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BJE80
Guest
How much new growth should a tree put on in a year? What would be considered an exceptional year? Talking about apple trees.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Lots of variables.... varitie of the tree, weather during the growing season, age of the tree, etc...
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I wait anxiously for caliper development. I've got tons of spindly trees. After losing some here and there because they get weak, I much more enjoy seeing firm trunks to hold up the growth they're putting out. But, I do get a kick out of baby's first steps out of a tree tube.
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BJE80
Guest
Yeah I didn't measure mine to start with but I bet some of mine I planted this spring put on 16-20". Maybe more. I'm pleased with what I am seeing the first year. Hopefully they make it through their first winter.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Yep. It's not too bad on most if I have the stakes on the inside of the tube. I'm playing catch up trying to undo years of learning from bad stakes, sun rotted zip ties, lack of weed control, non-flared tops etc.
I'm going to do a 5-yr experiment this fall; plant 4 chinkapins in a row with 2 in solid-vented-5ft-tubes and 2 in cages. All 4 will have equal competition protection, access to additional water (beyond rainfall), identical mulch, and trunk protection. My question (purpose of the experiment) ... after 5 years, will the caged trees trail, equal, or surpass the tube-trees in height and caliper development. I know what I suspect; what do you think?
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I've never tubed any trees. All the apple, crabapple, and pear trees I've planted have been caged w/ concrete mesh 5 ft. tall, had the trunks wrapped w/ aluminum window screen. The trees were surrounded by 40" of landscape cloth and the cloth was covered by 3" of pea-sized limestone gravel. I can tell you they all have been growing really well. Growth has ranged between 12" to 4' of growth this year, depending on the type of tree. None are weak & spindly, no mold or fungus issues. Good air flow. Calipers have been increasing. Much of what I've learned the last 3 - 4 yrs. has been from the good people on this forum primarily - and one other one. Also got some excellent guidance from Penn State and Cornell universities.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
My best growing fruit trees have put on 3-4' of growth in a single year. Caged trees with good back fill (composted manure), mulched with a combination of black plastic and pea gravel seem to do the best, even during droughty periods. I also throw in 1-2 fert spikes per tree in early may.
I will never plant a grafted fruit tree in a tree tube. I planted a bunch of zumi & magenta crabapples from coldstream farms in 2010 and my trees that are caged have out performed by a landslide. Bigger, healthier, stronger trees with better caliper. As soon as I started pulling the tubes off the crab trees they fall right over and can't even support themselves.
I think tubes are better served for hardwoods. Even in those instances i still prefer cages.
I will never plant a grafted fruit tree in a tree tube. I planted a bunch of zumi & magenta crabapples from coldstream farms in 2010 and my trees that are caged have out performed by a landslide. Bigger, healthier, stronger trees with better caliper. As soon as I started pulling the tubes off the crab trees they fall right over and can't even support themselves.
I think tubes are better served for hardwoods. Even in those instances i still prefer cages.
Maya
5 year old buck +
16-18" by now is fine. What varieties and rootstock? Variety and rootstock, besides some of the other variables mentioned will make a big difference. Some varieties such as Cortland and Fuji are notoriously slow growers. Some like Liberty, Galarina and Macoun put out strong growth. Also never let the leader split into 2 or 3 leaders at the top. This will really slow growth.
chummer
5 year old buck +
I have a couple trees that have split into double leaders. I assume I have to wait till spring to remove one? Even with the split leaders they have put on 2-3' of growth. We have had constant rain all summer so it has been perfect growing conditions. My NY Bonkers have exploded with growth, Frostbite a close second, Kerr doing good, Wolf Rivers not doing much at all.
Lot2Learn
5 year old buck +
I'm looking forward to the experts commenting, but I'm maniacal about managing the central leader. If I can't pull/train one of the leader forks down as soon as I notice it (in prep for pruning in the winter), then I prune it immediately so that the tree knows to direct its energy to the leader I want to win. I do this too with any branches that I deem too close to competing with the leader for apical dominance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apical_dominance).
Maya
5 year old buck +
Prune to a single leader as soon as you see it in the spring. Normally in mid to late May or so I go through the orchards. It's called weak leader pruning. You would wait a little later than this, but the small shoots that are also toward the top come out too. Usually I end up taking out 2 or 3. Any I miss I take out as soon as I see them throughout the summer. It will be the difference of at least a foot in growth if left to 2 or three leaders! Don't wait!
greyphase
5 year old buck +
I've done major summer pruning on the trees I planted this spring. Any side branches got quickly cut with a sharp pocketknife. It didn't seem to hurt the trees and I've gotten some real nice upward growth.
A Black Oxford on Antonovka rootstock.
A Hudson's Golden Gem on Antonovka rootstock.
A Black Oxford on Antonovka rootstock.
A Hudson's Golden Gem on Antonovka rootstock.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Maya, Greyphase, or Ed - As far as summer pruning goes, should anything be done now in August? Many of the trees I planted this spring have all kinds of new growth on them. I thought all pruning/training cuts were done in late winter. Should I just wait until early March to do any pruning? If I have a double leader on an apple tree should it come off now?
greyphase
5 year old buck +
I'd wait for dormancy. I wouldn't think that you will get too much more growth this time of year. I have the luxury of looking at my trees just about every day and am able to cut off new branches just as they start. But Maya would have ton's more experience than me so hopefully he'll respond to your question.
Maya
5 year old buck +
Bows, aside from what I mentioned above, most summer pruning is done to aid in quality of the apple. By doing some summer pruning of suckers and other unruly growth you provide better light and airflow throughout the tree. Also you get better coverage while spraying. If you have the time and your not worried about having a good quality crop, it will help aid in sending growth where you want it and make your 
pruning job easier in the spring. Ordinarily this should be done earlier, late June and July.
My best advise in regards to summer pruning for deer apples, make sure to do weak leader pruning. If you have time it doesn't hurt at all to get suckers out. Both on branches and roots. Most of my time spent on younger trees in the summer is training branches, not pruning.
pruning job easier in the spring. Ordinarily this should be done earlier, late June and July. My best advise in regards to summer pruning for deer apples, make sure to do weak leader pruning. If you have time it doesn't hurt at all to get suckers out. Both on branches and roots. Most of my time spent on younger trees in the summer is training branches, not pruning.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Thanks Grey & Maya. Since it's too late for any real benefit to the growth of the trees, I'll wait for late winter to do any pruning. I certainly can't complain about the growth I've seen on the apples, crabs & pears this summer.
Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
Cortlands are slow growers? I've got a solid 20" on this graft and it was one of my latest to take off.
Late pruned the whole bunch back to single whips except one (middle row, far right and runty) and that's because neither was a better choice than the other and the graft had been choked by Teflon tape I hadn't cut even though I thought I got through it. So I'm leaving that one for next year to decide what to lop off. My other runt is third from the right, front row, and it's a bare root stock that's graft didn't take - the worst performer of the bunch besides the one that died.
Late pruned the whole bunch back to single whips except one (middle row, far right and runty) and that's because neither was a better choice than the other and the graft had been choked by Teflon tape I hadn't cut even though I thought I got through it. So I'm leaving that one for next year to decide what to lop off. My other runt is third from the right, front row, and it's a bare root stock that's graft didn't take - the worst performer of the bunch besides the one that died.
