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| I just bought and planted this tree around a month ago, and the information that came with it (bought it on the internet) said it had been pruned before they sent it, but I have questions.
I live in northwest Iowa (zone 5, very close to zone 4) and I've seen a lot of websites saying I should prune in late winter, but then I've seen a few saying to prune in the late summer. Which is it? And for the picture...
The (A) is obviously the main/central trunk. (B) looks problematic to me based on what I've read - it looks like too small of an angle off the central trunk - should I tie it down? String from the branch to a stake in the ground to try to get it more horizontal? A & B were on the tree when I received it and since then a few more branches have started coming off of it. Based on what I've been reading, I'll trim E, C, and F off, and keep D. D is roughly 8 inches above where (B) branches off, and it faces the other direction. Am I correct in this thought? Since I'm planning on keeping D, should I tie it or space it so it'll grow more horizontally? If so, any advice on what to use and how to do this? Also, B is almost at tall as A. Should I trim it back so it's shorter or something? Thank you for your help!! |
Here is a link that might be useful: tree
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by scottfsmith 6B-7A-MD (My Page) on Sun, Jun 3, 12 at 22:51
| Pruning a new tree is done at planting time when it is still dormant. The problem is the tree is trying to get established now and if you prune off that new growth you are going to set it back. The instructions you are reading are not about the new shoots like c-f, its about the limbs that were the dormant ones, a-b. You also need to decide how tall you want the tree, if you want to pick from the ground you will need to lower it. Given the fact that you didn't prune it at planting you could either wait til next year or since the tree is looking reasonably happy give a go now. I keep my trees low for picking from the ground so if I were to prune it now I would cut off b right above f to make that a more outward-growing scaffold and cut a off right above d for the same reason. I put in a potted cherry this year that was already about as far along as your tree and I just left it as-is, I will prune it back next spring. Once you have good roots you can butcher a tree in dormant pruning and it will pop back in spring with a vengeance. Scott |
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