These are my greenhouse trellised apricot and pluots spaced 5.5ft by 1.8ft. K1 rootstock was planted Febr 2014 and budded June 2014. In 2014 the upright shoots developed. In 2015 they spurred up. Now in 2016 most are going to fruit.
I actually placed two buds per tree but most trees only have one that took. On those I should have cut back low early in 15 to force two shoots. Now I’ll have to cut the single shoot trees back in a yr or two to force two new shoots down low. Then renewal pruning would consist of cutting back one of those shoots every yr or two.
Here is what the trees look like now. You can see apricots, the pink blossoms, with both one and two shoots.
I’m going to try pruning some that I bud this year to a compact form like you have (they will be in containers). I was just wondering if you’ve had a post detailing your pruning/training method for high density so this post is great (and timely).
In pots I’ve simply trained to a bush. But this system would work very well. Start out with 3-4 shoots just like mine by cutting back low at planting. Then after the tree starts fruiting cut back one shoot every yr and train a new shoot in it’s place. That would keep your.fruiting wood young and low which is what you want. Repot the tree every 4 yrs and you’re in business.
Thanks fruitnut. I may try a few as a bush but I assume this form would be very easy to get full coverage for any spraying that’s necessary and also promote good air flow and circulation. I think I’ll try with 3-4 very low shoots.
No those are spurs that developed with no help. I’ve done zero pruning on most trees so far. Just summer pruned the top back a little on a few that got too tall. That’s all I’ll do this yr except after harvest I may cut back a few trees down low to develop the two shoots where there are now one. That will cost at least one yrs fruit. I do have multiple trees of the best varieties so won’t miss many yrs of fruit on anything.
You certainly got my attention with the two trunk system. Are these trees on dwarfing root-stock or are they just size controlled by the alternate pruning? Thanks Bill
These are on Krymsk 1. It dwarfs apricot and pluot somewhat but I don’t think a lot. Dwarfs nectarine and peach a lot more. I also hold back on water and fertilizer as much as prudent. That’s mainly for sweeter more flavorful fruit but also dwarfs the tree much like a pot does.
I have many other trees on Lovell and it seems well behaved so far. The close spacing dwarfs the trees but I won’t want to try this on a strong soil with lots of rain. The greenhouse is only getting about 15 inches of water per yr.
I am limited on space outside and I don’t really won’t a high tree or constant pruning to deal with. When I saw what you are doing I was hoping that I could do something similar but outdoors. Thanks Bill
Im just blown away how you are able to make them spur like they do.
so are you saying you allow a few shoots to form low each year then replace the oldest upright branches with the new shoots? Similar to cane pruning grapes.
how to do make them spur so easy and not form side branches?
Not really. The current shoots are good to go as long as those spurs remain fruitful. But after 3-4 yrs of fruiting the spurs cease to grow and then fruit buds no longer form. So those shoots have about two more yrs of good fruiting on those spurs. All you need to do is summer prune the top. But if you wait too long to renew those shoots you might not get regrowth when you cut them back. So I’m looking at 2-3 yrs good fruit then cut back and regrow one replacement shoot. That leaves that shoot with little or no fruit for one yr. But the alternate shoot will fruit while a new companion shoot grows and spurs up.
I’m just letting the tree do what it wants to do which is to grow straight up and form spurs. If I pulled the branch over like is sometimes done, then upright shoots would develop off the current branch.
I am impressed with the spurs myself. Couldn’t have hoped for better. I am showing the most spurred up trees. Montrose has few spurs and no flowers. Maybe they’ll develop this yr.
The other thing I might add is the lack of heading cuts since budding has resulted in the single shoot and spurs. If I had headed back one yr after budding I could have two or more shoots on each tree. That would have delayed fruiting one yr but I’d not be short on shoots now. My decision not to head last spring was done in order to get fruit as soon as possible. I might have been able to head soon after budding in 2014 to force two shoots early on and still have spurs with flowers this spring.
I myself think, a natural growth habit of K1 lends itself very well for this pruning shape. In addition K1 developed mainly spurs on its vertical branches.
Naturally there are relatively few side branches on K1
Would iIt be possible that stock has influence that developed more spurs?
