pruning question.....

[pjb]

Is it too late to prune my apple tree? it's quite old and could do with a trim.

[pjb]

[Tee Gee]

This info might help you along with the related links;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Fruit%20tree%20pruning/Fruit%20tree%20pruning.htm

[nilly71]

some links for you:
http://www.rickerhill.com/Pruning.htm

http://resources.cas.psu.edu/TFPG/pruning/slide1.htm

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/problems_fruitveg.asp

Hope they help.

Neil

[Slug_killer]

I thought that you prune fruit trees in the Spring, with the sap rising, to prevent Silver Leaf getting in.

[nilly71]

second link, slide 6 says feb, march and april but i guess it depends on what kind of weather we have.
Then again i know nothing as this is my first time growing them ;D

Neil

[saddad]

You shouldn't prune Plums and related species in winter because of Silver leaf Slug-Killer..  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

All the books will tell you not to prune stone fruit in winter, but all the nurseries do their structural pruning in the winter anyway! Apparently, Victoria, which used to be the main plum variety grown in Britain, is paricularly susceptible to silver leaf. So up till around the 1960's, the government had a theoretical, unenforced, ban on pruning them before misdsummer. Hence the advice. But as I say, every nursery prunes in winter, and stone fruit aren't overwhelmed by silver leaf.

It's not too late to do winter pruning, but get it done ASAP. Winter pruning will produce vigorous regrowth, so use it to control the shape of the tree. If you want to lower the crown, say, cut the branches back in winter. Summer pruning doesn't lead to much regrowth, so use it to control growth. So if you want a bud to produce a fruiting spur rather than a branch, stop it in summer.