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Pruning PlumTrees |
Even though fruit tree pruning techniques have fundamental common characteristics, there are some small variations relating to certain types of trees, like the plum tree. The best way to discover the most effective and productive method pruning our own plum trees, we should observe a commercial plum farmer in spring time, the ideal season for tree pruning. Of course the farmer's number one goal is the weight of plums produced each season, but he also has to consider the following years and the entire life cycle of his trees. It's not critical if the tree looks pretty or not, but it's interesting to not that a well pruned tree,that also produces a good yield, also looks really attractive. Evidently, the two aspects are complementary. A vigorously healthy tree will look great and additonally give much more healthy fruit than a sick, neglected or insufficiently pruned tree. The seedling plum trees are just about left alone to grow to the size at which they can be planted, usually spending this time in a hot house, or other covered place. Something like two to three feet high, the branches are skinny and they numerous vertical branches, all around the same diameter and all jostling for space and sun light ...
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When the trees are planted, it's time for the first cut, which is for the sake of the tree's health and a long productive life, which could be more than fifty years. Obviously, it's in the farmer's interest to promote a healthy life for his crop. The three strongest and best place vertical branches are saved and the rest are pruned back to the base of the tree. Extra growth is also cut from the three verticals, leaving a few horizontal branches for future growth and production.
For it's whole life, these three main vertical branches will be the main structure of the tree, with every other fruit producing horizontal limb growing from them.The three main verticals are never cut right off, but the farmer leaves the ends alone, allowing them to constantly reach for the sun. If other branches are competing for the sunshine and air in the treetop, they are pruned back, to give the verticals room to grow- this is a fundamentalfeature of excellent fruit tree pruning. After any evidently dead branches are taken out, more space is made within the center area of the tree. If a limb is growing over it's neighbor, or touching another one, and so shielding it from the sun, it is cut off. Any branches pointing down are removed until the trees becomes more 'bushy' with most of its branches growing horizontally, or at a small rising angle between 0 and 30 degrees. The main horizontal limbs also produce smaller fruit-growing branches, and the cutter should pay particular care in pruning these. A vigorous tree can produce many pounds of fruit, and a branch weighed down with so much fruit can snap, wasting the fruit and harming the tree.
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