Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Pruning timing question

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Little Buddies Shanties" <litlbudy@whidbey.net>
  • To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Pruning timing question
  • Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 18:05:49 -0800

While reading a book on grapes I ran across the following info on the timing of pruning grapes and wondered if it applied to fruit trees as well. 
 
  • Delay pruning until buds look plump, but before bud break.  This helps delay bud break.  Late winter pruning brings the vines into an earlier bud break.
  • Leaving soil under vines bare to allow frost to penetrate the root system and delay bud break.
This was from the "From Vines to Wines: by Jeff Cox and is mainly geared to the Northeast US.  I plan on picking up Lon Rombough's book "The Grape Grower". 
 
I am trying to delay the bud break on my apricots and peaches. I have used seaweed spray and putting a hay mulch as buds swell to lighted the soil color to delay flowering, and it appears to work. Though I am scared to test this practice, since last year both trees were loaded with fruit.  I did read an article from Robert Purvis in the winter 2001 Pomona and he suggested pruning just after the first frost or a summer pruning in August for apricots.
 
We have had a warm winter here in Washington and my apricot flowers show too much color and look like they could open any day.
 
Does anyone have experience with these practices ?
 
Thanks much,
Felicia Camano Island, WA  98282


  • [NAFEX] Pruning timing question, Little Buddies Shanties, 02/06/2005

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page