Snow Day

Yesterday Barry was pruning the fruit trees as he leaves to go back to work in Alberta next week.  It started snowing in the late afternoon and continued all night.

By morning the yard looked like this.

 

No pruning today!   

The temperature was hovering around 0°C so it did melt some. 

 

 

Look at the snow hanging in the grape arbor.

  

Everything was weighted down from the moisture-heavy snow.

 

No ground was left uncovered, so poor Lulu won't be able to go out.  There had been some bare patches under the trees so she would go out on sunny days.  No chance of that for a fair while.

 

Pruning the Cedar Hedge

This spring we decided that the cedar hedge needed pruning.  We haven't touched it since we moved here and it is getting taller and taller.  It also seems that it is getting thinner in spots.  We decided to top off the hedge so our view across the river isn't completely blocked.  Hopefully it will also help the hedge from getting more thin spots.

Here you can see the hedge as it was before trimming.  Some people also trim the sides so they are straight and regimental.  We like the natural curves of the cedars.

We bought  a gas-powered trimmer so we don't have to worry about long extension cords.  Barry found that standing on the van was the right height without having to move the ladder so often.

We only trimmed around 2 feet off the top.  We may shorten it more next year but decided that this was enough for this year.

Standing on the van worked great along the driveway and out front but for the rest of the hedge a ladder was used.  The bad thing about using the van was when it was cooler and damp, it was too slippery to stand on.

Now we can see the highway across the Fraser Valley from our front window again.  Plus I think the hedge looks much neater looking.

Pruning Tips

Last year I showed some photos relating to pruning fruit trees.  http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.ca/2011/04/pruning-fruit-trees.html  This year, I decided to give a few more tips and techniques.  We are not pruning experts by any means, but Barry watched and learned from a master.  He is able to see what happens when you do or don't follow what was taught.

We do our pruning during the winter.  Some people prune in spring but we find there are enough other jobs to do then, so it is easier to get out there on nice days during the winter season and "get 'er done".  In some locations, (like Saskatchewan, for example) winter pruning would be cold and uncomfortable and you may want to wait until better weather.

This photo shows thinning.  You can see the centre branch was cut off.  If it had been left, the three branches would rub and side branches would cross.  You don't want this as the fruit needs open areas to grow.  We had some fruit trying to grow between branches and it gets misshapen and also is an easier target for pests to attack.



On this branch you can see all the new growth.  Mario called these "knuckles"  and especially on apple trees, this is where the fruit grows from.  If you cut off all the growth with knuckles, you won't have apples.

Here Barry is doing directional pruning.  When you cut off a branch, you want to cut it above a bud that is on side that you want the branch to grow towards.

This shows the branch with the bud on the left under the cut.  This is where the new branch will grow.  You usually want your branches to grow out instead of crowding the centre of the tree.

Here he is removing the end of this branch.  If you leave some of the branches too long, the fruit will weigh them down and they will hang too low or even break.  You want to be able to pick fruit comfortably but you don't want the branches in the way for mowing and walking.  You have to decide what is best for the space you have and the shape and size of your trees.

This tree has many crooked and crossed branches so each year more are pruned out.  Pruning is a progression.  You cut some branches off, then wait for new ones to grow so you can prune and shape them the way you want them to grow.

When cutting off larger branches, you want to cut them close to the trunk of the tree.  If you don't, you get numerous shoots growing from the area in big lumpy messes.

Here is a tree before pruning.  You can see all the long straight branches growing straight up.  These are all new growth from last year that need to be controlled to keep the fruit growing low enough to pick without a tall ladder.

Here you can see a tree that needs pruning in the centre.  If the leaves are too thick in the centre, the fruit is shaded too much and has trouble ripening.  There is a happy medium to having an airy centre to your tree and not going too far and cutting out all the centre of the tree.  Some of our trees had the centres cut completely out and it is very difficult to coax the growth back. 

Sometimes when you have too many gnarls and crossed branches, it is best to cut off the whole branch.  This is the before pic.

During the process, using a pruning saw.

After the branch is gone.  You can see the space in the centre but can also see the side branches from the other branches will fill that area and not be so crowded.

Here is another example of the tree before major pruning.

Here is the same tree after.  Again everything has more room to grow.

Here are the pruning tools we use most of the time.  We have another saw/cutter that is used for taller trees.  We used it when we lived in Calgary but don't use it much here.

Trees are very forgiving and will keep growing despite a bad pruning.  They may not look their best or produce the best crop but will continue to grow.  We are trying to prune for production and to keep the trees low enough to be able to harvest without climbing a ladder.  This is possible for most of the trees but some were too tall when we bought the place to be able to prune them enough to harvest fruit from the ground.  We keep learning more about pruning each year. 

Growing Grapes

There seems to be many different ways of growing grapes.  My neighbour has his in straight rows growing on wire and posts.  He has a soaker hose under each row to water them.

He prunes and train the vines and attaches them to the horizontal wires.  This photo was taken earlier this spring.

Our yard came with several grape arbors.  The grapes grow up and over and make a tunnel of sorts.  Some of the grapes growing here are very sweet, seedless green grapes (variety unknown) that are great to eat and also make lovely raisins.

We added the bark since it was just bare dirt and weeds when we came.  This arbor needs some work since some of the grapes grow in the wrong direction and lay out on the flower bed on the front side.  I think heavy duty pruning is needed next year to get the vines growing where we want them.

On the way to the Abbotsford Airport, I saw fields of grapes growing like this.

I stopped to look and the top are all tied down to the top wire.

No one was around to ask why they grow them like this and I haven't been able to find anything in my gardening books either.  It does look quite neat at this stage though, doesn't it?

Here they are several weeks later.  I'd like to see them now but haven't had the time to take a trip that way.

This is the second arbor that was here when we got the place.  There was grass, mint, tulips, roses and weeds all mixed up under here.  Nothing did really well because of the shade and the fact that you trample everything when you harvest the grapes.  So I dug everything out and rehomed the bulbs and roses.

My son added this outside section on as he came home with some new grapes vines one day a couple of years ago.

My honeybunch added a peak to the entrance this summer as the vines were always hanging too low.

He also added more cross poles so we could tie up the young vines to train them to go up and over.

Here is Inspector Lulu checking out the new digs.  She approved as we've found her snoozing here in the shade sometimes.  Now all we need is to put peaks on the other entrances and put in bricks of some sort for a floor and we have a nice little shady nook.

Here are some of the grapes that have a ways to go to turn a luscious dark purple.  They will soon smell and taste heavenly.  I also use these to make juice and jelly from them.

We also inherited some wine grapes.  They are small and seedy so not great for eating.  I haven't really used them for much yet except the chickens love them as a treat.  No waste and everyone is happy.  ;)



Pruning Fruit Trees

There are a variety of reasons to prune trees.  We prune our fruit trees for production and ease of picking.  We moved here three seasons ago and had the trees pruned professionally the first year.  The pruner, Mario talked while he pruned and explained what to do and why.  You want to prune in the winter or early spring when the tree is still dormant before the leaves are out.

This photo shows an apple tree before it is pruned for the season.  You need to cut back the tall branches so it is easier to harvest the fruit.  Most of the new growth grows straight up.

You prune the branches back to a bud facing the direction you want the new branch to grow.  You usually want out-facing buds so the branches grow away from the centre.

Sometimes the centre of the tree has gotten too bare and you prune the branch with a centre-facing bud so the new branch can fill the space.  You do not want the centre too full though, because the fruit needs the sun to ripen.

You also prune away any weak looking branches that won't hold the weight of the fruit or branches that are crossed or rubbing. 

Here is the first tree again after it has been pruned.  Notice how you try to keep the tree at a manageable height so harvest can be achieved as much as possible without a ladder.

Here you can see the buds facing different directions.

Again you can see the tall branches in the back that have not been pruned yet.  You can see the branches that have been left after pruning around strong enough to hold the fruit.

Some of the branches have grown twisted and crooked over the years.  These get pruned out from time to time as new ones get strong enough to take their place.

Here is a row of trees all pruned and waiting for spring.