fruit trees this mild winter - what to do? advice needed

[tutti]

Hello everyone. What do you good folk make of this mild "winter" season? How has it affected your fruit trees? I have some trees (apples, pears and gages) I planted last winter and am worried about their progress, particularly in regard to pruning. Some maidens I pruned last spring in order to form pyramids have already begun to form next years new lateral shoots and I was expecting to remove the leader in order to encourage that, this coming spring! Similarly, my single tiered espalier has also begun forming shoots and I have not yet removed it's leader in order to form the new tier. It already has lots of little laterals developing along the it.

What to do? When to prune? What will be the result if I prune/remove leaders now, or waiting until later? Perhaps a "regular" cold winter will come next month after the new years growth has begun forming - what affect will that have? At this rate blossom may form soon.

Any advice or general thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Bill Door]

I think I was in the same quandry. I am going to leave pruning my pear and apple until mid February. RHS says that pruning should be done between leaf drop and bud bursting (when the tree is dormant).

So I would say that if (that is a big if now) we get a cold spell I will still aim to do my main pruning in February.

I think that even if the weather stays as it is then the trees will still be dormant and the pruning can still be done in February.

I think that you probably have little to worry about provided you do not prune too hard.

I have no idea about the gages.

best wishes

Bill

[Mushaville]

I'm so glad you asked this! I've never owned a fruit tree before but have got my hands one some from work for pennies (old stock but good plants just past their 'saleable season' but i have no idea when and how to prune them - I've now put a note in my diary to look at pruning in Feb :-)

[tutti]

Thanks for the prompt responses.
The buds look as though they might be forming soon, but can still manage to hold off until late Feb, but worried about getting stunted growth for this year. Especially if the newly formed lateral branches start off as spring, but a cold snap shuts development down. It seems unlikely that when the "proper" spring does turn up after, they won't pick up from where they stopped and the continued growth will result in weak thin, smaller branches. Not really helpful if A new tier must follow the following year, as in the case of espaliers.

I too have some new trees arriving via mail order, so not sure what state they will be in. I don't know if they have been lifted by the nursery yet, as they calim they only do that when there is complete dormancy. Also, not sure if they are refrigerated after lifting and then stored until dispatch. Either way, it will be a challenge for both sellers and buyers this year.

I

[Bill Door]

Buds forming is not the same as buds bursting.

There is no need for panic on the new tree front. When they arrive you can still plant them. Try digging the holes now and dig them a bit deeper than you think you need them. You can always back fill. You just need to ensure that they do not dry out in the summer.

Most apple trees can be pruned during the summer to keep a "clear" bush. So any extra growth can be reduced then.

Don't forget that you can still prune the trees down next winter by cutting back a little harder (but not too hard).

Also remember that a tree is for life and not for this or next year. Pears do not produce fruit very quickly. I have a five year old tree that only produced 12 pears this year so anything you don't do this year can be caught up over the next two or three years.

Good luck

Bill

[Speed Gardener]

Gages are a type of plum so should not be pruned in winter as it raises the risk of silver leaf disease getting into the tree at the cut points. The best time to prune is in the summer, just after fruiting when the weather is (hopefully!) warm and the cuts heal up nicely.

[elleme]

Is it okay to remove a plum sucker at any time of year or does that risk silver leaf too? I have inherited a lovely mature plum tree on my new plot but it has suckered and the sucker is about 3ft tall.

[chrisdb]

I got my two bare-root trees of the year yesterday and they're now in the ground. They both look pretty dormant, although Keepers did deliver a bit later this year than last time. Not sure if I was later in the queue this time round or if they've had to shift everything later due to the mild weather.

[BUFFS]

I got my two bare-root trees of the year yesterday and they're now in the ground. They both look pretty dormant, although Keepers did deliver a bit later this year than last time. Not sure if I was later in the queue this time round or if they've had to shift everything later due to the mild weather.

they may look dormant but now you have them in the ground the root system will be busy spreading out and growing away well, as long as it is not icy they will be building themselves up ready for spring, so don't be fooled by the lack of visible clues above ground...

[yummersetter]

Fruit buds can be misleading - I find they swell and retract several times before bursting into flower. Haven't sat down and properly studied it with notes and dates but I have an inkling it coincides with the cycles of the moon. You'll think an apple tree must be going to flower in mid March, then a week later the buds have shrunk back and the real flowering period is a month later