Prune for
LITITZ Most people tend to do
too little pruning because they are
afraid of hurting production. To
the contrary, pruning is necessary
to produce a high yield of good
quality fruit.
Pruning should be done at least
once a year and most pruning is
done while the trees are dormant
m late winter or early spring, it
should always be done with sharp
tools to guarantee a clean cut and
reduce the chance of injuring the
remaining wood.
Pruning has three specific
purposes. The first is to train the
tree to a desired shape and size.
Secondly, pruning helps maintain
and grow healthy trees. Finally,
pruning will improve fruit quality
and yield when done properly.
Your job in the tree’s first year
of life is to select a permanent
framework for production. With a
little luck, three to five limbs will
develop that are about the same
size and evenly spaced around the
tree. The mam idea is to try and
develop a “Christmas tree” shape.
What happens to the tree m the
first year if you don’t get any
branches or only one branch 9 The
only thing to do is cut off the one or
two branches that occur and wait
until next year to select branches.
Trying to save those one or two
branches will discourage bran
ching later and make it harder to
develop a well-shaped tree.
Of the three to five branches,
the highest limb on the trunk,
generally upright, is kept for a
central leader or mam trunk. If it
is two feet or longer you should
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production
head it back slightly to encourage
branching in the next spring.
However, it should be six to ten
mches taller than the side bran
ches.
It is important that the side
branches have wide angles. If wide
angles do not develop naturally,
you can make limb spreaders. Use
wood strips or a stiff wire with
sharpened-ends. Limb spreaders
are used to force branches away
from the trunk and develop a wide
angle.
The angle should be between 60
and 90 degrees for a strong muon
between limb and trunk. Narrow
angled branches will split under
heavy fruit loads. Limb spreading
can be done m the fust or second
year and should be maintained
until the angle has developed
properly.
In the second year of growth, try
to develop a second tier of bran
ches on the central leader. Cut
back these branches so they are no
longer than the tree top. These
second tier branches should also
have wide crotches so they will not
crack under the strain of fruit
production.
When the tree reaches the
desired height, cut back the cen
tral leader, developmg it into a
weak side branch. This will
discourage the tree from growing
too tall.
When you head back a branch
you encourage branching below it;
this is how to develop secondary
branches for fruit to develop on. If
you cut back a branch to a strong
point, the branch will become
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OPENINGS FOR DEALERS IN DELAWARE,
MARYLAND & PARTS OF PENNSYLVANIA
P.O. Box 35, Martindale, PA 17549
215-445-4800 or 267-7771
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Use native plants for effect
LITITZ Ecology-minded
Americans are showing an in
creased interest m incorporating
native plants into their home
landscaping. While native plants
have the advantage of being well
adapted to our climate and
weather conditions, it is important
to consider the local soil and ex
posure conditions in which they
grow best.
The American holly, for
example, does not normally grow
in open fields, nor does the swamp
magnolia inhabit dry, parched
soils.
Many of our best native plants
have been used in landscaping for
years, including 'the flowering
dogwood, American holly, and red
swamp maple. However, many
others are overlooked which could
add interest and beauty to home
gardens.
One such plant is clethra, or
summer sweet. It normally grows
in wet, shaded thickets along the
edges of wooded areas, but will
also grow in normal soil and full
sun. Summer sweet blooms in
midsummer with erect clusters of
fragrant white flowers.
longer. If you cut it to a weak point,
it doesn’t grow quite as long.
This is how to control the length
that a tree spreads and also the
height. Remember trees must be
pruned properly in the beginning to
develop a good fruit production
framework for the next twenty to
thirty years.
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Another excellent native plant is
bayberry. No other shrub will
tolerate more vaned soils and
exposures.
The fringe tree forms a small
tree or large, multi-stemmed
shrub that, in full bloom, is as
attractive as a flowering dogwood,
although quite different. It grows
to a height of about 15 feet, a size
well suited to home landscapes.
Another choice is the red choke
TERRE HILL The Eastern
Lancaster County Adult Farmer
Program will conduct an
Irrigation Meeting on Tuesday at
7:30 p.m., at the Union Grove
School.
Henry Wooding, Penn State
Extension Engineer, will be the
speaker. Topics will mclude types
of systems including sprinkle and
trickle, planning an irrigation
system, water management,
cropping systems, irrigation
economics and management of an
irrigation system.
The 1880 drought reduced yields
and quality of field, vegetable, and
fruit crops in Lancaster County. As
a result, many growers are able to
see the value of irrigation. Being
able to apply water at just the right
time can increase yields of almost
all crops during any growing
season and provides insurance
during drought years.
There are many irrigation
* >
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 28,1981—C17
Irrigation meeting on Tuesday
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cherry, one of the best shrubs for
fall fruit. In the wild it is often
found in wet thickets, but will do
well in any ordinary soil.
Although native plants can
sometimes be dug up and tran
splanted from the wild, hor
ticulturists recommend buying
them from a nursery. They will be
easier to transplant and establish,
and this will also protect wild
plants.
systems that can be adapted very
well to Lancaster County
agriculture. Wooding has years of
experience with irrigation systems
and will discuss how they can best
be used to increase yields on area
farms.
All interested persons are in
vited. The Union Grove School is
located near Terre Hill on Route
625, 2 miles north of route 23. For
additional information, call
Donald Robinson or Robert An
derson, adult farmer instructors,
at 445-5041.
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P.O. Box 35
Martindale, PA 17549