|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 6, 2021 5:19:31 GMT -6
Before and after pruning pictures of a haralson that was hit by a borer and that black crap. We will see if that one water sprouts can become a new central leader or if the black crap will kill it. Art, I’d leave it as an open center shape and let those limbs all become leaders. They do that in England a lot. It’ll probably produce a lot more fruit over the next few years as those limbs take off and the fruit holds them down. There may be more water spouts each year but, you’re retired and have time.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 6, 2021 6:35:38 GMT -6
Before and after pruning pictures of a haralson that was hit by a borer and that black crap. We will see if that one water sprouts can become a new central leader or if the black crap will kill it. Art, I’d leave it as an open center shape and let those limbs all become leaders. They do that in England a lot. It’ll probably produce a lot more fruit over the next few years as those limbs take off and the fruit holds them down. There may be more water spouts each year but, you’re retired and have time. I know of one small orchard in central Minnesota who had a guy pruning that was from Europe. He pruned for the tea cup shape. I might see what the tree does for one more year. The teacup shape should drop more of it’s fruit outside of the cage.
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Mar 6, 2021 8:29:14 GMT -6
I've got a small Firecracker crab that was completely girdled by sapsuckers. The girdling killed the top, so I cut it off below the girdling and let it go. The "stump" threw a bunch of suckers and I let them all grow the first year. Last spring I trimmed a few out and this year I pruned a few more. It now looks kind of "cup" shaped. I trim all of the branches/limbs that grow into the "cup" and leave those that grow outward. We'll see what becomes of the tree long term.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 6, 2021 10:47:45 GMT -6
I've got a small Firecracker crab that was completely girdled by sapsuckers. The girdling killed the top, so I cut it off below the girdling and let it go. The "stump" threw a bunch of suckers and I let them all grow the first year. Last spring I trimmed a few out and this year I pruned a few more. It now looks kind of "cup" shaped. I trim all of the branches/limbs that grow into the "cup" and leave those that grow outward. We'll see what becomes of the tree long term. I think many crabs produce fruit every other year, with or without our management. That bush type crab might do just fine.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 7, 2021 7:18:01 GMT -6
It was hard traveling on icy crusty snow but, we got the 8’ apple ladder and gear loaded on my jet sled and headed on the mile walk to my orchard. I believe the bear twisted this limb back over the main trunk a couple years ago. It self grafted on to the main trunk. It was damaged and I could see light through the breaks in the limb so I thought I could cut it off. Nope. It had grafted and was stuck on there. I’m not sure if I made the situation better or worse. These is about 17’ up at the top of the tree. This tree was a leaner that I’ve gradually kept a few water spouts and turned them into the main structure of the tree. The upright on the right grew out of the base but, wasn’t healthy and was getting shaded by the main trees so it got cut out along with the middle upright on the tree. This tree has enough buds that it should produce 2 bushel this year.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 7, 2021 7:30:45 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 7, 2021 7:52:17 GMT -6
I don’t work 17 feet up. The trees are on their own after about 12 feet. I have left the cuttings lay, but our fields are now mostly bare. Deer have shifted to rye cover crops and alfalfa fields. If we get a foot of snow, they will be back on more browse. I will pick up the sticks in the orchard. Probably not in the wildlife plantings.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 9, 2021 16:09:17 GMT -6
All done, except for taking some lower branches off and making cages smaller. The frost needs to come out to remove some cages.
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Mar 9, 2021 16:16:37 GMT -6
All done, except for taking some lower branches off and making cages smaller. The frost needs to come out to remove some cages. Take your blue ox out there and have him rip them out. The JPS way.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 9, 2021 16:20:26 GMT -6
All done, except for taking some lower branches off and making cages smaller. The frost needs to come out to remove some cages. Take your blue ox out there and have him rip them out. The JPS way. Times are tough. We et du blu ox.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 14, 2021 5:30:04 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 14, 2021 5:31:16 GMT -6
Looks good, Carl. I seldom work that high up.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 14, 2021 5:42:58 GMT -6
Another bear damaged tree from last fall. That tree is 75+ years old but was deprived of sun last for 65 years as it was abandoned after planting. We opened it up in 2017. The leader was cut off to a water spout and that took off until the bear got it last fall. It will be an open center leader and eventually be cut down once the trunk sprout takes off more. I’d purposely left it to grow in case the bear damaged the main leader.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Mar 14, 2021 6:09:51 GMT -6
Another bear damaged tree from last fall. That tree is 75+ years old but was deprived of sun last for 65 years as it was abandoned after planting. We opened it up in 2017. The leader was cut off to a water spout and that took off until the bear got it last fall. It will be an open center leader and eventually be cut down once the trunk sprout takes off more. I’d purposely left it to grow in case the bear damaged the main leader. I pruned two habitat trees for my neighbor that looked like that from bear damage. I think it will take two or three years of work to get them cleaned up. I didn’t want to remove too much growth at once.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on Mar 26, 2021 20:28:55 GMT -6
No photos today but, I wanted to say I bought a pair of Felco 210a-60 loppers this spring. They were expensive compared to other models but, hands down the best loppers I’ve used. Sharp and nice clean cuts. Well worth it if you’re doing a lot of pruning. www.felco.com/us_en/felco-210a-60.html
|
|