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.
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I somehow think that water deficit is clamping down vigor and forcing fruiting bud development.
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?
You may be right about K1. The lower vigor may play a part. However it seems to dwarf nectarine/peach more than apricot and pluot. I don’t see any less branching in the former where dwarfing is greater.
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Fruitnut,
Thanks for those photos. I’ll be starting some seedlings from seed (I hope) this spring and now I have a new growth technique to experiment with.
Great pic Paul. Interesting to see the use of the shade cloth. Wonder if that is to help with bird predation or to stop hail damage or maybe both.
Those setups are for hail. I did similar in Amarillo many yrs ago and it worked well.
It probably helps some on birds. But it’s hard to seal all areas well enough for birds and still allow the hail to pass.
I have seen netting setup in Australia that captures the hail on top and waits for it to melt. That needs to be very strong but would be easier to exclude birds and even some insects.
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This is basically a more upright espalier. Just not as pretty. Other than the customary shape it has all the other elements.
Betcha the yield would be better if they trained some horizontal laterals. All that wasted space between each tree.
Mike
Can you help me understand how this tree maintains the laterals short without having to head it. My Summer Delight Aprium has put 2ft long lateral branches and I am confused how much to head back to maintain it as a fruiting spur without making it branch further.
I’ve forgotten half of what I thought I knew 7 yrs ago. Those heavily spurred branches are likely mostly due to the K1 rootstock. I chose it for that very dense spacing for a reason. Currently branches on new trees with standard rootstock aren’t spurred up like that. They will form some spurs next year.
I’d say prune your trees for the shape you want. They’ll fruit one way or another if you quit hacking them back. They fruit on last years growth provided it’s not late season growth. You’ll also get some spurs next year. So relax and learn as you go.
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my challenge is once I headed the scaffold for it to stiffen up, there are close to 10 shoots growing like spokes of a wheel. I am just confused how many of these shoots should I keep.
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Keep them all for right now. Apricots aren’t usually trained like a peach with three scaffolds. Instead, mine have many shoots. Some way more than yours. I’ll thin them out later. But for next year they can all bloom. Then I may thin them out just before I thin the fruit. That would just be to reduce the fruit load and open up the tree some.
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Summer pruning?
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I summer prune a lot. Even my newly planted nectarines, pluots, and apricots have been summer pruned multiple times. Some have already filled out their alloted space. The good news is they’ll fruit next year. It will take constant pruning at every opportunity to keep them both productive and small.
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ah! everything I read said to train in open center/vase system. What training system is suitable for Apricots? not that I can change anything now with 3 scaffolds but just want to be aware for the next time.
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Can you make a new thread or refresh the existing thread which shows pictures of your trees. Helps to get some ideas on how to grow trees in small space.
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I’ve got my new trees. I’ll post about them if or when there is something interesting to say. The trees in this thread are gone. They were taken out for my fig business.
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Thank you. Mine grow out of control quickly.
nice setup. appreciate you sharing your methods. .
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