Summer Pruning 2012

The re-edited version of DWN's Tom Spellman explaining his, 'just prune it' approach to backyard fruit tree growing.

[@92amarjot]

You sir are so down to earth and so information I love it thanks man!

[@poodleoodle7689]

Amazing you only use a Felco hand pruner for all this work! Great video.

[@johnnyhotpants100]

your like a ninja whit those pruners mate

[@taryosoyoso5453]

Thank you dedy😍🙏

[@pauliewalnuts2007]

Amazing work Tom, Love your videos, Keep them coming. Any pruning videos on Pomegranates and Figs? I would love to know how and how much you would prune this type of trees. Thank you p.s. I am ordering some Parfianka trees this year. :-)

[@TheRedlega1]

Tom, I live in Richmond, Virginia. I have two Apples, a red and a granny, that are 13 years old and they've never really produced much fruit. After birds and bugs, I usually get about 20 Apples. I fertilize them in spring with spikes. They are approx 18' tall and 20' wide with way too much interior growth. I have pruned them back on several occasions but nothing like what you recommend. This is my question. With older trees as big as mine, how far should I go with the pruning this winter?

[@VideoMenu]

When it's advised to prune in its second year, does that mean its second full year (meaning next year is year one), or does the year you planted it count as year one? For instance, I fall planted here in SoCal. I'm sure you mean next year is the first year. But what if I plant in the spring? Does this also count for container grown fruit? Thanks!

[@peepo9008]

Mr. Spellman, your videos have taught me a lot but I am still a novice. I have not heard you mention 'central leader' training, but have seen it mentioned in Cooperative Extension articles. Is central leader training simply not needed (and perhaps not even possible) when keeping the tree 6-7 feet tall? I would love to have your comments on this. Thank you.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

+Turquoise Kitty Central leader style hasn't really fit into the type of projects I've been working with. I think it makes more sense for Apple and Pear growers who are comfortable growing trees up to 12' or 15'. I have seen it working well for screening purposes on several occasions. If you feel it would work into your landscape function and purpose you should consider it and do your home work. I'm certainly not opposed to any type of growing technique if it's manageable to you and fits your purpose.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

You can try bird nets. One good reason to grow smaller trees, they are easier to cover. I've seen old CD's hung it trees to scare off birds.

[@dwr44]

Do you do anything to limit the damage from birds?

[@adronlamb9334]

Are raised beds a good idea for cherry trees? I have some heavy clay soil and the raised beds would be good for adding sand and good drainage? Minnesota ground can be a little wet and take a while to warm up also and raised beds for Cherry might really improve conditions. Thanks great video again!

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Yes, the raised bed is perfect for cherry trees.

[@adronlamb9334]

Thank you, and the videos are great. Found a couple of mail order companies and will be ordering my next trees from Dave Wilson this next year

[@adronlamb9334]

I purchased a Liberty Apple this spring with a high caliper cut and about 4 feet before any branching. It was already leafed out and I just planted it. If I take it down to knee high, should I wait until it's dormant or do it now? I have also thought of air layering off the top and cutting it this fall? It's a great tree just a little leggy for a new tree

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

You can take it back now, just don’t remove all the foliage. Too close to summer now, wait til dormant if you want to top lower.

[@adronlamb9334]

Dave Wilson Nursery wow thanks for the quick response, that's great service especially on a six year old video. I'll be looking at the website for future trees, a lot of info there. The tree has what I would call a lollipop shape with no lower foliage, I'll give it a season before I figure out what I'll do.thanks! Great job

[@tnason04]

I notice that many of your trees are fruiting quite early. Is that driven by the rootstocks they are growing on? If so, without a rootstock encouraging precocity, how would the aggressive pruning to control size affect time to fruiting? I just moved to zone 3 and the rootstock options for apples are very limited.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Ripening time is mostly set genetically. Some rootstocks can affect ripening, but not in this case. We just have really early varieties. We promote planting successively ripening varieties, fruit all summer long.

[@flowergrowersmith449]

I have a SpiceZee nectaplum and the tree is healthy but the fruit gets bad russetting on the skin. Could this be the peach leaf fungus affecting the fruit do you think? Or is it normal? I cannot find an answer anywhere! If it's bad again this season, I'll pull out the tree and put in a green gage plum I think.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Sounds like western flower thrip damage. It effects the fruit just after bloom and scars the skin at ripeness. Take a sample to a retail nursery that you trust for positive ID and control recommendations

[@tbluemel]

Tom, How do you choose the right rootstock for your area? I recently moved to Cedar Cirt, Utah, which is in Zone 6b. I am planning a backyard orchard with 24 varieties, including apple, apricot, plum, pear, cherry, peach, nectarine. I have selected (on paper only) varieties that are compatible with my hardiness zone, but have no idea if I am choosing the "right" rootstocks. I also have deal with clay soils, which I will get tested, but wondering if I need to consider soil types when selecting varieties. Help... and thank you!

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Soil type and local geography is far more important than zone. You would be looking for cold Hardy rootstocks that can take heavy soil. Also best to plant on a rise 8" to 12" above grade. Apple use M-111 or Geneva Plum, Apricot use Citation Peach, Nectarine use Lovell or Citation Pear use OHFX 333 Cherry use Maxma 14

[@tbluemel]

@@DaveWilsonTrees Thanks a million, Tom! You always offer so much valuable information!!

[@jaredparkes8556]

Blown away by how much knowledge you have of the varieties etc in the orchard. Keen to try this but most of the plum trees for sale at the local nurseries are on Myrobalan B rootstock which I understand is quite vigorous. Would they be OK for the 4 trees in one spot? Thanks.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

I have used Myroblyn in many multi planting's. It has worked very well for me. Precocious production, self anchoring, compatible to most prunus species, adaptable to most soil types and climates. Becomes less vigorous when planted in clusters on close spacing's. I have a Myroblyn plum, Pluot 4 in 1 that has been in for 17 years and still doing great. I keep um pruned at 8' tall.

[@jaredparkes8556]

Wow, thank you so much for the very informative reply. I was thinking of planting some of the plums a smart pot fabric type container to last for say 3 years before repotting what size would you recommend? Maybe the pots will help to keep the plants in check as well? Thanks again.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Jared Parkes Best to transplant once per year so start small and up size every year. The plants can become root bound and stressed in two to three seasons in the same pot.

[@jaredparkes8556]

Ok thanks.

[@lapriest1]

I have recently inherited property with a dwarf Elberta peach tree and a dwarf kieffer pear tree that are about 5 years old; never been pruned before. They are both at least 15’ tall. Can I start pruning them to a more manageable height during the summer or would I have to wait until winter? Any suggestions?

[@ayatti26]

Yes you can, It is preferred as he stated to have it low. You cut it back this summer and reestablish the growth much lower on the tree.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

If it was my tree I would cut it down this winter to 3' tall leaving only basic scaffolding structure and re-grow is form over the next summer. White wash after first hard cut. Cut heavy again about late July to 4' or 5' and you will re-grow fruiting structure in one season.

[@Mjklim1]

What do you use to keep the weeds from growing around the trees?

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

I thick layer of mulch or bark makes a huge difference.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

We prune them knee high at planting also.

[@tonyfulton7802]

So summer pruning will not hurt the tree? My plums have growed like crazy and needs pruning already! So it's ok to prune is what I'm getting your saying and doing!

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Tony Fulton its an age old practice. We didn’t invent it. I prune my trees two times every summer to control the height. First when I’m thinning fruit, then again after harvest.

[@tonyfulton7802]

Dave Wilson Nursery thanks, I had allot of vigor up top and outgoing branches, just got done trimming, I didn't open up center, looks allot better to eyes, I'm new to fruit tree growing and was nervous the entire time, but I think I followed your advice as close as possible

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Start pruning first year in ground to get established structure right away. Work with existing structure to establish a low canopy and your desired form. Do not wait two years.

[@donovanrhyno0959]

I just got a few trees from a local big box store. Its hard to get anything here in NY. I'm going to attempt the backyard orchard that I have watched in your series of videos. Is it too late to prune the trees to knee high? I don't know how old the trees are... I'm assuming that they are atleast a year old. They are all about 6 feet tall. I also have a 5 year old apple tree that I recently transferred from pot into ground. It doesn't seem to have the lush growth that I would like. Any suggestions?

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Donovan Rhyno095 you can prune them as low as you can without removing all the foliage. Many of our customers offer mail order, that might be an option for you in the future.

[@tonyfulton7802]

If I there is a canker on the base of tree, the tree is almost two years old, it's oozing brown sap and the wood is Browning, is it best to remove tree or just replant another?

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

If the sap oozing out is light brown amber color it's normal. If it's dark sap you might have a problem.

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

You could under the right conditions. But most fruit trees don't do well on their own roots.

[@Xmai136]

I have planted triple peach trees six months ago. And they grow very fast. ( 1,5 m hight). Now I want to transplant them. Can you advise me when is the best time to do ? In summer? or spring ?( after hibernation ). Thanks

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

You can only transplant when they are completely dormant. Prune them back now.

[@cabighorse]

Perhaps I’m over thinking this process of grouping or grafting multiple varieties of fruit on as root stock. I understand the positioning, early to come out of dormancy to the NE, late to SW. But using pollinators with different dormant times puzzles me. If trees have different dormant times, how can they pollinate each other? It seems to me the flowers would bloom at different times. Thanks for your patience

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

The varieties will all be dormant together. They bloom together or at least overlap in bloom. We don’t guess with multiple budded trees, we’ve been growing them for many years.

[@cabighorse]

@@DaveWilsonTrees thank you. Simply trying to put the science into my head. I"ve never worked with fruit trees, shocking isn't it? :)

[@matthewkheyfets1309]

Can I do all of this on a honey crisp apple and pixie crunch apple in a 15 gallon fabric pots? I don't have space and I didn't want to take a dwarf tree that they said needed to be staked. But honey crisp apples only grow 14-15ft tall anyways but was wondering if I can keep a standard 20+ ft tree to 5-6ft using this method?

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

Yes you can, the critical key to success with any potted plant is to maintain a balance between the size of the root ball and the fruiting, scaffolding structure. Never allow the top portion of the tree to become any larger than one and a half times the size of the root system.

[@matthewkheyfets1309]

@@DaveWilsonTrees okkkk. So 15 gallon pot for my two apples should fine then following your guide right? And thanks for such a quick response

[@DaveWilsonTrees]

15 gallon for each tree. Not enough room for two.

[@matthewkheyfets1309]

@@DaveWilsonTrees yes of course 15 gallons for each tree. Lol. Is it enough to then keep a standard rootstock tree 5-6 ft tall?

[@Visualize630]

i notice you mulch cover to your soil! The movie Back To Eden is very informative as-well