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nafex - [NAFEX] Dormant vs. summer pruning

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  • From: "Robert G. Halgren" <halgren@msu.edu>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Dormant vs. summer pruning
  • Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 13:19:10 -0500

Can someone explain when you would prune fruit trees (apples) while dormant as opposed summer pruning? Believe it or not, my trees are all still reasonably dormant here in central MI (well, they are greening up the cambium, but not yet budding out).

The apple trees that came with the house have not been pruned in the better part of 15 years, I'd estimate. I took a fair amount of wood out last spring (about 25%), and need to take a whole lot more. So, when is the best time to remove a large amount of wood?

And, assuming I wanted to take 3/4+ of a tree out this year, when would be the best time to do it? This one has the main trunk leaning well out over the pasture next door (at about a 45% angle, at that). The horses like it, but I'm afraid the tree is going to fall over. There is a nice upright leader coming off the main trunk (well above the graft, if there is one), and I was considering just whacking off the offending growth right there. It is pretty much all or nothing. The chainsaw is sharp...

Thanks!

--
Robert G. Halgren, Ph.D.
Bioinformatics Specialist
GTSF - Michigan State University
http://genomics.msu.edu
(517) 353-7236 - halgren@msu.edu




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