Ideals In Pruning

The general method of pruning the old trees and

the ideal in mind for it will also influence the pruning of the young

tree, especially the shaping of it. Once determined upon, the ideal

should be consistently followed out in the pruning of the tree as it

becomes older. As the tree comes to bearing age it will be necessary

to prune somewhat differently and for other purposes. These we can

conveniently consider under six heads:



1. Every tree should be pruned with a definite ideal as to size,

shape, and degree of openness in mind. To have such an ideal is very

important. It is only by industriously and consistently carrying it

out that the ideal tree in these respects can be ever obtained.

Haphazard cutting and sawing without a definite purpose in mind are

really worse than no pruning at all.



2. It almost goes without saying that to remove all dead, diseased, or

injured wood is a prime purpose of pruning. Dead and injured branches

open the way for rot and decay of contiguous branches, and disease

spreads through the tree. The removal of all such branches is as

essential to the health of the tree as it is to its good appearance.

In removing them the cut should be made well behind the diseased or

injured part to insure the checking of rot and disease.



3. All mature apple trees should be so pruned as to keep them in the

most easily manageable shape and to facilitate in every possible way

the operations of tillage, spraying, and harvesting. It is most

important to have the tree low enough down so that spraying and

picking can be easily done. It is difficult to spray properly a tree

which is more than twenty-five feet in height. Even this height

necessitates a tower on the spray rig and the use of an extension

pole. An apple tree should be so pruned that all the fruit can be

readily picked from ladders not longer than eighteen to twenty-two

feet.



Of course, if the tree has been allowed to get higher than this under

previous management, sometimes we have to make the best of a bad

situation. If the trees are too high head them back by cutting off the

leaders, but it is not always wise to lower all trees to twenty-two

feet. Heading back of old trees will be more fully discussed in the

chapter on "Renovating Old Orchards." Ladders longer than twenty-two

feet are heavy and clumsy to handle.



If cultivation is to be carried on close up under the tree the lower

limbs must be pruned so as to allow this. It is not necessary,

however, to drive a team closer than twelve or fifteen feet from a

mature tree, contrary to the common belief and practice. Cultivation

is least important in the first few feet of space around a mature

tree. By the use of set-over tools, all that is necessary can be well

cultivated without crowding the team under or against the branches.



4. As has been pointed out in the discussion of the pruning of young

trees, in humid regions where the sunlight is none too abundant

through the growing season, the open head is most desirable. Sunlight

on the leaves as well as on the fruit is essential to good color of

the fruit, and good color is a very important factor in the flavor and

attractive appearance of the fruit. An open center with upright

growing leaders removed gives the greatest opportunity for sunlight to

penetrate through the tree.



5. As we have seen, pruning in the dormant season tends to increase

the vigor of the tree. Thus winter pruning serves to secure a normal

and vigorous wood growth, which is most essential to a healthy

fruit-bearing tree. On the other hand, such pruning may be excessive

and produce wood growth at the expense of fruit buds, throwing the

tree out of bearing.



6. The sixth and last reason for pruning is to regulate the number and

distribution of the wood and the fruit bearing buds. The proper

balance between these is greatly affected by pruning and can be best

regulated by experience with the particular tree or variety. A perfect

balance is hard to get, but with study and skill it can be closely

approximated. Pruning, too, may thin the fruit, as removing branches

removes fruit buds. This is best done by removing small branches near

the ends of larger ones. It is a much cheaper method of thinning than

picking off individual fruits, but not as effective.