GARDEN AND ORCHARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 15

GARDEN AND ORCHARD.

PRUNING OPERATIONS. STARTING THE WORK. BY I'.S.R. At last the orchardist may make a start *fith the pruning programme. Winter pruning is considered to be all important bv some. This is so only from certain standpoints. The summer pruning, so often neglected, is of equal importance. The two operations, hou'ever, servo two different purposes, and both are essential. The objects of winter pruning aro to shape the tree, to remove dead or injured parts, and to control the vigour of the tree in general, and of the individual branches in particular. These aims could not be achieved by summer pruning alone nor can winter operations by themselves produce the results that the summer work ■does. Peaches and nectarines aro the first subjects to be treated. Even among these fruits there are still individual trees v.-hi' may not yet be pruned, as they have not completely lost their leaves. As mentioned previously, ono must be certain tho tree is really dormant before ■commencing operations. To make absolutely certain, the amateur is advised to ■wait a while after the last leaf falls. There is more in. making tho cut than many imagine. Everything should be done to make it as clean as possiblo in •order that it will heal over quickly. A sharp pair of secateurs is required for ihe work, and there should be no play in the blades. One thing is of paramount importance, and that is that the cut 6hould start from the same side of tho twig or branch that tho bud is to which the cut is being made. This means that the cutting blade of the secateurs should be used next to the bud. The cut should be made about an eighth of an inch above the bud. To leave more wood than this ■will mean that it will die back to the bud, and to leave less will incur the risk of injuring the bud. A cut with too much of a slope exposes too great a surface to be healed over. On the other hand, a cut at right, angles is equally undesirable. The correct direction for the cut is parallel with the line of the bud. Advisability of Pruning. One often hears interesting comments on the advisability of pruning, such as ."Let Nature do her work in her own way." This is certainly logical, but, at the same time, it must be borne in mind that the fruit, tree of the present day is a vast improvement on its ancestors, and has become more or less a mere fruitproducing machine. This being so, the tree will need to be treated accordingly and given every encouragement to produce the maximum output. It has been proved time after time that trees on their own initiative do not produce as well and as consistently as those which are pruned systematically. Also, the latter remain profitable for a longer period. Apart from the question of yield, there Ere other considerations to be taken into account. For instance, by pruning tho tree can be kept to a convenient size, which facilitates the harvesting of the produce as well as other operations in the orchard routine. Amateurs should be guided by the experience of practical men ■which is to the effect that pruning is profitable and desirable. The training of young requires careful consideration as the building up of a strong framework is a vital matter. It is generally recognised that three main arms are sufficient, these, after being pruned, producing six secondary arms. When procured from the nursery the trees have usually been trained with the three leading shoots, but in case this is not so it may be as well to mention that the trunk should be from 9in. to 12in. high. Producing a Compact Tree. In order to produce a well-shaped tree regard must be given to the position of the buds. The tree should be shortened back to where the resultant top three buds will produce suitably-placed feading shoots, the lowest one being approximately the given distance from the ground. A tall trunk is undesirable, as it reduces the tree's ability to withstand strong winds when it attains an appreciable height., The object when training a young tree should be to ultimately produce a compact tree with sturdy, well-spaced limbs. An open centre is essential in order to prevent overcrowding of the branches. A dense collection of twigs in the centre prevents the free circulation of the air which is necessary to keep the tree in a healthy condition. The dense foliage in the summer hinders tho ripening of the fruits and does not allow it to colour up. The ideal tree may be described as being cup-shaped. In order to keep the centre open the main arms should be pruned back to a point below which the first two buds point outwards. This will prevent any of the main arms, at any rate, from growing towards the centre of the tree. Stability in Main Arms. Stability in the main arms is absolutely essential, and in order that they may gain it the leaders should be prevented from developing too rapidly. The first year after the tree produces its three main arms these should be pruned back to within about 9in. or 12in. of their bases, • the length retained varying in order that the shoot may be shortened back to suitable buds as mentioned above. If this has not been done steps should be taken now to encourage the leaders to even up their growth during the next i season. The weaker shoots should be shortened back more than the longer 1 ones. This may seem strange, but it 1 should be kept in mind that the more a shoot is cut back the more vigorous will 1 it become when growth commences once 1 more. This may mean that the weak ' shoots will be shortened as close as 6in. ] to the base. The following year the secon- ' dary arms should be pruned back to < within about 12in. of their origin. From year to year the young tree should be 1 treated thus until it has grown to full 1 f>ize, dealing with the main arms accord- < irig to their requirements. The limbs will t cloth themselves naturally with lateral 1 fruit and wood shoots. s Old Poaches and Nectarines. J When pruning older peach or nectarine trees the orchardist requires good judg- t ment. It is recognised generally that these subjects arc the most difficult of the com- n rnon fruit trees to deal with successfully, j The fruit in the case of these trees is 'j borne on wood of the previous season's r growth. At this rate it is the terminal v length of each shoot that is capable of 0 bearing fruit, and to shorten these shoots means to lessen the productive powers of the tree. On the other hand to leave them unpruned altogether is also undesirable , as they will not develop much for tho next season. The best way is to prune them just sufficiently to incite them to *' provide wood on which to produce a , good crop ihe succeeding year without reducing the fruiting abilities for the coming season. 1-1 There are three types of fruit-bearing S shoots, viz., twigs, spurs and fruit shoots. '' The last mentioned aro the most important " as they bear the great majority oT tho c; crop. They usually grow to a length of cr 12in. to 15in., and are to bo found as r< lateral growths on the sub-leaders. A si fruit shoot may bo distinguished by the ti jact thafc it is clothed mostly with flower p fcuds which are plumper than leaf buds fit

ad which usually occur in groups o! three. A fruit shoot possessing numerous flower buds at the lime possesses the fruiting characteristic sufficiently to permit pruning. The extent to which a fruit shoot xnay be shortened depends on its position. If it is growing horizontally it may bo shortened moro than if developing in a vertical direction. A vertical fruit shoot if pruned much will probably develop into a wood shoot. Some fruit shoots it will be found will have developed the flower buds near the tip, and these must not be shortened. Fruit twigs and fruit spurs require different treatment to that jneted out t.o the fruit shoots. The former are usually about 6in. in length and are wholly clothed with flower buds except for the terminal bud, which is a leaf bud. These twigs must not be pruned unless shortened back to the base. Healthy fruit twigs should be. left to bear fruit, but immature twigs should be shortened right back. Fruit spurs, as the name implies, are stubby growths having a cluster of buds ar (he tip. After bearing fruit (ho spurs die and should then bo removed. Spurs are not altogether desirable growths as they convey the impression that the tree was taxed too heavily and in consequence was unable to develop the growths further'than to the spur si age. If the tree has an abundance of other more suitable fruiting wood the fruit spurs should bo pruned individually or collectively. In (lie former case they are shortened back to (he base and in the, latter instance a shoot bearing several spurs is cut back to its I base or to a suitable lateral twig. Non-fruiting wood is found on peaches and nectarines as on other trees. The leaf spur is a stunted growth, presumably an undeveloped leaf twig. It is also undesirable. The shoots which, bear them are dealt with in the same way as those bearing fruit spurs. In fact, it will be found frequently that shoots will bear both leaf and fruit spurs. Leaf twigs are similar to fhe fruit ones except that they have a terminal leaf bud and no flower buds along their lengths. These growths may bo left for a season, and if they do not then acquire the fruiting habit they should be suppressed. In old trees the leaders, or rather subleaders, as they will have become by that time, should ho pruned according to the vigour of the tree. If the tree is more or less at a standstill as far as growth is concerned, a little " topping " will reinvigorate it. The leaders in this case should be pruned hard back, but this treatment should not be given unless the tree has been at a standstill for two or three years, as evidenced by little growth being made under ordinary treatment. At no time should the leaders be allowed to lose their individuality, i.e., become mere laterals. ROUTINE GARDEN WORK. UNSUITABLE CONDITIONS. Under present conditions operations in the garden must be suspended until an improvement takes place. In the interim crops in store should be looked over once more. Kumaras should be overhauled, as they sometimes "sweat" shortly after they have been placed in store. Onions, of course, should also be looked over. Potatoes in store should be overhauled every six weeks or so, as once they begin to sprout it does not take long for the shoots to develop. The food stored in the tubers is used up by the sprouts, and so the more the sprouts are suppressed the less will be the waste of tuber. When making sowings at this time of the year one must avoid sowing during a wet spell or immediately after one. It is safer to defer the work until some future time, when the soil is in a more suitable state for the reception of seed. Very little, if any, time will be lost through delaying the sowing, as seed which is put in will most likely remain dormant until the soil dries and becomes warmer. The danger in sowing in wet soil lies in the fact that- the seed may rot before the wet spell ends. Early potatoes may be planted in suitable situations where the ground has been made ready for them. Sprouted sets are essential, as seed which has not been boxed-off takes a long time to show above the ground. The seed for the early crop should not be cut or else it is liable to rot. Crops which have been planted previous to this should be earthed-up as they become sufficiently advanced. . It is usual to earth potatoes up when about sin. or 6in. high, but in the case of early crops they may be allowed to grow a little taller before the ridges are formed. AMONG THE CROPS. VALUE OF TILLAGE. The value of frequent tillage is not appreciated by quite a large number of the gardening fraternity. In any ordinary year the current month is attended by , pronounced wintry weather, but this year exceptionally favourable conditions for the growth of plants have prevailed right through the autumn, and were only broken recently. There is every chance of the break being only temporary. Up to the present crops have made excellent growth, having long since made up for the prolonged dry spell in the late summer and early autumn. The gardener has it in bis power to give extra encouragement to his crops. There are two ways in which this may be done, the first consisting of inter- . tillage. The hoe should be brought into use on every possible occasion, that is, whenever the condition of the soil permits of its use. It is impossible to hoe the soil between the rows of crops too often. Once the ground has become thoroughly loosened it is an easy matter to run over it with a push hoe. After rain has fallen the soil will be more or less compacted and should be loosened up as soon as the ground dries up enough. The. value of keeping the soil between (he rows in a loose condition lies in the fact that in (his state the soil is warmer, an important factor in winter cropping. The soil is warmer when well tilled, because it is better aerated and better drained. Hoot development is therefore encouraged. and this keeps the crops growing. Earlier and heavier crops are the result, and so the gardener is amply repaid for the trouble to which be may go in maintaining the soil in a loose condition. The better the condition of the ground before (he winter sets in in earnest the better are the chances of the crops (o continue growth (even though but slowly) throughout the wet season. I.here may be weeks on end when the state of the soil will prohibit the carrying out of the tillage operations and during this period I lie condition of the soil will become worse md worse and the development of the jrops hampered as a consequence. The second way in which (he grower nay help the crops to make quicker growth s by applying suitable liquid manures. Hie 'increased root system is all very well provided it can procure the food with « .vhich to increase the top in the case of T reen crops and others or fo swell the •oots in the case of root crops. The loose ioil, besides encouraging (he root to de/elop as with other crops allows the roots ,o expand without difficulty. An application of nitrate of soda will ;ssist green crops to develop rapidly before lie real winter weather arrives. For a jeginning when giving the application o crops which have been planted more ecently. a weak solution to the ;allon) should be used, but crops which tave completed half their development or aereabouts, may be given a stronger appliation of foz. or loz. to the gallon. lioofc :'ops, including carrots, parsnips and beetoot, may bo givea an application of uperpliosphate \oz. per gallon or a mixuro of two parts superphosphate and 0110 art sulphate pf potash at the same trength,. i