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nafex - [NAFEX] Multi-Graft Pruning Strategy

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  • From: Sherlock Terry <sherlocksmith@gmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Multi-Graft Pruning Strategy
  • Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2011 08:42:46 -0500

Hi,

This fall I picked and tasted at the "Heirloom Zoo" orchard of Poverty Lane in NH. They have a couple of hundred Mac and Cortland trees that they have either top worked or added a single branch of a new variety. It's a pretty inspiring place, but also a little chaotic, hence the "Zoo" in the title.

I've been thinking about making some multi-graft trees of my own next spring for some obscure and borderline hardy fruits here in VT (medlars, quince, apricots, peaches, sweet cherries, european plums, asian pears, etc). I see it as a way to save space and to trial new fruits. I was thinking that open center/vase shaped pruning may be a tidy way to go. I looked back though my bookshelf and did a quick search on the web, there are lots of illustrations, but I'm having trouble finding many photos of trees pruned this way. Do any of you have any pics of open center trees? Can you prune most any fruit tree this way (and do folks ever attempt it with kiwis or grapes)? How do you handle multi-grafts?

Thanks.

-Sherlock
North/Central VT




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