Pluot Pruning

It says it on the web. So it must be true.

People that have mature fruit trees in their backyards (or in my case front yards) should do most of the pruning (taking off excess branches) in the summer rather than when the trees are dormant in the winter. There are several reasons for this.

1. It is more comfortable in the Summer. Cold winter winds are not particularly great for ladder work.

2. Plum trees and their derivatives and other stone fruit determine where the next crop will be even when the current crop is ripening. I made that mistake a couple of years a go and ended up with a very nice tree and no fruit on it.

3. It is good to provide scale for the trees so that they will not outgrow their space. This is particularly important in my front yard, a typical cul de sac front yard with grass, flowers, a front patio, and 8 peach trees, 2 pluot trees, two pomegranate, one nectarine and a kumquat tree.

4. Clippers instead of loppers. This time of year, new growth is easily controlled by had clippers. Later in the season, Loppers would need to be used to cut the new year's growth.

5. Home orchards should not be taller than 9 feet so that fruit may be thinned and sprays if needed can be controlled to the vital parts of the tree. (This year and last no dormant sprays were used. There was minimal peach curl but not more than a handful of leaves were lost.) I did find one little worm eating my first pluots from the inside out.

A little preventative now will help in the future.'

Just what the oral hygenist said to me earlier. If you don't do something about it, then you there will not be a decison in the future. I am contemplating some implants.

: ) Pat