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Cut In Time
14
February 2006
Try to get all the apple and pear tree pruning
finished this month. Buds are already starting
to swell and if we have a mild spring leaves
and flowers may soon appear. The longer you
leave the job the bigger the risk of knocking
off fruit buds as you work through the branches.
The first operation is to cut out any diseased
branches especially those suffering from canker
disease. The infected area will be discoloured
with cracked bark and sunken areas. Cut the
disease out using a sharp knife or where the
whole branch has been girdled then remove it
completely. Broken branches are cut back beyond
the damaged area.
Branches that are rubbing together or crossing
over should be thinned out.
Those that are heading into the centre of the
tree should be pruned back to an outward pointing
shoot. Keeping the centre of the tree open allows
light and air to penetrate to all the fruit.
 With
old fruit trees that have been severely pruned
the previous year lots of thin shoots (water
shoots) will often appear on the old branches
in the centre. These should be removed as close
as possible to where they emerge from the bark.
Shorten back all strong growing side shoots
produced the previous year removing one third
of the growth.
It is possible to direct shoots to fill a gap
in the framework. Prune the young shoot to a
bud that is pointing in the direction that you
require a branch. That shoot will then head
in that direction.
 It
is important to know the difference between
a fruit and a growth bud. The former is fat
and rounded while the growth bud is thin and
pointed.
The finches love flower buds and if allowed
to will leave the tree without a single apple
or pear. The only satisfactory, preventative
measure is to drape a fine net over the tree
making sure there are no gaps where birds can
enter. Remove the protection as the flower buds
open taking care not to damage or knock off
the flowers.
Remove grass and weeds from the base of the
tree and protect the bark from strimmer damage.
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