Anyone doing any pruning yet? (2017 Pruning Thread)

[buckvelvet]

I'm looking for some apple action. :)

Any before & after pruning pictures or explanations on why you made certain cuts?

 

[Tree Spud]

We had a good freezing cold spell in early January; however, temps past 7-9 days have been well above freezing with lots of melting.

I have a number of pear trees that need pruning, when do you think it would be safe to start?

 

[buckvelvet]

Still dead of winter here, although in quite a January thaw. Won't start til March probably.

Yep us too, had a stretch of a week or 10 days of single to negatives then this past weekend had 45+, no snow left insulating any root on my fruit trees. Supposed to get some snow from here to Thursday so that should help that. However we aren't do for any such extreme cold weather though either.

 

[buckvelvet]

I know we can get some awful cold temps in February so I try to wait til March, but I don't have 100's to prune like some people. So I wait til March typically. By then the real bad cold is typically in the rearview mirror. I'm guessing you could prune now and be just fine but I've always waited because I can. I'm in no rush.

I'm not either but I know some folks are in warmer climates so i thought i'd ask.

 

[Boone]

Can older trees be pruned earlier? I need to prune about 15 trees that are at least 75 years old.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Can older trees be pruned earlier? I need to prune about 15 trees that are at least 75 years old.

Well just think about it the GR I N is sending out the scions s to all of us on the forum so apparently it is cold enough in Geneva New York where it is probably zone five maybe four so I think it would be OK to prune anywhere

 

[Charman03]

I drove through some commercial adams county pa orchards a few weeks ago and there were people out pruning and some spots had a bunch on the ground.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I wait until March as well. I'd like to start sooner, but most of our trees are 5th leaf and younger. I worry about cold snaps and winter injury.
On a side note - the ornamental pear in our back yard has buds that are beginning to swell. Not near popping, but further along than they should be for the 23rd of January. More like what I see at the beginning of March.

 

[Dan Wombles]

I pruned all my trees this weekend.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Will prune when I get back from Caribbean after the 5th of Feb lol. I love to prune with a tan haha

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I'll probably prune mine next week.
I only have a few that will need much pruning though as they are all still pretty young

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[chickenlittle]

Well just think about it the GR I N is sending out the scions s to all of us on the forum so apparently it is cold enough in Geneva New York where it is probably zone five maybe four so I think it would be OK to prune anywhere

Geneva, NY would be zone 6. Lake Ontario and Seneca Lake keep it warmer.

 

[Tree Spud]

In your zone I wouldn't hesitate at all. Zone 3 or 4 is maybe a different story. We can hit -30 still which may hurt younger trees.

Badger ... can you expand on that comment? I though the colder the better for pruning, why a concern with colder weather after pruning?

 

[greyphase]

I'm in zone 6a and I've started to do some light pruning. I walk my orchards every couple of days and the temptation was too great to resist.

 

[Catscratch]

I'm in zone 6a and I've started to do some light pruning. I walk my orchards every couple of days and the temptation was too great to resist.

Lol, I do the same thing. Walk the orchard often and get all antsy to do stuff that doesn't need done yet. I've been wanting to prune for a month!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I think a lot of us are itchy. Every year at this time the traffic picks up on here - cabin fever, antsy, anxious. Talk of pruning, training, grafting, planting seems to ramp up. I wanted to prune the day our deer season ended !!!

 

[Tree Spud]

After you have pruned, do you seal the cut with paint or a sealing spray or do you allow the wound to heal over naturally?

 

[aerospacefarmer]

After you have pruned, do you seal the cut with paint or a sealing spray or do you allow the wound to heal over naturally?

That would take forever and since its cold st that time not much disease living that can affect the trees and by the time warm weather comes cuts should be healed

 

[silver_yummies]

Any advice on where to begin on these 2 trees that have never seen a pruning shears?

 

[buckvelvet]

Any advice on where to begin on these 2 trees that have never seen a pruning shears?

What do you know about them, variety, stock, etc...?