Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Question:

Greetings and Such

We have a very old pie apple tree. It produces very well, but needs some care. Prunning for example; when should I prune and how much should I prune? When the leaves fall off should I spray, if so, what kind of spray do I need? We live in zone 5…. I think, northern Utah.

Answer:

Hi There Apple Pie Tree Owner
Sounds like you have a wonderful old tree that just needs a little loving care.   Now is a really good time to prune.  Take off any branches that shoot straight up-they are water shoots and don’t produce fruit.  Also thinning the interior is a good idea.  You can also summer prune to get a nice shape.  There is lots of information out there  on line, at your local library or your local farm advisor on fruit tree pruning for more  precise information.

This is a good time to begin your dormant spray regiment,  usually three times a season, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.  Dormant spray help prevent such things as codling moth and other fungal problems.  You might want to look at

Organic JMS Sytlet Oil which one of our most popular organic dormant sprays.   To find out more about dormant sprays look at our website or in our catalogue.

Take a look at this article for more information on dormant sprays.

Take a Look at these videos about pruning fruit trees here.

Happy Holidays

I just received three Muscat of Alexandria bare-root grapes.  They are planted, watered, well mulched.  Do I have to prune them back?  Since it is January, they will have a great root system by spring.

Many Thanks
Barbara

Hi Barbara,

Our instructions also say to prune back to two or three buds, and I think the timing is good for pruning.  The benefit of pruning soon after planting is that it will encourage the roots to start growing.  Grapes are vigorous growers, so they really need their root systems stimulated in order to keep up with the vine growth.

Hope that helps and thank you for growing organically!
Amber

Me too! I bought ten fruit trees, read up on amending the soil, using gopher baskets to protect young roots, and even painting the bark to protect from sun scald (you can read my planting guide here).

But when it came to pruning my new trees, I stopped in my tracks! I’ve referenced multiple websites, four books, and of course consulted our staff. What did I find? I learned that there are as many different opinions on how to prune a fruit tree as there are resources!

There were some commonalities when it came to pruning second year, dormant, bare root stock (what you’ll get from Peaceful Valley) which I’ll share:

• Don’t prune your trees when they are wet. This makes them more susceptible to disease.
• Select about four limbs which are well spaced (not right next to each other or all on one side of the tree for example). Cut these limbs back by two-thirds, leaving the bottom third of the branch. When you make the cut, prune the branch such that a bud is near the end and is pointing in the general direction you want the branch to grow.
• Remove the remaining limbs by clipping them off, flush with the trunk.

Now wait and watch ‘em grow!