Author Topic: late summer pruning (Read 2353 times)

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?

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #1 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??

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 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

Beewyched · « **Reply #3 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

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

- I told her they would

ditto the strawberries
It's down to hedgerow foraging for us this year