I am curious as to the mechanism by which cold damages recently pruned
fruit trees, in my case apples. Is there a growth response to the
pruning cut which forms susceptible tissue? Does this growth response
happen even if temperatures remain cold or is it a warming cooling
cycle which causes the damage? I have read that less vigorous
rootstocks are more vulnerable- why is this?
I foolishly went ahead and pruned my dwarf apples in late February,
and now the temperatures are plunging below 0 F at night. Should I be
alarmed? There is nothing I can do but wonder, which has led me to
this question.
[NAFEX] Dormant Pruning of apples,
Jason MacArthur, 03/04/2005