Fruit-bearing trees that are neglected will probably become diseased and produce a meager crop of undersized fruit that is out of reach. I should know. When we bought our house six years ago -- which we chose mainly for its oversized (for close-in Portland) back yard -- we became the proud owners of three fig trees, four peach trees, an apricot, pear and nectarine tree, raspberries, blueberries and red currants. Unfortunately, this heaven only lasted a short while.
The fig trees are thriving, although they are so tall and wide that pruning is difficult and much of the ambrosia-like fruit goes splat on the ground. But they’re healthy, beautiful trees and provide an incredible amount of privacy along the periphery of the yard, so they’re here to stay (plus, the birds and squirrels and neighbors love to eat them). Unfortunately, the peach trees all had to be removed because of advanced disease, poor pruning, placement in mostly shade (not a good thing for fruiting trees), or all of the above. The little apricot tree was found growing almost horizontally and it broke my heart to remove it since it was actually producing a little bit of fruit; I have no idea why the previous owner didn’t stake the poor thing. The white nectarine tree was a gem and produced the sweetest, most flavorful fruit I’ve ever tasted in my life, but last year we had to say goodbye: not only had it been pruned poorly in its early years, it was diseased due to poor placement right next to the house in the wettest spot in the yard. We tried keeping the disease at bay along with winter and summer pruning, but it was rotting from the inside. It was old for a nectarine and wouldn’t have produced many more years, but we still miss it, as I ration out the few remaining pieces of its dried fruit. We also took out the common Bartlett pear because I wanted to plant a Western red cedar and other natives for wildlife, in its place.
With careful cultivation, the berries continue to do well. We've also added a dwarf peach tree on a sunny slope, an espaliered nectarine along a west-facing wall, an Arbequine olive tree, kiwi, strawberries and more blueberries (you can never have too many blueberries). An apple tree that was grafted with five different varieties also graces our garden: a branch each of Gravenstein, Lodi, Golden Delicious, Melrose and Mackintosh. They tend to ripen at different times, so we have fresh apples from July to October.
Sound like a lot of work? It depends on your perspective. To me, nothing compares with gathering the fruits of my labor. I get a little thrill every time I pick those exquisite blueberries or slice into a pie made from apples I’ve grown myself – as cookbook author Alice Toklas put it, “How could anything this beautiful be mine?” Besides being the ultimate payoff in self-sufficiency, it’s an economical way to get nutrient-packed, fresher-than-farmers-market, organic food, ripened to perfection. And, fruit trees in blossom are a sight for winter-weary eyes.
The most important aspect of growing your own fruit, besides proper placement in a sunny, well drained site with adequate nutrients and irrigation, is proper pruning. It can be a bit confusing, especially if you’re new to fruit growing, and since I can’t tell you how to prune every type of fruit tree in one article, I will suggest that you consult a good fruit pruning book or consult the OSU Extension website for specific instructions. However, I can offer a few basics that will help keep your trees healthy and productive, as well as some general advice on rejuvenating an older, neglected fruit tree.
First, some guidelines:
· Bare root trees will need both root and top pruning at planting time. Ask at the nursery how this is done, or if it has already been done.
· Train newly planted trees as soon as possible after planting and follow the instructions consistently. OSU Extension has instructions for how to initially train most fruit bearing trees. Fruit trees are usually trained in one of three forms: central leader, modified leader or open center.
· Young trees will need only minimal pruning during their first few years (mainly to guide them into the desired shape) but as the trees mature and grow more branches, they must be pruned to keep them producing well. Standard (full size) trees will need to be kept shorter than they want to become, if you want to be able to pick most of the fruit. Semi-dwarf varieties can be kept smaller as well, but dwarf trees will not need any pruning to keep down their diminutive size; they may just need occasional thinning.
· Prune in winter when all danger of frost is gone but well before spring bloom (the only pruning that should be done in spring is removing any injured branches). Prune figs in winter only, due to excessive summer bleeding. Sweet cherries and plums can be pruned on a dry summer day to protect from disease. Late summer can also be a good time to prune if you don’t want to stimulate as much regrowth.
· In general, as fruit trees age, remove branches to open up and allow light and air into the tree. Also cut out any crossing branches that touch each other,, “water sprouts” (branches that grow straight vertically, often from old pruning wounds) and dead or damaged ones.
· Never leave a stub and don’t make a cut any bigger than it needs to be.
· When removing large branches, do it in stages, cutting a third of the way through the branch from the underside, a few inches from the trunk. Then make another cut from the top, but a little further out, being careful when the branch falls. You can then saw off the remaining stub cleanly.
· Don’t use “wound dressings” that were once thought to protect cuts. Word is that they could seal in any disease that is on the cut. A healthy tree should heal itself.
· Another way to improve the quality of your fruit is to thin the fruit before it gets too large. Some types of trees will produce so much fruit that not only will the tree’s strength be taxed, the fruit will be of poor quality and size, and branches may even break from the weight of all the fruit. With the exception of cherries that should bear fruit in clusters, pick off fruit when they are small, so that there’s at least six inches of space between each fruit.
· Disease can be carried by pruning tools, so be sure to keep your tools sanitary and sharp.
If you’ve inherited an older or neglected fruit tree such as an apple, first check if there is any rot, large holes or splits. If not, and you like the fruit, it may be a good candidate for rejuvenation. Since it will likely need quite a bit of pruning, winter is not the best time to prune since excessive pruning in winter may stimulate a lot of growth the following spring and summer. For a major pruning job, do all or much of it in late summer or early fall. Start by clearing out all brush and weeds on the ground and remove any suckers from the trunk. Cut out any dead limbs and all broken or split branches back to a live branch or to the trunk, without leaving a stub. You may also need to cut any branches that appear to have insect damage, but don’t compost it on your property. For the first year, this may be all the pruning the tree can handle. Next year remove a few smaller limbs around the top of the tree to let in more light, especially those growing toward the center, but don’t cut out too many in any one year. Later, cut out more older, weak or unproductive branches and gradually shorten the tree if necessary. Thining the fruit when it’s small in size to every 6 inches will result in fewer but larger and more flavorful fruit. You should also apply a good organic fertilizer to the drip line of the tree in the spring.
One last note: if you are truly overwhelmed, consider contacting Growing Gardens. They not only offer fruit tree pruning classes; they can teach you how to preserve your fruit, should you be so inclined. Alternatively, if you don’t want all the fruit your tree(s) produce, you can register with Growing Gardens and they will send volunteers to come and pick your fruit when it's ripe, although you must share the produce with the pickers and local food banks. In addition, Growing Gardens is also looking for scouts to find fruit that is going to waste and get the owners of those trees to register them. What a great idea! More...