question about the first year

[Mitch]

I'm a QDMA forum transplant and this is post #1...hopefully this site is as helpful as QDMA was.
I have some dolgo crabs, pears, and apple trees that I bought bare root. Planted this past spring and most are close to 6' tall right now. They are limping through our dry HOT summer. I get water to them when I can but i'm 2 hours away and mother nature has not helped much. My question is......once they go dormant, can I pull the tube off and trim the unwanted branches? Put tube back on and away we go for the spring?

Thanks!
Mitch

 

[buckvelvet]

I'm a Old forum transplant and this is post #1...hopefully this site is as helpful as QDMA was.
I have some dolgo crabs, pears, and apple trees that I bought bare root. Planted this past spring and most are close to 6' tall right now. They are limping through our dry HOT summer. I get water to them when I can but i'm 2 hours away and mother nature has not helped much. My question is......once they go dormant, can I pull the tube off and trim the unwanted branches? Put tube back on and away we go for the spring?

Thanks!
Mitch

Can you, yes, but while dormant its 'better' to wait till February or so depending on how far south you are I guess maybe late January.

As far 'tubing' them, I have found a full tube makes them weaker (trunk hardiness), I use Alum window screening for rodent deterrent and full 5 -6 foot cages for deer deterrent until their ready for that outer protection to be removed of coarse.

 

[chickenlittle]

If you have cold harsh winters, waiting to prune until after the worst of the winter helps fruit trees survive better. That is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. It can be done earlier if that is when you can do it.

 

[Mitch]

thanks guys....i'm in southern oklahoma. Winters are not harsh at all. I just didn't know if it was okay to remove the tube and put it back on? I guess I don't see what it would hurt. I know there are lots of little branches that have sprouted off the main trunks of most of my trees. Also have to figure out something to keep the deer off the dang leaves. Might have to try what you said buckvelvet!

 

[JSanders]

What you've described, absolutely yes. It's actually recommended to pull up the tubes, remove dead leaves piled up which can harbor rodents over the winter.