Author Topic: fruit trees and bushes, should I prune?  (Read 992 times)

PeterVV

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fruit trees and bushes, should I prune?
« on: August 14, 2011, 19:44:59 »
I put in 2 apple trees in the winter last year, and also blackcurrant, loganberry and gooseberry. I have not pruned anything since. Should I leave them alone to settle in, or should I prune?

goodlife

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Re: fruit trees and bushes, should I prune?
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2011, 08:08:29 »
With loganberry you can prune stems that has finnished fruiting for this year..
Gooseberry..leave it for now..your bush is only young one and should not need much pruning yet..but you can 'tinker' it a little..early next spring, just before leaves come through..look for any branches that grow out each of the main stems..shorten those down to 4 buds and then shorten the new growth from the end of the main stem 1/3..new growth looks bit diffent to the old wood.. ;) If you carry on pruning like that each year you have lot of fruit per stem and not too much scratches.. ;)..although after few year you need to remove some branches from centry of the bush to open it up..but that should not necessary yet.
Apple..has it got much growth yet? I suspect that you tree may not need any pruning this year yet..but it it has some new strait shoots coming out..you can shorten those a bit.
I use same principal as with gooseberries..shorten each of the main brach by 1/3 (new growth only) and any side shoot coming out of those down to 2 or 3 leaves(new growth only). What variety is your apple? Some varieties are tip-bearers and pruning those are bit different =often better left uncut and when done so only to remove some braches that are damaged or badly positioned.
Blackcurrant...should not need any pruning this year..just leave it to grow and you get better crop next year...black currants don't generally need much chopping at all..you can bee relaxed with that.. ;D..you propably don't need doing any pruning for another couple of years at least.
Soo...generally not much to do this year yet, which is good if you have plenty of other jobs to do..but if your secateurs are itching to get some action..sorry..calm them down.. ;) ;D

PeterVV

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Re: fruit trees and bushes, should I prune?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2011, 12:06:55 »
the apples are 1 bramleys, and the other is  a smaller tree, an eating apple.

goodlife

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Re: fruit trees and bushes, should I prune?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2011, 14:24:55 »
If you apples have new long whips/growth on, just shorten the
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new growth by 1/3 but otherwise I would just leave them be for this year.

 

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