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Thu, Jun 12, 14 at 9:53
| First of all, thanks to all of the people on this forum. I'm a new member who's read this forum regularly for over a year, but this is my first post. I've learned a lot from many users, and hope to contribute my limited knowledge. I've raised blackberries and blueberries for years in a home garden and started growing apples a few years ago. Last fall I tried chip budding for the first time. This spring about 50% were successful. It's one of those successful chip buds that I'm wondering about. The bud is on G30 rootstock. It's from a very old local tree that has excellent apples. Nobody locally seems to know what the old local tree is- perhaps the variety Mammoth Blacktwig. My tree is in full sun with excellent soil. It's now 4 feet tall and has multiple side branches starting. On to the questions. Does G30 require a permanent stake? Because the tree is sitting in my front yard I'd prefer not to stake it, but I've read yes and no. Would that depend on whether I pruned it to an open center or central leader? Would it depend on how high I let the tree get? I'd like to limit the tree to 8-9 feet. How much trouble would it be to limit the tree to that height? Would it be easier to limit the tree height in an open center or central leader? Should I cut the top off the "whip" now, even though it's only 3 months old? Does that decision depend on the pruning method, and the tree height goal, and my desire to avoid a permanent stake? Are there other reasons to prefer a central leader over an open center pruning? I've read the Dave Wilson stuff on limiting tree height, but I'm not sure if that will work in my climate. My climate is very humid, and fungal diseases like cedar apple rust and sooty blotch/flyspeck, as well as fire blight, have already been a problem on other trees in my yard. I prefer to garden organically but I'm willing to take other measures when there's no good organic option. |
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| I have no experience with that rootstock, but will give you my opinion on pruning. I'd leave it central leader for the first ten or so years depending on vigor. this will develop a heavy trunk and strong wide lower limbs. then when the time is right you cut the central leader out completely to the open vase. you can convert to an open vase , it's tough to take a open vase back to a central leader...and ugly. I try to get two scaffolds, then open up the middle(top). |
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