PRUNING FRUIT TREES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 86, 12 June 1908, Page 3

PRUNING FRUIT TREES.

When is the best time for pruning fruit trees is a question often asked by the man who only grows a few trees for his own use. To him one may reply in the words of an ancient gardener, who said : your knife is sharp." A terse remark, but there is a lot of truth in it. For if fruit trees are properly and regularly attended to. they will need but very little pruning at any time, and it is not of very much moment when that little is done. A judicious pruning to modify the form of our standard trees is nearly all that is required in ordinary practice. Every fruit tree grown in the open orchard or garden as a common standard should be allowed to take its natural form, the whole efforts of the primer going no further than to take out all weak and crowded branches, those which are filling uselessly the interior of the tree, where their leaves cannot be duly exposed to the light and sun, or those which interfere with the growth of others. All pruning of large branches in healthy trees should be rendered unnecessary by examining them every season, and taking out superfluous shoots while they are small. Yet there is a best time for pruning, and that time depends upon the object for which the pruning is done. The two purposes most commonly intended are that it will be necessary for us to speak of now, namely, pruning to regulate the form of standard trees, and pruning to induce fruitfulness.

WHEN AND HOW TO PRUNE. In pruning to regulate the form of standard trees, if they have been properly cared for every year, it will only be necessary to remove small branches, and this may be best done in our climate after the severe frosty weather of winter is over and before the sap is in full flow. This may be from early October to December, according to locality. If done at this time, the sap will not have fully ascended into the branch that is taken away, and will be directed into the remaining portions of the tree. If the pruning be done after the sap has ascended it will be measurably lost to the tree. If the pruning be before the severe frosts of winter #re»ovei* experience has shown that the frost so affects the tree through the wounds, especially if they be large and numerous, as to impair its health and vigour. But if the pruning has been neglected, and there are large branches to be removed, it is best done just as the trees are taking what has been termed their midwinter rest, which is injury or August in our climate. It has been found that if large branches are taken off at this time the wood remains sound, whereas, if taken off in the spring, particularly if the sap is circulating freely, the wood is apt to decay, and, though it may heal over, the part always remains unsound. There is also a right place at which to make the cut when removing branches from a tree. It will be noticed that where a large branch unites with the main stem there is a shoulder or slight enlargement. It is at the point where the branch unites with this shoulder that the cut should be made, so that the shoulder at the base of the branch is left on the tree, and the wound made in cutting is no larger than the diameter of the branch. If the cut is made closer than this to the tree, an unnecessarily large wound is made, which takes longer to heal over. Also, when cutting back small branches care should be taken to cut them off just above the bud, not so close as to injure the bud, nor so far from it as to leave a long spur of wood. The cut should be made so that the point of the bud will coincide with the edge of the cut. Such a cut will heal over sooner than any other, and the bud at the point will grow vigorously.

ADMISSION OF LIGHT. The form of standard trees will need only such modification as may be requisite to admit a free circulation of air through the branches, and sufficient light and iheat to ensure the fullest development of the fruit. If the top of a tree is permitted to become a thicket of branches, it is quite obvious that some parts will be too crowded, the air can circulate but imperfectly, and the sunlight is wholly excluded. In consequence of this much of the fruit will be below the normal size of the variety, but partially coloured, and deficient in flavour. This can be remedied by judicious pruning, removing some of the branches from tfce interior, and keeping the head open to the light and air. On the other hand, pruning can be carried too far, especially by removing so much of the foliage as to leave the nearly horizontal limbs exposed to the full blaze of a nearly vertical sun. The evil effects of this are seen in the death of the bark on the upper side of the large branches thus exposed ; the circulation is impeded, and the tree often assumes a stunted and sickly appearance. The pruner, then, must use his judgment, and adapt his pruning to the special circumstances of his own case. An orchard that is exposed to the sweep of high winds will not suffer from want of circulation of air as one that is sheltered, and, if pruned as would be desirable for the sheltered orchard, might suffer for the want of that protection which the branches afford each other. It is, therefore, only possible to point out the objects to be sought, and leave to each one the carrying out of the details of the work in his own orchard. Pruning to induce fruitfulness is sometimes desirable in the case of trees of very vigorous habit, which are slow in coming into bearing. This pruning, to be effective, is applied not only to the branches, but to the roots also, and should never be attempted in the spring.