cut off the other "competing leader" that points to the word "of" in your sentence above the pic. Then - I'd prune those other 2 long limbs that are growing above the top of the cage, so that an outward-facing bud ON THE BOTTOM of those limbs was 1/4" BACK from your pruning cut the end of your limb. That'll force new limb growth to grow outward and not upward. Shortening those 2 limbs that way will lessen their competition with your central leader too - making growth hormones push the leader higher.

Next year, I'd take off that thicker limb going off to the right at about 2 o'clock, so your lowest limbs are "moving up" until they clear your cage. I learned from experts that apple trees respond to how you prune them. By our pruning cuts, we can more or less "steer them" in the direction we want them to grow.

PM if I can be of any more help, since our tree locations are in the same neighborhood.

Hi Bows,
Was going to PM, but couldn't figure out how to include the pic? So I just am going to re-add the pic with Red (remove), Orange (prune Back) or green (keep!).
Thanks for all the advice. In 5 years when this tree is rocking and producing like crazy and has a nice shape/form all of this effort will be totally worth it!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Derek -

I would agree with the lower 3 red X's for removal. The orange slash on the right I would remove that limb entirely. That's competing with your central leader. The center red X and the left red X at the top - I'd let those limbs alone. The right red X at the top, and the left orange slash - I'd prune those off ABOVE the cage top - to where a bud is on the bottom of the limb (so the new growth will grow outward.) Pruning them ABOVE the cage top will give you more leaf surfaces to collect sunlight for photosynthesis. The crotch angle look great!

As this tree grows this summer, you'll probably gain more new limbs higher up on the tree. Next spring, you may want to then remove the lowest limbs, thus "raising the canopy" of that tree. That's how I'd prune it now. You can certainly prune as you wish. Good luck with those trees!