North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["David Doud" <doudone@netusa1.net>]

<David, most of my 4--5 year orchard is on seedling stock. The trees on
steep
hillsides especially are a concern to me to keep them small and low to the
ground. Could you elaborate on "fruiting stratagy to control tree volume"
Thanks, Del z2/3>
I'll give it a shot,  Del -  -  the concept is based on the axiom that
pruning is an invigorating activity and fruiting is a devigorating
activity - I have observed that trees are readily maintained in a situation
where the weight of a fruit crop bends terminal growing points below
horizontal - as you drive around during the leafless season,  observe
untended trees and you might notice where upright growth has occured for
some seasons,  a crop of fruit has bent the terminals over,  and
re-interations have occured (same cycle repeats) - there is a tree not far
from me where 4 distinct cycles are observable - as a plantsman husbanding
my fruit trees,  I seek to utilize this natural pattern to my advantage,
doing what I can to get fruit to set at the apropriate time in the trees
life such that the crop bends the limbs down so they fill their space,  then
pruning to prevent reinterations - - the maintenace pruning is the
management of the 3 year cycle (growth-spur formation-fruit),  which in
practice consists of removal of regrowth originating directly from the top
of the permanent limbs/framework (reinterations),  and removal of dangling,
weak spurs(little green apples) from beneath,  then adjusting spur density
such that my thinning operations are predisposed to success - the operations
are complicated by the fact that different varieties/rootstocks exhibit
varying growth habits and weather has been known to be unco-operative -
bottom line,  think in terms of bending limbs rather than pruning,  and have
fruit be the weight you hang to bend the  limbs - - I have observed a
propensity on the part of tree hearders to walk up to a tree with a
saw/loppers and start hacking away at eye level,  removing material at the
level where it is convenient grow fruit - - I approach a tree seeking to
remove material which is not convenient to reach,  a simple change of
perspective that pays dividends - -

----- Original Message -----
From: "del stubbs" <pinewoodel@hotmail.com>
To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] replanting apple trees


> >- I contend that pruning is secondary to fruiting as
> >strategy to control tree volume,  and that pruning as enthusiastically as
> >promoted by the afor mentioned article is likely to result in 'unhappy'
> >trees, predisposing the trees to fireblight and winter injury - DOUD
>
>
>
>