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Post by nhmountains on Feb 19, 2017 17:38:18 GMT -6
Cat,
It looks to me like those limb tips are headed upward. They could compete for the central leader which would slow the central leader height growth. Pulling the tips downward a litte should help preventing them from fighting the leader. I use jute string and tie the string to the cage. After a few weeks to a month you can cut the string.
As trees start to produce fruit the weight of the apples helps to keep the tips from going upward too much.
The article about pulling the limbs below horizontal in mid June will help stimulate fruit spurs. Right now those limbs look pretty spur free which is ok because te tree s young and you're trying to promote proper limb growth instead of fruit.
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Post by Catscratch on Feb 19, 2017 18:08:43 GMT -6
You guys just keep posting away and explaining stuff (I think I'm starting to learn some of the "why"). If you guys can manage to keep me from killing them I hope to become proficient enough to get some fruit someday. I think that once I understand the terminology and reasons behind the things you are doing I'll be able to look at a tree differently and stop guessing at what I should be cutting or tying down (or spraying, I don't even have a clue on that part).
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Post by smsmith on Feb 20, 2017 9:39:57 GMT -6
For me, experience has been the best teacher. Once you start pruning/training trees you see the end results as well as learning what worked well and what didn't.
I'm no expert on spraying as I prefer not to. In the future, that may change I suppose.
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Post by nhmountains on Feb 20, 2017 11:06:25 GMT -6
Cat,
I've learned a lot from Stu and others but, the best knowledge is just doing it and seeing the results.
I found out this weekend that my wife's 80 year old uncle worked in the Cornell orchards for several years when he was younger. I wished I'd known that a few years ago. He says you can prune any month with an R but, you won't hurt a tree too bad pruning at other times either. Some of the trees you see in orchards aren't the greatest looking trees pruned the way the experts say. Most older trees are not central leader based and produce fine. Keep to the basics of lots of light, cut out rubbing or dead wood or limbs bending too far down. Keep the crotch angles good and you'll produce apples soon.
I haven't done much spraying either and probably won't down the road either. I won't be selling my apples to eat and can work around spots here and there if I'm eating them.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 20, 2017 11:18:23 GMT -6
I haven't done much spraying either and probably won't down the road either. I won't be selling my apples to eat and can work around spots here and there if I'm eating them. That's been my approach as well. We'll see how it works going with low/no spray here once my trees really start producing. Jap beetles haven't been a problem here (let's keep it that way), so that helps. Other than a few aphids and some tent worms I haven't had major insect issues. It sounds like using Bt will take care of the caterpillars and is organic. Issues like scab, CAR, and fireblight are probably best dealt with by planting trees that are resistant or immune.
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Post by nhmountains on Feb 20, 2017 11:30:15 GMT -6
The one thing that hit a couple trees this year was the apple borer. I was pissed. I hope painting them keeps the borers away.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 20, 2017 11:32:31 GMT -6
Ya, I lost at least one to a borer last year too. While I was pruning last week, I believe I've got another tree that's dead or will be soon. No idea what may have happened to that tree yet
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