How to Prune Apple Trees

Written by Paul Curran


Continued from page 1

A spur system of fruit buds will be formed atrepparttar base of these shoots which will bearrepparttar 113369 fruit. These spur systems will need to be thinned out, as they begin to crowdrepparttar 113370 tree, in order to encourage new growth and reducerepparttar 113371 amount of blossom. Some laterals growing towardsrepparttar 113372 outside ofrepparttar 113373 tree may be left to extend naturally; these will form fruit buds and bearrepparttar 113374 earliest fruit whilerepparttar 113375 spur system is being formed.

Some varieties bear fruit onrepparttar 113376 ends ofrepparttar 113377 shoots, tip bearers, as they are called, and it is essential to make provision for a certain amount of unpruned wood. These unpruned laterals may be cut back to fruit buds or spurs, when their length demands. In short this method on how to prune apple trees aims at a compromise between hard spur pruning and leaving some laterals unpruned.

How to prune apple trees - Renewal System

From spur pruning, a further method has been evolved, calledrepparttar 113378 Renewal System. This method which may at first appear complicated torepparttar 113379 amateur is, in fact, a successful way of controlling wood and fruit formation torepparttar 113380 best advantage. It consists of shortening a proportion ofrepparttar 113381 annual growth in order to produce more wood, leaving some unpruned to form fruit buds. These should be well spaced out overrepparttar 113382 branch length, to ensure that fruit will not be crowded. The number of laterals, or new growths, to be shortened, depends onrepparttar 113383 variety and growth ofrepparttar 113384 apple trees.

A strongly growing tree can carry more fruit, therefore perhaps half ofrepparttar 113385 laterals could be shortened and half left untouched. On a weaker tree, which tends to form fruit buds atrepparttar 113386 expense of new growth, 2 in 3 ofrepparttar 113387 laterals may be pruned. In this systemrepparttar 113388 individual characteristics ofrepparttar 113389 tree need to be catered for; there is no hard and fast rule. Laterals which are pruned to 2 or 3 ins. in length, will form new wood, which is treated as before, either to be left, or shortened in due course.

How to prune apple trees - Cordon Trees

Basically, these are Spur Pruned; that is, allrepparttar 113390 young growth, each year, is shortened back to within 2 or 3 buds ofrepparttar 113391 base, where fruit buds will form and a spur system is built up. Space, or lack of it, often dictates that this hard cutting back has to be done, to keeprepparttar 113392 trees within limits.

A modified system is to leave some ofrepparttar 113393 longer laterals full length and curl them round in a circle, tying them firmly with fillis string to make a loop. These loops will form fruit buds along their length in subsequent years, and may be left intact so long as there is room for them. As others are retained,repparttar 113394 oldest may be cut out. Espalier trees may be treated inrepparttar 113395 same way as Cordons.

How to prune apple trees - Biennial

Bearing Some varieties of apples tend to produce a heavy crop one year and a light onerepparttar 113396 next. If one has several trees, this tends to balance out, as allrepparttar 113397 trees may not haverepparttar 113398 same "on or off" tendency. If one has only 1 or 2 trees however, biennial bearing could cause a total loss of crop one season, andrepparttar 113399 trees would be likely to produce a heavier crop than usualrepparttar 113400 next year, and a lighter than averagerepparttar 113401 following season.

Where this is happening, beforerepparttar 113402 expected cropping year, pruning of new wood should be very light, and spur systems should be reduced. A proportion, say one third, ofrepparttar 113403 blossom should be removed at flowering time. In other words aim at reducingrepparttar 113404 over-heavy crops. Finally, when you have learnt how to prune apple trees, all pruning should be done whenrepparttar 113405 trees are dormant, i.e. in autumn or winter.

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing access to their nursery supplier for a range of quality plants, trees, bushes, shrubs, seeds and garden products.Visit their fruit trees section to find a great selection of apple trees for your garden


How to Prune Pear Trees

Written by Paul Curran


Continued from page 1

On older trees which have been spur-pruned rather too thoroughly, it will be of benefit to reduce drasticallyrepparttar amount of fruiting wood, and cutting back branches to produce new growth is advisable. Renewal pruning, as for apples, is practiced, bearing in mind that more wood may be removed, without producing excessive new growth.

How to prune pear trees - Varieties

Varietal Habit is a factor to consider, for certain pears have a much more erect habit of growth than apples. This is particularly noticeable in Doyenne du Cornice, Fertility and Conference, when hard pruned. When pruning branch leaders to a bud for extension growth, it is better to prune to a bud aboverepparttar 113368 outward-pointing one required. This outward-pointing bud will then grow out at a wider angle,repparttar 113369 unwanted portion being removed later.

Other varieties, such as Catillac and Beurre d'Amanlis, also Conference when lightly pruned, have a spreading tendency, and it may be better to prune to an upward bud, or even to a bud above repparttar 113370 upward one required, removingrepparttar 113371 unwanted portion later, as before.

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing access to their nursery supplier for a range of quality plants, trees, bushes, shrubs, seeds and garden products.Visit their fruit trees section to find a great selection of pear trees for your garden


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