SUMMER PRUNING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20586, 8 December 1928, Page 7

SUMMER PRUNING.

Summer pruning is one of the most important operations connected with hardy fruit culture, for if overcrowding of the growths is allowed one of the most essential items in the management of hardy fruits has been overlooked. When intelligently and rationally carried out, summer pruning does a vast amount of good, as it not only allows air and sunshine to reach every part of. the trees, but helps materially in building up and maturation of fruit buds to a greater extent than it is ever possible to obtain by the method of non-pruning. The checking of exuberant growths ■ by summer pruning diverts the flow of sap into Other channels, and instead of the tree producing a quantity of wood, to be later cut away as useless, larger and better developed fruit 'buds are obtained as well as an increase in size and finish of the present season's .fruit.

Do 'P o ,*' too 'early, for it this is ctoue a largo amount of growth is made, and many of the basal buda, even if they do not burst, are unduly excited. f It is a safe rule to prune stone and bush fruits during January in New Zealand, and leave appleo and peai® until (February. Put summer pruning _ must not be carried out ip an indiscriminate way, ao there are cases where it would be folly to prune away the summer shoots. In the case of a naturally weak-growing tree, the young growths have a beneficial effect by stimulating root action. Leave -the young u* \ CASB , of this description, until March when they may be stopped. - 7 h ®" ' ve , haVO the neglected trees which are prone to make too:-much growth; these may with advantage be considerably . re T°J in 8 or perhaps twccthirds pf the young shoots. This will lead to a greater numbef of fruit buds, existing fruit spurs,, and cherir rampant growth., Any side shoots 4 0U t .of the branches should be f°, ur A™ leaves. The treat«w f do P° nda to a certain on t£e, age of the trees, and time they have been planted. In the case of quite young trees merely tip them, and. trees, leave them seven or eight inches. long. The two top buds on the shoots, of course,., break, and make sundry growths after the first stopping, but are rather weak and may be cut away in March. The basal buds remain dormant and later form fruit buds. If the trees have been properly attended to the branches should have the appearance of cordon trees, well clothed with fruit spurs their entire length. The foregoing advice is suitable to apples and pears. As to cherries and plums, it is as well to point out that When pruning shoota should bo left to any gaps caused by oranch-dying or accident.—Exchange.