have too much other work to do in summer.
A good "know-how” is important in pruning.
Here are a few simple rules to follow. Make all
cuts clean and smooth and avoid injury to the
bark. In cutting back smaller branches, make the
cuts near a bud so that a stub will not be left to
die and start decay, but don’t cut too close to the
bud to cause it to die back. When a large branch
is removed, the cut should be close to and parallel
with the supporting limb. The scar should always
be flush with the remaining limb. The cuts, if
less than two inches in diameter seldom require a
dressing. For large cuts especially on main trunks
or branches, a wound dressing should be used. The
preferred material for this is an asphalt-base tree
paint. Creosote paints and paints that contain
Bordeaux mixture should be avoided, since they
are liable to injure the cambium, which is the
tissue responsible for tree growth.
Newly planted trees should be trimmed at
planting time. This pruning consists of starting
the development of the head. Remove all branches
that grow lower on the trunk than desired. The
height of the lowest limbs left will not change.
About three feet from the ground is the best
height for apple and pear trees. The first year
pruning of the peach tree consists of pruning all
side branches off, and cutting back the main stem
to about eighteen inches.
Second year pruning consists of removing or
checking rampant and crowded growth, spacing
the main branches so that the future mature tree
will have strong scaffold branches that will dis
tribute and hold up the load of fruit. The small
slow growing branches in the center should not be
removed since they will form the early fruiting
wood and contribute to the general growth and
development of the tree as a whole. This type
of training continues until bearing starts. Little
prunmg is necessary then until the tree becomes
too thick, too large, or bears less or smaller fruit.
Then the tree is pruned heavier to thin out and
induce growth of new wood.
Apple and pear trees are pruned to a modified
leader branch system. Peach, plum and cherry
trees are pruned to an open vase shape.
Grapes are pruned heavily each year since the
fruit is borne on new wood. Young vines are
usually tied to a stake the first year or two to
start them up. The four cane Kniffen system is
the most popular system of pruning and training
grapes. The illustration shows best how the four
canes are trained, two in each direction along the
two vines.
Shrubs are pruned each a little different ac
cording to its own habit of growth. Those shrubs
that bloom in early spring are usually pruned after
bloom time. Others are pruned in winter or early
spring before growth begins.
Shrub roses should have some of the top wood
removed in the fall to prevent damage by the win
ter winds. In early spring before growth begins
and after the winter cover has been removed,
prune back to four or five of the best branches
leaving each from eight to ten inches. Climbing
roses require little pruning except to remove dead
wood and troublesome canes.
Hedges should be pruned so that the bottom
is wider than the top. This allows the sun to reach
all the side branches and will keep the bottom
dense.
Before making a single cut on a plant, know
why pruning is necessary, have a definite knowl
edge of what the plant should look like when
pruned, and have the proper tools and equipment
to do the job.
Before.
ABOVE: The above illustration shows the along each direction of the two wires. These re-
Kniffen system of pruning and training grape maining canes should be young wood with from
vines. Grapes are borne on new wood. Last years 4 to 8 buds on each. These buds will provide the
canes are removed to four short canes leading fruiting wood for next season’s crop.
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