This is an excellent Apricot Pruning video. Thanks Ken. Not only does it advise what to prune, but where, how and why. A great set of concise explanations.
Been a few years since I last worked on an orchard, thanks for the video, it's actually a great refresher, and I probably learned more from your father than I ever did with the ho hum managers that use to run our orchards lol. Although we had some great managers to be fair to them.
Hi Ken great Video ,im off to do mine.. Ken i have a very large apricot tree that needs cutting back to a more manageable height .If i cut it back to about 2 meters will the tree shoot or do i need to graft it to get it to grow. cheers Peter
Hi Peter. Dad (Ken) says that if you're doing a Winter prune you can do a cut back to 2m. He used to paint any pruning cuts with a water based paint to seal the cut with any pruned branches that are finger thickness size or upwards. This is to prevent gummosis and also any bacterial spores forming on the cuts during winter time. Cheers, Steven
Ken (and son I presume), this is my favorite apricot pruning instructional. I'm in Northern California but appreciate your insights from Down Under! I have two 3-4 year old trees (apricot and pluot) fashioned using the Modified Central Leader Pruning Method. I didn't prune in the fall because the leaves stayed on the tree until well into the winter, then I thought it was too late. Now in February, the buds are beginning to flower too early (we've had unusual weather the past few years). Should I go ahead and prune now or leave the branches long and wild until the fall pruning season?
HI Karen. Thanks for your feedback. My Dad was an orchardist for many decades and this video was my chance to capture some of his knowledge for our future reference and memories. So I'm glad you found it useful too :). I asked Dad about your question and he says to still prune now because if you don’t then the branches will grow long in the spring/summer season and the weight of the fruits on those branches will quite likely cause it to snap, unless you don't prune but prop those long branches up to support the fruit. However Dad says that you'll then risk impacting the shape of the tree. If you choose not to prune and to keep the branches you’ll need to thin the fruit crop out to reduce the weight on the branches. Best time to thin the fruit is about 6 weeks before they’re due to be picked. then you can do a good winter prune next year. Hope that helps you. Cheers, Steven
Awesome video Mr "Dad"! Now I understand for the first time in my life how to do the apricot tree :-) The "frame " that you use there... is that some kind of plastic pipe?
I have an apricot tree that is getting close to 40 years old and has virtually never been pruned ever. It had always produced plenty of apricots but the last few years not so many. My question is can I give it an extreme cut back to bring it back to a more manageable height and size as it is probably 12 feet high ? Thanks 🙏
ohh thats complicated.. once it fruits is that wood there for nothing or? to me it seems like you have to let tree grow to have new fruiting wood comming
Great video. Is that an arid/hot area part of Australia? Reason I ask is I have an apricot tree in back of my house I just bought here in southern Arizona...
Hi Desert Mav. It's not an arid part of Australia although it can get up to 111F / 44C in the heat of summer. Rainfall is only about 12-14 inches per year. Cheers, Steven
In the southern hemisphere here it can be done in June/July. Essentially it its timed while the tree is dormant and before the sap starts flowing as it emerges out of its dormancy. I'm not sure where you are located so I can't give exact month timings for you, but the above info should be a guide for your location, climate and timing of weather/seasons.
