I went looking for "Fine Art" for orchards and couldn't find anything I liked, so I went with this video.
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"Pruning" is a metaphor for removing those parts of our lives (and organizations) that are holding us back. Enterprises grow into lots of ventures, some of which are productive and others which sap resources and compete with the more productive ventures. Those "vampire" ventures need to be pruned out periodically.
For example, do you watch college basketball because it is a habit and you have ALWAYS watch March Madness? Maybe that is a "branch" that is stealing time from more productive pursuits...like taking walks with your sweetheart or sharpening and oiling your tools.
The way Jim approaches his task is sound. The tree is basically healthy. He looks the tree over to get a "feel" for it, then he picks a direction of attack. He cuts his way into the center of the tree.
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| I am not pruning as aggressively as Jim pruned, but pruning fruit trees is a "fine art", not a science |
Then he systematically works his way around the tree cutting large limbs that do not conform to basic principles. Cutting large limbs removes significant amount of "wood" quickly and efficiently. As the structure becomes leaner, what the frame ought to be becomes clearer.
I think many of us planted a few fruit trees on our property just-in-case. This might be a good time to look them over and open them up...if only to the point where we can reach up into them and pick the fruit.
Link to First Year Followup video
Whacked the snot out of my apples and peaches last fall. 2 apples are on terminal watch - 6 years in the dirt and nary any fruit. If they don't fruit this year they're going on the woodpile.
ReplyDeleteDon’t be in a hurry to cut those apples down, it might be the type of apple you have is slow to bare.
DeleteMy Northern Spy took ten years, but it was worth it when they did.
If your trees are on full or semi dwarf rootstock the should have started by now. I was really dumb when I planted my first trees back in the 80’s and planted them below the graft…..full size tree instead of dwarf.
Grumpy Old Macdonald
Trees
ReplyDeleteby
Joyce Kilmer
Next
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Public domain thanks.
Good general reminder on pruning our lives, ERJ. Very timely. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFestooning is another technique worth learning.
ReplyDelete