Topic: Pruning a Damson tree

[gavinjconway]

I have a large (too big to pick the fruit) Damson from tree at the bottom end of my new lottie. I need to prune it to get it to a manageable size. Someone told me they thought to prune straight after fruiting as in the winter there is a virus it could catch on newly cut wounds... Can anyone shed some light on this?

[grawrc]

Damsons are like plums and shouldn't be pruned  except between June and August because of the risk of silver leaf virus entering through the "wounds" caused by pruning.

Having said that, if I were you and had a massively overgrown tree, I might be tempted to prune once growth starts in spring, painting any cut surfaces with something like Arbrex as you go.

[Aden Roller]

Spot on advice!!  :)

Patience is needed or you could lose the tree.

[goodlife]

Yes..I agree with the previous..
But..even if you prune your tree next year..prune it for its health and just remove some growth that is on your way and is damaged or dead. Unfortunately mature damsons do grow large, hard to pick size. If you hack it back for easy reach reasons...you are not going to get much fruit..the new growth won't yield straight away and when it does, it has grown much taller again. It is very difficult job to reduce size of the mature tree and keep it fruiting in same time.
And you won't know what root stock the tree is crafted on neither..that will determine what size the tree will grow...the root stock may be far too vigorous for you to able to keep the tree 'small'.
And..if it should be on its own roots..well..then it can behave  one way or another.. ::)
I've got one BIG damson..and I've long ago given up trying to contain it..it is far more easier to pick the fruit from lower branches only and leave the top fruit to be for wild life..and the tree produces more than plenty..far more than anybody could use. If I should need that kind of quantities..then it is ladder job..
You could always try training some lower branches well down for you to able reach to do the picking. Tie strings/ropes on end of the branches and weigh them down where they are not on your way. The tree may look bit odd for a year but once the branch has 'set' to the new position and ropes removed..it will make your picking doddle. You can aim for the 'weeping' look, not straight down but nearly there and the branches will still fruit.. ;)

[gavinjconway]

Thanks for the advices.. I'll look at it closely over the next few months and decide which branches to remove and get some form of shape going.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have it on excellent authority that nurseries prune stone fruit in winter, and get no problems with silver leaf. That advice goes back to a government pamphlet issued in the 1960's, and it's still being repeated long after the professionals have abandoned it. If I had a big overgrown tree like that - which may well be quite old - I'd take a couple of branches off each winter until it was sorted. Trying to do it all in one season could kill an old tree. Cut the top branch last of all - you always do that so there's still leaf growth to draw the sap up to the top and prevent dieback. Cutting big branches in the growing season carries the risk of weakening the tree due to bleeding as well.

[Aden Roller]

I have it on excellent authority that nurseries prune stone fruit in winter, and get no problems with silver leaf. That advice goes back to a government pamphlet issued in the 1960's, and it's still being repeated long after the professionals have abandoned it. If I had a big overgrown tree like that - which may well be quite old - I'd take a couple of branches off each winter until it was sorted. Trying to do it all in one season could kill an old tree. Cut the top branch last of all - you always do that so there's still leaf growth to draw the sap up to the top and prevent dieback. Cutting big branches in the growing season carries the risk of weakening the tree due to bleeding as well.

You may well be right... but a neighbour on the lottie cut his plum back in late autumn, the tree developed silver leaf and eventually died the following season. Shame - it was a lovely little tree and had cropped well.  :(