GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 June 1928, Page 7

GARDENING NOTES.

(BY “WARATAH.’’)

PRUNING- FRUIT TREES, (Continued.)

The Pear. —The pear tree, when conditions are favourable to Its growth, makes more erect and rapid growth than the -apple. The wood is brittle and liable to break while carrying a •Jieavy load of fruits so that is necessary when shaping- young trees' to prune them hard so that the main -and secondary branches will be short and thick. The natural form of most varieties of pe.gr trees is cone shaped, broad at the bdse and 'tapering towards the top, and until recent years this shape was usually adopted, but that which finds favour with most orchardists at the present time is an inverted cone; that is, instead of one main Irunk with numerous branches, there are several main branches of

equal size and shape. To obtain this shape if is necessary to have a short stem, and one-year old trees are cut back to 12 inches from "the ground.

The next season the shoots produced are cut back to six or nine inches (according' to the length and strength of the shoots), cutting back to _ a bud pointing in an outward direction. To induce'the shoots to grow in an outward 'direction a long piece of wood is left above the bud in place of cutting just above the bud; this stub is removed at the next winter’s pruning. The secondarv arms should 'be also cut back fairly short at the next season’s pruning-. making the -cuts some distance above the selected bud as before. In the fourth season, strong leading shoots will arise from the secondary arms, these should not be pruned so hard if they are stout. By this time a d«jzen or so leaders should have formear and these will be sufficient. When a pear tree grows vigorously after the fifth year, the leaders should not be pruned for a season, this treatment will cause an increased flow of sap to rhe laterals and encourage the formation of fruit spurs throughout the tree. When the trees have attained a fair size and good shape very little pruning will be required. The longer hardpruning is practised, the longer will the trees take to come info proper fruiting- condition. In summer any oxtra strong leading shoots should have the terminal points pinched out to db vert the sap to weaker leaders, and so preserve the balance of the tree. Any very long laterals (side shoots) should also be shortened back to eight buds about midsummer.

'Wry old trees giving :i crop of poor quality fruit may be renovated bv thinning out, the top leaders, cutting back long laterals, and thinning out some of the old fruit spurs. The Plum. —The plum tree makes long slender growths in the first few seasons of its life, and this has to be counteracted by hard pruning for the first few* seasons Yearling trees should be cut back to I*2 inches, the next season the resulting shoots should be cut back hard, according to their length and strength. The third season the shoots will not need pruning so hard if they be fairly stout. In extending the framework from year to year the length to ibc retained on the leaders depends upon the vigour and fruitbearing habit of the tree. On strong erect growers, not carrying heavy crops, the leaders should not. be cut back so hard as those on slow-growing trees which are producing good crops oF fruit. When the tops 'continue to show much vigour prune lightly, when the leaders are short prune harder to infuse activity into the growth of the tree. Lateral’s (side shoots) on plum trees do not need pruning unless very long when they should be shortened a 'little after the rank growth of summer (lifts been made. When a, greater number of leaders have grown than arc required. they .should be thinned out some time in January or February. These should be cut right out at the base not merely shortened. Peach and Nectarine. —The nectarine is a smooth-skinned variety of the peach tree so that .the method of pruning o'f both varieties is identical in every respect. The peach carries at an early age much greater weight o'f fruit and foliage than any other kind of fruit tree, and it is necessary to prune thi.‘ tree hard in the first three seasons of its life to ensure a stout permanent framework. Pruning should be carried out in the same manner advised abovei for the plum, until the fourth season: for the next two seasous the leaders may be retained a‘t greater length than other kinds of fruit trees. After the sixth season no subdivisions are made j at the upper part of the tree and to prevent this the. leaders should be cut back to a side-shoot. Tt is not advisable to allow peach trees to grow too high, as the branches become bare at the base and when the fruits are borne high up on the trees,, they are liable to be blown down by boisterous winds. The fruits of the peach are borne chiefly on year-old shoots, though short fruit-spurs' are also produced sparingly. When winter-pruning, the annual shoots require to be shortened back a little and the cut should be made at a wood bud, which may be distinguished from a fruit-bud by its shape, which is narrow and pointed, whereas a fruit-bud is round and plum]). The shoots should also be thinned out where overcrowded. As with most other kinds of fruit trees, tlie growing tips of extra strong leaders and side-shoots should be pinched off about midsummer to divert: the sap to those of weaker growth. Obi trees that have branches bare of annual fruiting wood may be renovated by cutting back the bra itches to cause dormant- buds to break low down. This process should be carried out over a period of three seasons, if tut old tree hr pruned too drastically it may die. Always prune a main limb 'to a live side-shoot, never to a blind stump. ROUTINE WORK. Plant fruit trees, shelter trees, hedge plants, ornamental shrubs, and roses. Divide roots of old established perennial flowering plants, and replant in well-manured soil in a fresh position. Prune fruit trees. Plant hardy seedlings for spring flowering. Sow brand beans. Sow cabbage, cauliflower. ‘ lettuce, mustard and cress, and radishes in frames. Earth up late celery and leeks. * Plant out strawberries in rows 2’. i feet apart and 12 inches between 1 plants in the rows.