Nursery pruned leader

[Apple Junkie]

I recently picked up this nice Wickson crab from Cummins. It looks great, but clearly the leader has been pruned back. I have seen this before, so I know there is a reason for it, but can someone tell me the purpose for this? I am always trying to encourage a central leader, so this leaves me scratching my head on how to proceed going forward. Thanks!

 

[H20fwler]

I think nurseries do it sometimes to get them to branch more making them look better to customers when in pots..and I've seen it done to shorten them for going in shipping boxes. Most nurseries aren't thinking tall for wildlife trees.

 

[Buckly]

I would cut every branch down to one inch nubs and another couple inches off the leader. It will be perfectly proportional.

 

[mikmaze]

looks to be the perfect size to graft onto rootstock, next years crop.

 

[PoorSand]

Some nurseries routinely prune off the leader on bareroot trees to rebalance the root-to-shoot ratio, given that part of the roots are lost during the digging process. The tree in your photo looks to be in a pot though.

 

[chickenlittle]

If you follow their recommendation, you clip the central leader at that piece orange tape (about 36" high) and prune every branch to 1" long stub. I was dubious when I got my big order from them in 2015 but I followed the directions and the trees did fantastic. If you are potting them for the summer, I'm not sure what is the best course of action.

I saw a big box of Wickson on P18 when I picked my trees up there a few weeks ago. Their warehouse was full of trees.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Buckly... thanks, that seems to be the consensus on how to proceed, will do.

PoorSand… The light bulb just went off, I seem to remember that now. I know these guys know what they are doing, thanks for cluing me in on the reason.

Chickenlittle… I am going to do as you and Buckly suggest and prune each branch back to one inch. I confess, this was giving me pause, but it’s nice to know you took the plunge first and the water was fine!!

My camp is a little over an hour from home, so I grow in a pot from mid-April to mid-October. This way, I can make sure the trees get off to a good start with lots of protection, sun, and water. I plant after the leaves have dropped in the fall, and have yet to lose a tree to any transplant stress. Thanks to all for the useful advice!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

A.J. ^^^ - Agree with the above. Those 2 highest branches that are taller than the leader and competing with it need to go first !! Central leader trained trees need to look roughly like a Christmas tree in overall shape for best light exposure to all scaffold limbs. You should be in great shape with home pot care & fall planting.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Oh man, each snip was painful, but I understand the concept you guys explained so well. I trimmed back to the first bud that was upward facing, some of which beyond the one-inch mark. Like taking a kid to the barber for the first time, bitter sweet but necessary. Thanks again for the advice, this does solve my dilemma.

 

[Mortenson]

I posted this pic of my NWC droptine crab the other day. So I'm assuming you guys would encourage me to go back and shorten up those limbs?

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Everyone seems to do it a little different.

First I take off any competing leaders.
Then I take off any busted branches.
Then any branches more or around half the diameter of the tree.
Finally any of the lowest branches on tree to start the lifting process.
Always pruning flush with no stub.

On the larger trees I try to remove no more than 30-50 percent. Like to leave some structure to supply energy for growth.

Some of the smaller trees get everything trimmed back to a straight whip.

My thought is if im pruning I might as well start shaping.

 

[cavey]

One day two years ago... I looked down a line of beautiful young trees, I was impressed with all the vertical growth they had put on..., they were the first set of trees I had ever grafted and they were nice and tall, with straight up beautiful growth .... I walked up to the first one and closed my eyes.... pictured what it might look like in a few years, opened my eyes and cut the leader. Proceeded to walk down the line and top everyone of them. It was painful but it was the best move I ever made. My goal is to get better at pruning and to do that you have to cut.

 

[H20fwler]

I would go ahead and loose the rest of most of those low branches now and get it over with, let tree put energy into growth you want.

 

[Apple Junkie]

I would go ahead and loose the rest of most of those low branches now and get it over with, let tree put energy into growth you want.

I am with ya H2O. I cut the one lowest branch back to the truck, I'm going to cut back a few more of the lowest stubs. In for a penny, in for a pound!