New arrival

[admjh1]

Spent last three year getting my plot perfect(well almost) and along comes the offer of another four doors down!! Went for a sneeky luck and wow what a plot I have accepted but the main things on the plot are fruit trees and lots and lots of fruit bushes now I am good with the veg but have no idea on the fruit bit. What I need to ask is can I cut back all the fruit bushes now? And if so how far back do I take them? There are a few raised beds for veg ready turned waiting for their winter blankets. The added bonus for me is there is water on the plot on my other there isn't so I won't have as much water collecting nightmares. Can't wait for weekend when I'm off to make my mark on plot B x

[admjh1]

[saddad]

Most fruit can be Winter pruned... but it does depend on what it is. Plum family may succumb to Silver Leaf if pruned in Winter. Summer Rasps need care. Congratulations on getting another plot.  :)

[admjh1]

Thanks Saddad,will have a start tomorrow? How can I tell the difference with the rasberries, or is it just a guess until they fruit next year?  ::)

[saddad]

If you look carefully at the raspberry canes then Autumn ones will have fruit/flower stems on all the canes. Summer ones will have some paler green canes with no evidence of having flowered and darker brownish that have flowered. In either case you cut down/out the ones that have flowered.  :)

[Digeroo]

Things like currants and gooseberries I would have thought that you would cut off the fruit bearing branches if you prune them now.  I prune blackcurrants just after fruiting.  If it has produced fruit I cut it off.   Red currants and gooseberries are more difficult and the plants can end up getting larger and large though they do bear more and more fruit.

How lovely to get such an organised plot. 

You need to identify ifapples are spur bearers or tip bearers.  Spur bearers are easier to prune.  Tip bearers it is easier to prune off all the fruit.  I prune apples when they are flowering.  It is not professional but if it is not flowering I cut it off!    My brother in law wanted to prune my golden delicious and was about to cut off all the fruit!  The apples form on long lankey branches. 

[earlypea]

My summer raspberries didn't flower or fruit this year.  Should I prune them or not?  They are mainly browning stems and leaves and a couple have nice green leafy stems.

[jennym]

If in doubt, don't prune.
It's best to observe what happens next year, and take some time to learn about each type of fruit - they vary considerably in their pruning needs, and there's good information available in books and online about each type.

[admjh1]

!!!!! Whoops Jennym, I have been on plot today and pruned them all, never mind after about 3 hours of pruning and clearing tons of leaves off the bed, there are around 40-45 bushes (lots of jan hopefully) still currently walking with a bend in the middle, eat night for me I think work in the morning.oh does  anyone know what Angelica is? And it's uses there is quite a but labeled up around the crab apple trees. :D

[Digeroo]

Angelica is a green stem plant.  You crystalise it and use it for decoration on cakes/trifles etc.  I think it is a a member of the carrot family.   It was quite common when I was young.  I was never very keen on the taste,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelica_archangelica