While we have begun the Christmas countdown, we also have started plans to begin pruning. Most people would think our season begins with bloom and harvest, but we actually feel that the start of our new seasonal year begins when we begin pruning. It is necessary that the trees be dormant to begin this process. Typically the winter months, anywhere from November to March are a suitable time. Trees should have shed their leaves, active shoot growth should be finished and green tissue should be hardened. Since pruning stimulates growth, the tree will be prompted to grow again if the tree is not in dormancy and tissue will be susceptible to damage by the cold weather.
Our trees are in dormancy now, but plans were put on hold for the first part of this week due to snow, ice and below freezing temperatures. It is not recommended to prune branches with ice or snow build up. The milder weather we are now experiencing, however, has given us an opportunity to get the equipment out and allowed us to move forward.
Probably the most frequently asked questions by our customers are those that involve pruning fruit trees. In horticulture the one area that seems to bring the most anxiousness for the backyard orchardist is pruning. However, once the grower understands the basic principles of pruning, he/she will experience favorable results. The goal to pruning a fruit tree is to maintain an established shape and height while allowing enough sunlight into the interior of the tree. There are also times when it is necessary to remove broken or diseased branches and open up the tree to access the interior canopy so all the fruit can be picked.
Pruning does not require a degree in horticulture but it is necessary to learn the basic principles to have successful results. That information can be obtained from literature distributed by a grower’s county extension service, publications from the land grant universities’ horticultural departments, landscaping companies. A book that we found particular informative for the backyard grower is “The BackYard Orchardist” by Stella Otto. This publication has great information and written in laymen’s terms; not only informative but an interesting read.
Season Greetings to All!