"Uh....huh? Are there pictures." Yep, there are pictures. Pictures with branches with arrows pointing to them that whisper, "This shows how you're supposed to do A and never do C, but X, Y, and Z must be done by the alternating order of Q in the lateral quadrant of M."
"Uh...huh?
After reading a few of these reports I was scared out of my wits that I might think about my pruning shears and my trees in the same hour then look out my window and see my trees flopped dead on the ground - fire blighted. I figured I'd just try to forget all about it.
And then I came across an extension article that seemed so friendly. It didn't have so many words and it tried to make the rules sound doable, not so complicated. I went into the last paragraph of the instructions feeling pretty confident, kind of like my Grandma was standing out by the trees reassuring me, telling me I could do it.
It said, "Backyard trees are rarely over-pruned."
Oh, fewf, thanks, so I can't really mess it up. Awesome. Well let's get going.
"But inexperienced growers often procrastinate on pruning for fear of damaging trees."
Oh, ok so I better not procrastinate this. Ok, thanks. Well, let's get to it then.
"'Topping' or shearing a fruit tree is about the worst thing that can be done."
Ahhh! What's that? What's topping? I don't want to do the worst thing!
"But even that may result in better fruit for a year or two."
Oh, so you're saying that even if I mess up I'm not really messing it up. More fruit is good. Right? I'm right? Right? I can't mess it up? That's what you're saying?
"Ultimately shearing will produce a dense crown that inhibits access for sunlight, sprays, and harvest, and invites weak structure and breakage."
Breakage? Breakage has gotta be bad. I don't want weak structure and breakage. Ah man, I'm gonna have weak structure and breakage.
"As long as pruning cuts are made to remove, head back, or thin as the examples illustrated and discussed, no nightmares are necessary."
Oh no. Nightmares? NIGHTMARES? Head? Remove? Thin? What? Wait, what are those again? Help me here.
"Don't use hedge shears"
Wha..?
"Just do it."
Ummmm...ok...ummmmm....I'm scared.
3 comments:
Oh, JessicaP, I'm right there with you. We used to have peach trees. And plum trees. And pear trees. Notice I said 'used to'.
Like you, I was scared to prune these trees that the Hubs' grandmother had had for forever. In the for forever that the Hub's grandmother had had the trees they'd never been pruned. Ever. At All. So, when we inherited the ranch, I had my very experienced dad prune them for me. Someone forgot to tell the trees that they'd been pruned by a very experienced pruner. They died.
Lesson to be learned: it doesn't matter if you know what you're doing or not, trees will do what they will. So I say, prune away, or not. Whatever is easiest for you.
Ha! That is so funny. Well, not pruning is much easier. I just might go that route.
I know people who hire "tree people" to do their pruning for them once a year. If I were going to prune mine, that's what I would probably do. :) Funny, funny stuff to try to figure out!
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