The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: northfifeduckling on September 06, 2012, 11:40:27 am

Title: late summer pruning
Post by: northfifeduckling on September 06, 2012, 11:40:27 am
I've just done the Cherries but looking at the plums and apples it feels like a crime to top off the only healthy looking growth from the last few dryish and sunnier weeks. Shall I wait for the winter to prune the apples and leave the plums?  One of my older plum trees would need some larger branches chopped though - and I can't do those in winter or I risk silverleaf disease. Anyone who can help me solve this puzzle?
 :&>
Title: Re: late summer pruning
Post by: YorkshireLass on September 06, 2012, 06:52:39 pm
Don't know but watching with interest, I've a dwarf plum, planted this year, and don't know if I should touch it or not??
Title: Re: late summer pruning
Post by: Rosemary on September 07, 2012, 09:52:23 am
Come to the Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival and ask Caroline Beaton (co-author of "Fruit and Vegetables for Scotland") or John Hancox of Scottish / Commonwealth Orchards  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: late summer pruning
Post by: Beewyched on September 07, 2012, 03:22:59 pm
Similar here - to prune or not to prune - this year has been a fruit famine for us
Damson - no flower = no fruit & hardly any leaves, looks dead
Plums - both dead
Cherries - did flower, but no fruit to be seen, fair amount of leaves
Apples - did try & flower - eaters - no fruit / cooker has 1 apple on it  :fc:  it ripens/ crab apples - those planted this year & 2 years ago have a small amount of fruit, last years planting - zilch
Blueberries - did well & had fruit on them, but cage got broken in gale & birds ate the fruits
Currants & gooseberries - eaten by OH's chooks  :furious:  - I told her they would  :innocent:  ditto the strawberries
It's down to hedgerow foraging for us this year  ::)