Pruning start date?
- Thread starter buckdeer1
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
Are you talking apple trees? I would say it varies with your location. I start the end of February. After the coldest part of the winter.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I haven't started yet but will at any point. I've tried to figure out the best time and have only come up with "do it when you can" type of thing.
Stubborn1VT
5 year old buck +
I won't do any heavy pruning until March here in Vermont. I will probably take off some small upright growth and waterspouts off the trees by my house. I get sick of looking at them. LOL.
TonySoprano
5 year old buck +
In virginia I wait to the end of Jan- early Feb . Not sure if that's right but the pear trees usually have their white flowers out by mid March.
BuckSnort
5 year old buck +
I suppose it all depends on what volume of trees you’re talking about. I have 100+ trees that are 10 years and younger. I can currently get them all done in a day in Feb / March. As they get older, I’ll have to adjust and potentially start sooner. I figure the later I wait, the less chance there is for winter injury. But I’m also in Central & Northern WI (Zone 3/4). Warmer climate there is probably less concern here. And also if I want to save scionwood, I don’t need to store it so long.
BuckSutherland
5 year old buck +
Are the trees susceptible to injury if you prune them in December and then it gets really cold?? I have already pruned some oak and spruce trees in my woods up north.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I think the answer is yes if you are referring to apple trees.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Starting to see mouse ears on the 2025 scion exchange thread.
Poor prunng time trumps no pruning. The theory is you prune after you suspect the cold die back damage is over. If in an area or tree that may get cold damage and you rune early, perhaps prune a little milder. Like a bud or two extra.
Poor prunng time trumps no pruning. The theory is you prune after you suspect the cold die back damage is over. If in an area or tree that may get cold damage and you rune early, perhaps prune a little milder. Like a bud or two extra.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
March in Pa. mountains for apple & crab trees.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
It’s very common for Persimmon trees to put out lots of sapling sprouts, but that doesn’t keep them from producing fruit. If you aren’t ever getting any fruit you probably have a male tree.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Plant those saplings, graft some lady fruit to them next year.
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
Can someone explain why “starting too early” would be bad? Does it have to do with the pruning wound not healing or being an issue during the coldest part of the winter-or just that the scion you would take from the pruning would dry out? I am gonna have some time here the next couple weeks and I have alot of pruning to do and I want to be able to graft when it comes time not be farting around pruning still…
Also the shack nasties may just be starting early this year..
Also the shack nasties may just be starting early this year..
Telemark
5 year old buck +
Just for the sake of the scions.
I did all my pruning on my pears in Ohio last week. I had to do it when I had the opportunity. I won't be back until May.
I prune oaks any time in winter without any issues.
I've read that it is best to prune fruit trees in late winter, so I typically prune in SE MN in late February or March. I collect my scion at that time as well.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Derek,
I pruned a bit on the early side last year because it was so mild. Far as scions go, they do dry out. What I did was pruned the trees, but left the lower branches unpruned to grab some scion material.
I live in an area which was a ton of orchards. I got 3 or 4 in my town and another 3 or 4 one town over. Im sure I can drive past them tomorrow and see folks pruning.
Im pretty new to this myself. Especially tending to new trees. I've probably gone around and pruned twice last summer. Was looking at 2 messes of a store bought tree 2 days ago. Macintosh from home depot, and a vary overgrown in a pot freedom from a local nursery. Both are looking pretty decent. Shocked I found freedom localy, and I felt bad for the Macintosh, looked like charlie brown christmas tree. Half the tree was a double leader wondering if it was a lateral or not. Chopped the snot out of that tree. Looking decent now.
Its probably more important I do not prune early at camp, but I did. Don't know if I can get to camp early spring. Sometimes the road is closed from being too muddy. Dieback can be more of an issue up there. -20 deg F is typical up there for night temps atleast 5 or 6 times a winter. Had -38 the year before. I prune a bit milder if I do early, might loose another bud or two to nature. I lost the leader to a droptine, she was not happy, but recovered this year.
I pruned a bit on the early side last year because it was so mild. Far as scions go, they do dry out. What I did was pruned the trees, but left the lower branches unpruned to grab some scion material.
I live in an area which was a ton of orchards. I got 3 or 4 in my town and another 3 or 4 one town over. Im sure I can drive past them tomorrow and see folks pruning.
Im pretty new to this myself. Especially tending to new trees. I've probably gone around and pruned twice last summer. Was looking at 2 messes of a store bought tree 2 days ago. Macintosh from home depot, and a vary overgrown in a pot freedom from a local nursery. Both are looking pretty decent. Shocked I found freedom localy, and I felt bad for the Macintosh, looked like charlie brown christmas tree. Half the tree was a double leader wondering if it was a lateral or not. Chopped the snot out of that tree. Looking decent now.
Its probably more important I do not prune early at camp, but I did. Don't know if I can get to camp early spring. Sometimes the road is closed from being too muddy. Dieback can be more of an issue up there. -20 deg F is typical up there for night temps atleast 5 or 6 times a winter. Had -38 the year before. I prune a bit milder if I do early, might loose another bud or two to nature. I lost the leader to a droptine, she was not happy, but recovered this year.
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TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
I had just seen a small family orchard last week that had piles of cuttings under their trees and was like whoa if those guys are doing it I probably can too right? But I want to save most if not all of my Scion for grafting so I guess I can hold off a month or two…
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