CONSERVATION & ECOLOGY Pruning - formative and maintenance
Orchards can be planted anywhere ©pixel2013, Pixabay
Cherry-tree blossom ©Manfred Richter, Pixabay Formative Pruning
Formative pruning is required by all young fruit trees to ensure they develop a balanced shape. It is important to bear in mind stone fruit trees like plums and cherries do not need as much formative pruning as apples and pears.
The process of formative pruning depends largely on the rootstocks used. For example, in a traditional orchard (with trees on very vigorous rootstocks), trees will be pruned to ensure the first branches emerge from the trunk above grazing height (around 2m above the ground). On dwarfing rootstocks in a garden, the first branches will obviously need to emerge much lower down as the tree itself might not reach 2m in height (for the very dwarf rootstocks).
Generally, formative pruning involves developing a strong central leader, which will form the trunk of the tree. All ‘competing’ stems and branches should be removed with the leader left untouched until the desired height is achieved. At the same time, new branches lower down the trunk are shortened to 2 or 3 buds in length. As the years progress, the lowest branches are completely removed, retaining only those branches which are at and above the desired height. From now on, the branches are further developed to produce good strong laterals which will result in a tree with a balanced branch structure that will be easy to harvest from in future years.
A very good step by step guide to formative pruning is available for download from Natural England in PDF format. Please note these guidelines refer to vigorous trees, and so the suggested heights of branch formation, etc, should be altered according to the rootstock you have.
124 PC June/July 2019 Maintenance Pruning
Maintenance pruning ‘takes over’ from formative pruning once the need to shape the growth of the tree is outweighed by the need to promote fruit production.
The main aims of maintenance pruning are:
• to create a balance of fruit wood and vegetative growth
• to control tree size
• to prevent branch cross overs and rubbing
• to allow light and air into and around the tree
• to stimulate fruit production and the growth of new healthy wood
There are a few rules of thumb when it comes to pruning:
• Always use clean sharp tools (such as secateurs, loppers, pruning saws)
• Remove the three Ds first (dead, diseased and damaged wood). Remember to leave some non-diseased dead wood, when possible, for wildlife
• Only remove a maximum of 25% of branches each year. Over pruning can shock the tree and cause it to produce many ‘water shoots’ which are non- fruiting stems, characteristically growing very straight vertically.
later blossoming ones if your site is very exposed (see above). Whenever possible, plant at least some traditional, local varieties to your area. Traditional varieties are in danger of being lost as more modern ones are chosen in preference. Your local supplier will be able to advise you.
Pollination
Many fruit trees are ‘self-sterile’; that is they require another variety to be present for pollination to occur, so fruit is produced. The other option is ‘self-fertile’ trees, i.e. those trees which produce fruit with or without any pollination from another tree. Even self- fertile trees benefit from some pollination as this can improve yields.
Fruit trees are categorised into ‘pollination
groups’ based on when they come into flower. Fruit trees can only be pollinated by varieties in the same group as them, or the next one up or down. In other words, group 2 trees can be pollinated by groups 1, 2 and 3 but not 4.
Most self-sterile trees are ‘diploid’; that is, they only require one other variety for pollination. Some, however, are trickier and are called ‘triploid’. Triploid trees require at least two other varieties in the same pollination group to ensure a crop of fruit. The pollination requirements of a fruit tree should be on the tree label. If it is not, ask your supplier to tell you.
Planting
After making all of your important decisions on where to plant your trees and which ones to plant, there is then the task of actually planting them.
Time of year and tree storage © pixel2013, Pixabay
Fruits trees come in one of two ways: bare rooted or containerised. Bare rooted trees are available in the winter, when the trees are dormant. These trees must be planted in the winter months between November and March, ideally December. They come with their roots wrapped up in plastic or something similar, but cannot be stored like this for any length of time. To store bare rooted trees it is necessary to ‘heel’ them in to a trench in the ground.
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