Pruning Season

Temps are predicted to get up around 40 this weekend in my neck of the woods so I’m thinking about starting to prune my apple trees. 15 day forecast doesn’t look too bad either which would bring us into February when I start my pruning anyway. Anyone else out there already started?

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I’ve been tempted, but it’s been so cold here that I’ve been waiting. I’ll likely wait to start until mid February

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I’m pruning now because I’ll be out of town during February, and also because you never know how early things are going to break dormancy here. If they’re even really dormant–we’ve had under 100 hours of chill.

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I would kindly share some of my chill with you!!! BRRRRRRRR

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We have a warming trend coming this weekend. Can’t wait to get out there. I may dormant oil spray too - not sure.

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I’m doing lot of trading of scion, and the later the better for scion health to make it till spring. So the end of February for me. Here no tree is ever going to grow till well into March, more likely April.

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I had a request for some cuttings from my Grenada pom - so its suckers were just BEGGING to be taken! I couldn’t help but start thinning it, and another next to it, at the same time. It snowed the next day . . . and in 2 days from now it is supposed to be in the 50s. So, yes . . . . someone else is out there, with you, already!

I’m looking for Grenada, I may ask you in the future. Right now I have plenty to work with. A little overwhelming. I have plenty of things to trade. Well you never have enough!

I can spare a few of my Grenada - which does FAB for me, here in Chesapeake VA. Let me know your address - and I’ll send you a couple. :relaxed: or we can wait till next year . . . either way.

Been pruning for about 4 days and bending branches down. Weather is upper 40’s to low 50’s even one day 63! Re reading pruning guides made some mistakes. Ugh. Well next year do better. I’d bend branches in March but got a hunch be to busy then. Half way done.

We are having a nice break from our unusually cold winter (complete with blizzard) so I went out to start pruning and began with my Anna apple. She is showing silver tips!!! Yikes. So I put away the pruners and thought to make best of the weather by painting trunks white to attempt to delay Anna’s propensity to make its move at the slightest warming trend following an abundance of chill hours. I believe I read that some here do that. It’s a long way til April. :roll_eyes:

I’ve been pruning apples this week. Wednesday was beautiful pruning weather with temps in the 50s & today was miserable with a strong S/SE wind which is off the ocean for us (about 40-50 miles as the crow flies).

Here are a few pictures from my apple tree pruning adventures. Trees pictured are before & after 4th growing season semi-dwarf Honey Crisp on M111 rootstock…

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Planning to take the top scaffold tier off my Gala pretty soon

I have adopted a new approach because of our late freezes. Now I just identify the branches I would normally winter prune and wait until all chances of frost are gone to remove. I need all the chances to keep flowers as I can.

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