Pruning section

A lot of very informative stuff there, and very accessible.

His explanation of the “light well” alone is worth your time.

I’m not clear at all about branch angles and whether the branches should be pulled so low, but it works for them for sure.

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@Blake How old is the first pear tree in the video? What rootstock is it on? Same questions for the apple trees too.

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Hi Ahmad,
All the apples and pears were planted in 2017, and this was shot in winter 2021, so 4 years in the ground. The apples are all on M111, pears are on OHF x 87 and 97.

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If anyone is wondering, this training system is based on research done over decades by a couple of ‘genius’ fruit tree guys in France. The book explaining it all, as well as similar systems for stone fruits, figs, nut trees and kiwis in ‘Growing Fruit Trees’ by Lespinasse and Leterme. It’s a fascinating, game-changing kind of book on fruit growing. Like I showed in the video, bending the branches below horizontal looks extreme and unnecessary (I used to swear by 45-60 degrees from the trunk, which is helpful for branch strength and long term sustainability of the tree). However, bending and training them BELOW horizontal creates what happens naturally years later as fruit loads bend the branches permanently down. Doing this downward training when branches are young and supple stimulates spurs to form as it is ‘telling’ the tree the vegetative stage is ending and now fruiting needs to occur (communicated via hormones that stimulate spur growth). That way the tree makes lots of spurs the following summer and starts bearing years earlier. It really works and these researchers in France have studied this for many years and say it is really the way to go if you want apples to start fruiting years faster, with no harm to the tree. All the details are in the book, which is very scientific, deliberate and thoroughly proven in it’s research and approach. Plus, it’s super easy. So, it’s what I do now. It did indeed do as described. But the last two springs we have had serious late freezes that killed all our blooms on nearly all the tree fruit.

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The French axe, as I recall, not sure, but training scaffolds below horizontal has been around for a while. .

Epicormic branches are created as a result, which is why most pruning methods suggest never training fruit branches below horizontal.

I believe the best way to think about pruning is that there are no hard rules nor best way, but there are always those looking for gurus that provide a kind of clarity that is hard to have when reading so much contradictory guidance in the literature.

If that clarity, no matter the basis, helps make pruning easier and it works, it doesn’t matter that is one of many roads to Rome.

If any particular method was that much better than others being used, it would quickly dominate the industry. In commercial production the margins aren’t large enough to not follow the most efficient production methods.

The video shows trees that are on pretty dwarfing rootstock, which changes the training equation a great deal compared to moderated vigorous varieties grown on 7 or 11.

http://groworganicapples.com/phorum/read.php?13,1146

Incidentally, the training in this video shows the second tier of branches with much wider diameter than the first, which to me isn’t a sign of a well trained tree and explains why there is such vigorous vegetative growth on second tier branches.

The concept is explained in my article- the larger the relative diameter of the scaffold in ratio to the trunk, the greater the vigor. Once a higher scaffold establishes dominance via larger diameter, only summer pruning can maintain order and allow good light to penetrate the lower tier.

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Thanks very much Blake, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear! I planted a pear on OHxF87 last year and ordered an apple on MM111 for next spring, and was dreading the notion that I may have to wait 7 years to get fruit from them. Of course I heard about branch bending to improve precocity, but it is nice to see it corroborated in your video…

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That’s interesting info about the 2nd tier dominance effect. The apples are all on M111 rootstock which is not really dwarfing. The pears are on OHF x 87 and Asians on OH x F 97.

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It’s not good to bend branches below 90 degrees. You start to lose vigor and the tree will send up suckers to replace the top. I would go to 70-80 degrees myself.

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I didn’t get past the apple tree, I have studied pruning for so long and have done so much of it at this point that I am pretty choosy about my gurus. One I respect the most is Bas van Ende.

The tree looked like it was on 26 to me. Not very vigorous at all, and if you are keeping it that small I wonder about the choice in rootstock, even with pulling down growth, but he probably has his reasons.

Here’s and article by Bas- you can search up other articles. Good to Know: The 1-2-3 rule for renewal pruning | Good Fruit Grower

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Here’s a question for you pruning pros; my apologies if it’s a silly one. Say you wish to shorten a scaffold on a pear or apple tree—as in the case of an upper scaffold becoming longer than the scaffolds below it on a central leader tree. This scaffold, though overlong, does not otherwise break the rules of proportion: it does not exceed the width of the leader by more than 1/3 or 1/2 at the point of attachment. Obviously, it can’t remain this way; we want a balanced “Christmas tree” shape. What’s the best way to (re)establish this balance? I’ve been considering the following possibilities:

1.) Tie down the overlong scaffold toward horizontal (which will have to be done in any case, I would think, if it’s taken a vertical turn—and we intend to let it remain, as well we might if it’s well-placed, otherwise proportional, and setting some nice spurs) and hope that this will sufficiently slow it down to lead to a rebalancing with the scaffolds below?

2.) Go with “1” and also dormant head the shorter lower scaffold to invigorate it. (What, however, if you don’t want any of the scaffolds getting much longer?)

3.) Go with either “1” or “2” and, if this doesn’t effect a rebalancing by later in the season, head back the overlong upper scaffold in summer. I imagine it would be best to cut back to an opportunely placed weak lateral—or, lacking this, any outward facing bud at the desired length?

Maybe I’m approaching matters in the wrong way altogether—or maybe I’m just overthinking things? I’ve a problem with both . . . . :slightly_smiling_face:

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When repairing a car, all the parts go into a specific place and its mostly about diagnosing which one to replace, so it is possible to have a clear and precise idea of what you are doing once you know the part that is failing.

Pruning fruit trees is more confusing because there is no one way to accomplish your goals- you have to work out your own system to some degree, at least with vigorous, free standing trees. Each species and even varieties within a species respond somewhat differently and there are even variable ways to get similar results with the same varieties.

In answer to you question, there are a few ways to solve the problem, but the solution is always to avoid having the upper tier excessively shade the one or ones below and that means having it’s spread not exceed about 50% of that of the lower branch.

You can cut it back to 2-year wood, preferably to a shoot, but not necessarily. You can use tape or string to tie it below horizontal- electric tape is quickest, tying to a shoot or branch below- whatever is best placed. You can also remove the thing and replace it with another, but that shouldn’t be necessary if it is 3-4 feet above the lower branch until its diameter exceeds specs.

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I’m starting to see that more every year. And everything looked so easy in those pruning diagrams, too! :slight_smile: I recall someone saying on a thread somewhere on here that systems that impose a more definite order on a tree, such as espalier, are in some ways simpler than maintaining a freestanding plant—and I think I can see that as well (though I’d be loath to call the “art and mystery” of pruning any plant to any system “simple”!).

Thank you for again sharing your experience, Alan.

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I have a pruning question, if this is the right thread for it.

I have two 5’ multi-graft trees coming soon (apple, and cherry). My question is whether I should prune on arrival, just after planting.

I bought the two multi-graft trees from Ison’s, which is on the Reference list as a good nursery. Their website has minimal info that I could find about how to manage the tree (they may send info in the box).

Stark Bros says for their trees not to prune on arrival, their trees are pre-pruned. Is this a standard thing, or just Stark?

Some nursery (can’t remember which) suggested pruning after shipping, for balance, as stressed root balls could use a smaller top-side energy drain.

I’m assuming a 5 foot tree is several years old, and guessing they wait until they know the graft “took”… but I’m not sure where that puts me in terms of pruning. Am I going to kill a grafted branch with pruning when it’s too young and fragile?

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That’s usually what I do.About 1/3 is taken off,assuming there is enough growth.If the trees weren’t multi grafted,another option is to cut the whole top off,about twenty inches above the ground.
Also,it’s a good idea,to plant them,with the weakest varieties on the sunny side,facing south.

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@Blake is the method you showed in this video the same thing as French axe? (I didn’t see a wire trellis like the internet thought French axe required.)

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So since it is multi-grafted, don’t cut it all off - right?

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That’s very correct.Each branch should be a different variety.But sometimes if the branches are unusually long,compared to the others,I shorten them a little,like your original comment,for balance.
It doesn’t have to be done right away.Some people let them grow out for a year or so,before pruning.

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Thanks!

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I’m new to the term French Axe. I base my apple training off the book ‘Growing Fruit Trees’ by Lespinasse and Leterme. I don’t recall them using that particular term.

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Thanks Blake.

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