Approaching and Connecting
“Red rasberries are red, Blueberries are blue, I came into the orchard to see what was new.”
Prior to Pruning. It is good to have the gate entrance to the orchard to be at the north if possible. I walk in entering with peace and joy in my hearts as I check the fence and gate out for strength, practicality and usefulness. I look for trails coming from under the fence or up a tree and over, or for gate- squeezing. I start looking at the sky to follow the sun path and notice the directions of exposure to wind and drafts. I approach the first tree calmly with gratitude, encouragement and respect and a prayer of knowing enough to help and see all that there needs to be seen. I humble myself and ask to be shown, I quiet my opinion and check in with conditions, and decipher the language and history of past work and care practices that have been done to the trees. I do a general walk around intro and identify the priorities and tend to an emergency right away.
My tree is chosen and I relax and study the tree, I see the the trunk exiting the soil and check for stability, trunk damage, grafting, damage, trunk angle, stake ties, wrappings, paints, etc. I find the dominant leader and follow the limbs that grow from that leader and notice their diameter, length, health condition, growth character and positioning. I check their domination, spacing and and strength. I determine the growth pattern, the growth struggles and and growth handicaps. I begin with the priorities, to support growth, health and stability. I enhance the natural plan and protect the tree from environmental obstacles and assist in structuring the plant to maintain its individuality while directing it to adapt to the given surroundings.
“Be With A Tree”
“Without Trees, we are without.”
April 3 , 2023
Early April brings the experience of warm days and cooold nights, A large temperature difference… which means (if the nights freeze) crystalizing of water in the trees causing expansion and resulting in trunk cracks. It also will be the spot for sap sucker damage. Deer rubbing, squirrle peeling, cat scratching, dog chewing, rat tapping, beaver sawing, weed wacker scratches, are all potential damages to tree trunks. Pruning fruit trees now have us trampling flower bulb emergings and can seperate the bark at the pruning cut. Best to wait now till after leafing, the bleeders won’t react so and flowers can bloom, less disease will spread and less chance of frost damage at the cuts.
PRUNING TIMES
Dormant time seems to be the common time for Pruning amongst beginners. Some people believe the best pruning time is when they personally, have the time.
Dormant pruning definitely has its choice of trees for time and purpose. Buds are stimulated at the cut and maybe 3 buds below so with that in mind…thin accordingly and come back to thin to balance light penetration for inner growth, fruiting, and disease and bug control. Dormant pruning can remove flowers that budded from last fall and dominated development, so now to be removed, leaves a sparse display and harvest. Spring flower plants get pruned after spring flowering so to develop next year buds instead of seeds (if so desired). Pruning these plants in the dormant time removes the main display. FALL pruning removes diseased fruits, limbs or leaves that can spread the disease during the rainy season. SUMMER pruning is helpful for directing energy and focusses on the the main structure limbs or the suppirting skeleton. Its a good time for removing weak fruit, over stimulated shoots or suckers, late fruit, over weighted branches and over stimulated limbs.