North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Phil Norris <COUSINPHIL@ACADIA.NET>]

Dear Ginda,

I am also a proponent of delaying pruning till the worst of the cold 
weather has passed.  I think that pruning weakens the trees slightly.  
Here in Maine I like to wait at least until March before doing any 
pruning.  If I had acres and acres of trees to prune I would probably 
feel differently.

As for pruning the Jonathan,  I would go after it with a very light 
touch.  Prune off anything that is obviously going in the wrong 
direction but aside from that let the tree pursue its own habit.  At 
this point in its life the tree needs as much foliage as possible to 
grow strong.  Later in the tree's life you may need to prune more 
heavily to open up the tree to let the light and air in but a young tree 
needs a light touch.

I have a young Jonathan on Bud 9 rootstock.  It has a tendency to lean.  
I wish I had planted M111 instead.

Phil Norris
East Blue Hill Maine
Z4/5

On Wednesday, January 30, 2002, at 09:58 PM, Ginda Fisher wrote:

> I have been waiting to prune my little Jonathan apple tree until after
> the winter deer pressure passes (our deer are hungriest around now) but
> letters I'm reading over on Apple-crop makes me wonder if it would be
> better for the tree to prune now.
>
> Also, is Jonathan a tip-bearer?  It looks like the tree might have fruit
> buds on it, and it would make my husband very happy if we got an apple
> from it, so I am loath to prune off everything that might fruit.  On the
> other hand, I don't want to hurt the tree (much) by underpruning,
> either.
>
> Any advice for an impatient, greedy tender of one baby tree (Jonathan on
> M111, this will be it's third season in our yard) that is being grown
> for fun, not profit?
>
> Thanks,
> Ginda Fisher
> eastern Mass., zone 6
>
>
>
>
>
>
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