Thankfully, it looks like our mini-deep freeze is passing, and the crocuses surfacing in my lawn are a very welcome sight indeed. The last couple of weeks haven’t really been gardening weather, but let me assure you that I have not been idle.
This half-term I have been introduced to the Berlin Conference of 1884. I have learned how to form the future tense in French and then pledge to eat a more balanced diet going forward. I now know the difference between isometric and oblique projections of 3D shapes, and I’ve even chosen my GCSE options.
It’s been hard going. I am not a natural motivator of people, particularly turbulent teens who would rather spend the day in bed. Bribes of chocolate buttons and Doritos are not long-lasting, and parent-child relations are becoming more strained with every cabin feverish day that passes. The only time I went into my own garden last week was to bury Einstein, the family hamster, who surprisingly went from sixty to zero overnight. He wasn’t even old by hamster standards.
I went out to work on Friday, for the first time in a long time. I was almost giddy with excitement. Fortunately, the cold snap means I am not too behind. My main tasks at the moment involve tackling a number of neglected apple trees, whilst they are still dormant.
Why prune apple and pear trees?
Established apple and pear trees need pruning every winter to make sure they don’t get too congested. The main aim of this exercise is to maximise the amount of sunlight that can get to the ripening fruit. This year, I’ve taken on a few apple trees in need of a bit of renovation.
Make the correct types of cuts
First up, use clean, sharp secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw, and start off with the standard pruning approach of removing dead, damaged, diseased, crossing or rubbing branches.
The main type of cut that you need for older, congested trees is called a ‘thinning cut’. This is the removal of entire branches or limbs, right up until the point where they meet another branch or the main trunk.
A thinning cut will allow air and light into the tree, but won’t trigger uncontrolled production of thin, non-fruit bearing water shoots like a ‘heading cut’. Avoid heading cuts in old trees. This is where you cut part of the way down a branch. These are used in younger, less established trees, where bushing out needs to be encouraged.
Know your buds
Most apple and pear trees produce fruit on small lateral branches called fruiting spurs. Fruiting buds (also called flower buds) are larger than the wood or growth buds, and they have a downy surface.
Growth buds are smaller, more pointed, and grow flush along the branch. We call the fruiting branches ‘spurs’ because they are small and stubby.
A frosted fruiting spur
On older, neglected trees, the spurs of flower buds can become crowded, resulting in smaller fruit that may not ripen properly. If this looks like the case, prune spur systems to leave only four or five flower buds, which should result in decent sized fruit.
Take it easy
Don’t remove more than a third of the tree’s material in one season. Too many cuts can stress the tree and create too many entry points for disease. In general, it’s better to take a small number of large cuts than a large number of small cuts.
Remember; it took more than one season for the tree to become overgrown and congested so it will take more than one season to rectify. The delayed gratification of playing ‘the long game’ is one of the things I enjoy most about gardening!
Looking forward to the apple blossom