Wow! I have always been so timid with my summer pruning. You’ve opened my eyes to creating bearing wood by summer pruning vs primarily winter pruning. Thanks for the knowledge.
Bacterial canker is indeed a problem with prunus and local advice here in Sonoma County is to not do any pruning until growth is well underway Thanks for all the great videos. Been following along for years now!
Thanks for the good easy to follow summer pruning tips, mainly keeping it under control, but don't do it all now (summer). This seems to open the door to a need for a video on the primary apricot pruning session where we maximize the fruiting wood on primary branch structure for the coming year, and occasionally remove old (>3Y) branches to free up new shapes (ex small and close to the ground) and remove problems.
Love these videos. I live in NC zone 7. I'm not a total novice but also not an expert, and am new to this location, so there is much I don't know. My immediate problem: a peach tree on the property I recently purchased is about 12' tall, doesn't have any fruit on it, and is covered with lichen. The bark doesn't look healthy. This tree is situated in an area that likely floods in the spring. Also, the base of the tree was encircled in above-grade soil, bricks, etc., which may have increased its exposure to water. Judging by the size of the trunk, this may be an elderly tree. I have gone ahead and removed the materials at the base of the trunk, and pruned to open up the canopy and reduce the tree's burden of greenery. My thoughts are to fertilize, then see how it looks next spring. If it doesn't seem to perk up and set fruit, call it a loss and replace it. Any advice?
+Dave Wilson Nursery Hi, I have a very small space and have chosen a few unusual trees to plant on my tiny patch. I wondered if you know if you prune them the same way you prune your stone fruit trees. One is a Loquat and I also have a mandarin and a lemon sharing a very large pot, the last is a strawberry guava. Oops... I forgot the Avocado! I love your videos!
Hi tom I got double graft cherry royal lee and minnie royal low chill cherry tree. Just curious one Graft is more vigrous than other. Which is more vigrous royal lee or minni royal .? Thanks
***** They seem to be about equally vigorous. Royal lee is more up-right growing, and Minnie Royal more spreading. The vigorous one may just have the sunny side. Prune them now to keep them somewhat equal.
I have one tree with both on it. l have planted in a way that less vigrous variety is on Southwest side. Just like you have mentioned many times in your video
hello i would like to know when to start pruning trees. i have apple and pear trees about three years old. they have very few branches but i am starting to keep the "v" shape but when do you start major pruning of young trees?
Hi Tom, I have a Santa Rosa plum, Flavor Grenade and Emerald Drop pluot trees that are each about 2-3 years old, and they are not growing new wood all that much or at all. Also, the three trees have not grown taller in height from when I originally planted them. They have produced flowers the past couple of years but no fruit (this could be a pollination issue since the Santa Rosa flowers came in well before the flowers of the two pluot trees). What can I do to help them grow? I bought all three trees at an authorized retail nursery. Thanks! Love the videos! I bought Dave Wilson pluot trees because of your videos!
Would you recommend pruning dwarf peach, nectarine, dwarf cherry, and dwarf apricot trees now? If so, which growths would you recommend pruning? Vertical new growth? One year growths at the third leaf? Thanks so much!
Really depends on the conditions, vigor and location of the tree. If you want to prune now you should just be looking to remove upright vigor. Best to detail prune in dormant season.
Hi Tom, Love your videos and have watched many several times. Being on the East Coast, South Jersey to be exact most say prune in January, others October/November when leaves fall. I have 2 year old trees some planted a year ago that weren't given the original chop. Question, is it possible to do it now at the end of November so that the cut heals before winter sets in? Most trees are about the width of my thumb and about 6-7'. Plum, peach, nectarine and pear so far. Planning for DWN cherries (4 in one hole style, pluot and a few others. But first need to get my pruning routine started. Thank you!
+dana herman As these are backyard trees the most important consideration is prune when the time is right for you. You don't have to follow any schedule other than your own. Probably best to prune early in your area. Even late summer or early fall pruning. The most important message is to prune. Many neglect the fact that they must prune because they are intimidated by it. If your trees are one year whips make one low cut at about 18" to 24" above ground. In second year allow 3 to 6 well spaced scaffolding branches to develop and cut them back to an outward growing bud in late summer. Fruiting wood will develop off of this scaffold in third season. Choose a manageable size for you and always keep trees pruned to your chosen size.
Thank you for your reply, I feel less intimidated now! I also want to mention that my Aunt in TX just sent me a book you're referenced in.... Grow a Little Fruit Tree, by Ann Ralph. Looking forward to reading it. Keep your excellent videos coming & maybe show situations like mine. I'm sure many more could be helped with a "fixing/correcting" video of a 1, 2 or even 3 year old tree.
+Bob Chambers I like low nitrogen, high phosphorus and potassium with a humic acid base as carrier. Gro-Power flower and bloom is the brand I have been using for years. 3-12-12 with micronutrients. I feed end of January, April and end of June. Nothing between end of June and January. If trees are young and you're still working on building size and structure you can bump up the nitrogen for a year or two.
I have 3 old trees around 30 to40 yrs. They are too tall . How can I remove about 1/4 of height without killing it.. they are healthy and width is pruned but they are too tall HELP
could you explain how you know which ones are fruiting wood? I just purchased a plum it is one tall 7 feet tall and it V's into 2 sticks. should I cut it down to knee high even if it cuts the v out?
Firstly, pruning a sapling tree such as you describe has nothing to do with fruiting. That comes in year 4 or 5. You have a 2-yo tree. All you should be concerned about is training the sapling for strength, health and shape. As regards strength and shape, 2 sticks is not good. One stick is stronger and promotes a better shape for better harvest. You decide which stick is better, the other must die. Then you may need to bend the one stick to grow straight, with string and pegs. If you cut it to knee high it will probably die.
Hi, Very informative.Thanks for all the great videos. We have 10 DWN fruits trees in our backyard. And the yield this year was very less compared to last year.Is there any reason for that? Unfortunately we could not harvest any fruits this year because of the birds, squirrels. please advice. Thank you.
You guys are experts and assume everyone can prune and grow trees like you do. It's NOT that easy. I've had 8 DWN trees, and one bush and none have produced in since transplanting 2 years ago, all from Armstrong. How many years should I expect before they produce fruit? Arctic Star, May Pride, Fuji, Eversweet, Wonderful (died), Hachiya, Granny Smith (died), Red Baron and Goji. Armstrong replaced your Wonderful Pom with a Monrovia Pom which is producing. I went all in on your backyard orchard scheme, how many years should I expect to see no results with the DWN trees?
Fruiting depends more on the number of chill hours you get a year in your location and how many each fruit tree needs to produce fruit-you did not mention where you live-go on Dave Wilson website and check the needed chill hours for each of the trees you have and then check your chill hours-this last year was good for most fruit trees-also you did not mention if you had flowers on any of your trees-if had flowers and no fruit then you need bees!!
