Comments on: Fruit Tree Care: Pre-Pruning http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/ A Growing Legacy Since 1816 Fri, 17 May 2013 18:38:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Sarah http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-10338 Sarah Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:02:45 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-10338 Hi Don! Most fertilizers have a high nitrogen content and, to plants, this translates to vegetative growth (branches, leaves, etc.) and not necessarily fruit production. This may be why your plants, vines, and trees have grown "spindly". You should consider pruning a third of the *new growth* each year (NOT a third of the whole tree, just new growth), while your trees are dormant. This will help to encourage sturdier branching instead. Proper pruning will help open up your trees and vines to sunlight, develop fruiting buds, and will avoid them becoming too vegetative -- a situation where the plants will put their energy into supporting long leafy growth rather than try to set fruit. The time it takes to produce fruit depends on the type of fruit tree or plant you're growing and their maturity. You can find out more about the individual estimated fruiting maturities in our article here: <a href="http://www.starkbros.com/blog/how-many-years/" rel="nofollow">How many years until your tree bears fruit?</a> For example, with grapes, it can take about 2-4 years before they begin to bear. Blueberries need a low soil pH (4.5-5.5) to be happy and healthy plants. They are unable to take in certain essential nutrients if their pH is too high, so you should test your soil to see if maybe the pH is not quite right for blueberry plants. We carry a <a href="http://www.starkbros.com/products/tools-and-supplies/tools-and-equipment/digital-plus-soil-ph-meter" rel="nofollow">Digital Plus Soil pH Meter</a> for testing soil pH, but you can also find a soil test kit at your local garden center, or even contact your local county Extension service (find yours here: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/) to have them perform a soil sample test for you for a small fee. I hope this information helps you get your plants and trees on the right track for fruit production in the next year or so, Don! :) Hi Don! Most fertilizers have a high nitrogen content and, to plants, this translates to vegetative growth (branches, leaves, etc.) and not necessarily fruit production. This may be why your plants, vines, and trees have grown “spindly”. You should consider pruning a third of the *new growth* each year (NOT a third of the whole tree, just new growth), while your trees are dormant. This will help to encourage sturdier branching instead. Proper pruning will help open up your trees and vines to sunlight, develop fruiting buds, and will avoid them becoming too vegetative — a situation where the plants will put their energy into supporting long leafy growth rather than try to set fruit.

The time it takes to produce fruit depends on the type of fruit tree or plant you’re growing and their maturity. You can find out more about the individual estimated fruiting maturities in our article here: How many years until your tree bears fruit? For example, with grapes, it can take about 2-4 years before they begin to bear.

Blueberries need a low soil pH (4.5-5.5) to be happy and healthy plants. They are unable to take in certain essential nutrients if their pH is too high, so you should test your soil to see if maybe the pH is not quite right for blueberry plants. We carry a Digital Plus Soil pH Meter for testing soil pH, but you can also find a soil test kit at your local garden center, or even contact your local county Extension service (find yours here: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/) to have them perform a soil sample test for you for a small fee.

I hope this information helps you get your plants and trees on the right track for fruit production in the next year or so, Don! :)

]]> By: DON TAYLOR http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-10337 DON TAYLOR Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:20:14 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-10337 i have purchased some fruit trees and vines from you over the past 3 years each one of these trees have grown to huge heights [some 12 to 15 feet cherries ,pears etc] most spiendly and no fruit i have fertz them 3 times a season grape vines with runners 8-10 long and running everwhere with no fruit the oposite with blueberry real small plants little growth but some fruit what should i do to reverse this trend this spring in zone 7-8 north carolina i have purchased some fruit trees and vines from you over the past 3 years each one of these trees have grown to huge heights [some 12 to 15 feet cherries ,pears etc] most spiendly and no fruit i have fertz them 3 times a season grape vines with runners 8-10 long and running everwhere with no fruit the oposite with blueberry real small plants little growth but some fruit what should i do to reverse this trend this spring in zone 7-8 north carolina

]]> By: Sarah http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-2555 Sarah Thu, 03 May 2012 13:22:52 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-2555 Hi Robert! I don't see any record of a peach-tree purchase in our system. If you happened to pick them up at our retail location, this could be why. They're a different department and keep their own records. :) Wind, hail, and other weather can certainly be a cause of fruit drop so that is not unusual at all! The damage may affect this year's crop but it's not permanent; next year should bring on more peaches. :) Hi Robert! I don’t see any record of a peach-tree purchase in our system. If you happened to pick them up at our retail location, this could be why. They’re a different department and keep their own records. :)

Wind, hail, and other weather can certainly be a cause of fruit drop so that is not unusual at all! The damage may affect this year’s crop but it’s not permanent; next year should bring on more peaches. :)

]]> By: Robert Nall http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-2554 Robert Nall Thu, 03 May 2012 00:57:31 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-2554 I purchased 3 peach trees 2 years ago,Bare root, all three bloomed (early) , we had two frost during the that time (late march)2012. all three trees set on fruit,the peaches are walnut size now.5-1-12,one of the trees lost most of it's fruit during a windy thunderstorm,the other two are fine,the two with healthy fruit are redhaven and relliance,I don't know the name of the tree that lost it's fruit.you could look up my purchase and maybe see what kind if tree it was. Robert Nall Quincy, Il I purchased 3 peach trees 2 years ago,Bare root,
all three bloomed (early) , we had two frost during the that time (late march)2012. all three trees set on fruit,the peaches are walnut size now.5-1-12,one of the trees lost most of it’s fruit during a windy thunderstorm,the other two are fine,the two with healthy fruit are redhaven and relliance,I don’t
know the name of the tree that lost it’s fruit.you could look up my purchase and maybe see what kind if tree it was.
Robert Nall
Quincy, Il

]]> By: Meg http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-1204 Meg Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:38:19 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-1204 Thanks for taking the time to comment, Alison! Pruning is definitely important to our business - if you ever had a chance to talk with Elmer in person, it would be hard to get him to stop espousing its virtues! ;) All trees go through that "stick/whip" stage, & transplanting at that age is actually more beneficial to the tree than waiting until it's older/larger. So glad to hear that yours are doing well! :) Thanks for taking the time to comment, Alison! Pruning is definitely important to our business – if you ever had a chance to talk with Elmer in person, it would be hard to get him to stop espousing its virtues! ;)
All trees go through that “stick/whip” stage, & transplanting at that age is actually more beneficial to the tree than waiting until it’s older/larger. So glad to hear that yours are doing well! :)

]]> By: alison k http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-1193 alison k Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:13:43 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-1193 so happy to see that you are pruning your trees! i was more afraid that i would prune too much or cut incorrectly so i didn't prune the first year. we are so happy with our trees now! we will be adding more as we prepare beds for our trees in new areas. thank you for this service! it encourages me to buy from you instead of the local nursery. on THAT note: we have found that your 'stick' trees are outperforming more substantial trees that we purchased from local nurseries. so happy to see that you are pruning your trees! i was more afraid that i would prune too much or cut incorrectly so i didn’t prune the first year. we are so happy with our trees now! we will be adding more as we prepare beds for our trees in new areas. thank you for this service! it encourages me to buy from you instead of the local nursery. on THAT note: we have found that your ‘stick’ trees are outperforming more substantial trees that we purchased from local nurseries.

]]> By: Meg http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-554 Meg Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:36:14 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-554 Hi Jeff! We just started pre-pruning ALL bare root trees this spring. Last year we offered the service, but not everyone opted for it. This year, we've decided to go ahead & give every bare root tree a pruning before we ship them. :) Hi Jeff! We just started pre-pruning ALL bare root trees this spring. Last year we offered the service, but not everyone opted for it. This year, we’ve decided to go ahead & give every bare root tree a pruning before we ship them. :)

]]> By: Meg http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-553 Meg Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:35:11 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-553 Donna, if your tree is still dormant, it's the perfect time to prune. :) Make sure the cuts are at an angle, above a bud. Prune away any branches that are growing *in* towards the tree. If any branches are criss-crossing each other, prune one back right above a bud, so they don't overlap. Donna, if your tree is still dormant, it’s the perfect time to prune. :) Make sure the cuts are at an angle, above a bud. Prune away any branches that are growing *in* towards the tree. If any branches are criss-crossing each other, prune one back right above a bud, so they don’t overlap.

]]> By: Successful Growing Starts with Pre-pruning | Growing with Stark Bro's | Tree Trimming Austin http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-550 Successful Growing Starts with Pre-pruning | Growing with Stark Bro's | Tree Trimming Austin Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:48:13 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-550 [...] Go here to read the rest: Successful Growing Starts with Pre-pruning | Growing with Stark Bro's [...] [...] Go here to read the rest: Successful Growing Starts with Pre-pruning | Growing with Stark Bro's [...]

]]> By: Jeff N http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-549 Jeff N Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:40:08 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-549 Donna, Based on what they wrote "We decided to prune all of our fruit trees before we ship them", I think you can pass on it and wait until next fall. Donna,

Based on what they wrote “We decided to prune all of our fruit trees before we ship them”, I think you can pass on it and wait until next fall.

]]> By: Donna W http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-543 Donna W Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:16:56 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-543 OK, I bought one dwarf apple tree late in the spring planting season last year at a discount and I didn't know I should prune it. Should I prune it back now? OK, I bought one dwarf apple tree late in the spring planting season last year at a discount and I didn’t know I should prune it. Should I prune it back now?

]]> By: Tweets that mention Successful Growing Starts with Pre-Pruning: #treechat #pruning #gardenchat -- Topsy.com http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-tree-care-pre-pruning/#comment-542 Tweets that mention Successful Growing Starts with Pre-Pruning: #treechat #pruning #gardenchat -- Topsy.com Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:10:32 +0000 http://www.starkbros.com/blog/?p=1995#comment-542 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer Hammer, Stark Bro's. Stark Bro's said: Successful Growing Starts with Pre-Pruning: http://ow.ly/3WUcw #treechat #pruning #gardenchat [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer Hammer, Stark Bro's. Stark Bro's said: Successful Growing Starts with Pre-Pruning: http://ow.ly/3WUcw #treechat #pruning #gardenchat [...]

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