apricot tree pruning (forum)

sezza starts with ...
hi there, im a fruit tree novice. its september now and i may have left it too late to prune my apricot tree - big bertha... depends on who you ask and what article you read. attached is a pic of the tree in full fruit in dec last year (09). the poor tree is almost falling over. the weight of the fruit (i presume) broke a big limb last year and i dont want that again. i have no idea how old it is but it fruits big and loooooooots!! i feel confident to give it a good prune, but not sure if now is the right time in adelaide? should i not prune at all or just a light prune ie. the trunk/limb shoots? someone suggested spraying lime sulphur when im done, any other must do's for pruning during a wet winter? also any tips for netting a big bertha like such?
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Time: 9th September 2010 10:06pm

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About the Author sezza
Pooraka, SA
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Itdepends says...
Apricots are supposed to be pruned in autumn- after fruiting- while still in leaf to give the wound time to heal before the weather gets wet. Apparently they're more prone to fungus. If you prune now you will take off a significant amount of this years fruit- and the wounds wont heal yet (as I'm assuming it's just about to flower).

Just thin the fruti to avoid too heavy a crop.

As far as netting goes- 50mm rural poly over star pickets. 4 star pickets- 2 lengths of poly. Cross over the top and tie together. Go to a rural supply store and buy the big netting that comes on a roll- don't bother with the plastic stuff you get in a carton from Bunnings et al.



Time: 9th September 2010 11:13pm

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Lorna says...
If you prune Apricots in Winter, you will also get heaps of what are generally called water shoots. These are vigerous, long shoots that don't fruit at all. We get a thing called gumnosis here that is said to be associated with the Winter pruning too.

Time: 9th September 2010 11:51pm

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About the Author Lorna
Albany WA
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Julie says...
My apricot and peach was only pruned (heavily) last week by an experienced horticulturist.It was in bud, but he said it would be OK. Couldn't do it myself because of shoulder problems, so left it a bit late.

Maybe I'll let you all know how it goes.

Time: 10th September 2010 7:47pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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Brad says...
That's odd Julie. I thought they leave apricots till really dry weather to avoid infections

Time: 11th September 2010 1:20am

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About the Author Brad2
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sezza says...
well thats just it depends on who you ask, where you look etc. i figure this time isnt ideal, but not so bad given it will dry up for summer soon (i hope!). thank you for your feedback. i think i'll leave it to autumn and just thin out the fruit so its not such a burden on the limbs. it feels unnatural to pluck unripe fruit however. cheers all

Time: 11th September 2010 9:24am

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About the Author sezza
Pooraka, SA
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Jason says...
Even a crack in the bark can cause massive wounds on my apricot trees over Winter when the tree gets really wet so I just don't prune them at all. If I was going to prune them I think I'd do it right in the middle of spring so it had plenty of time to heal, you would have to give up that years crop. But that's got to be better than having a tree with brown rot. For netting it, get some friends around with some poles to lift the net and use looots of net :)

If I ever got an Apricot as healthy and fruiting as well as your's I wouldn't even think about going near it for any reason other than to eat the fruit :)! because no matter what you do and how well you do it, you can only go backwards from what you have now

Time: 11th September 2010 12:04pm

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Original Post was last edited: 11th September 2010 12:09pm

About the Author Jason10
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Brendan says...
Have to disagree about pruning Jason. As Peter Cundall says, ......there are very good reasons why we should prune fruit trees,
it gives us tastier, better quaity fruit from healthier, sturdier trees and ensures regular, more even crops while also keeping pests
and diseases at bay.....unpruned fruit trees produce enormous numbers of small, unevenly ripened, poor quality fruit.
(He has a very good article about pruning in Organic Gardener Essential Guide - Fruit :-)

Three of my five 30 year-old seed-grown avocado trees have been pruned down to a more manageable size (one was over 15m high),
and have never looked back. I now get much larger fruit, see photos :-) btw, that 30year old avo tree is still being pruned.

(Sorry about the quality of the photos, they were taken a while back with my old camera.)
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Picture: 2

Time: 13th September 2010 7:03am

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About the Author Brendan
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rev says...
i was under the distinct impression that Apricots do better when pruned in summer
they heal faster

Winter pruning does seem unnatural

in the wild they have no leaves and be unappetising . Its in summer when they are leafy that they would be browsed

If people want to prune but maintain the natural form of the tree
or create other forms

i highly reccomend reading about Niwaki
its akin to Bonsai
but not in a pot, its with trees in the ground

there is an excellent book by that name you will easily find an online bookstore. its quite cheap too for a good hardcover

Time: 13th September 2010 1:07pm

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About the Author Rev
north qld
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Jason says...
Brendan, most things prune fine but Apricots are really dodgy, you can cut an Avocado anywhere anytime and nothing bad is going to happen and really they are the most easy to grow fruit tree beside an apple even here in Southern Victoria. But Apricots are a whole lot more of a problem. We had one heavy bearing really vigorous tree that needed pruning to net and it's been infested with brown rot and not fruited since, that was about 10 years ago. Every year when it flowers it sets hundreds of fruit and then the whole lot with all the new growth dies. Later on once it's hot and dry it regrows but you have no fruit then you have all this rotten wood and the cycle continues.

I know other guys in this area that have the same problem once they start pruning them. Trying to win the war on that is such a hassle that it's really better not to cut them at all, you still get natural cracks and wounds that rot a bit but it never gets out of control. There's only way to get Apricots where I live, that's plant the tree and never go near it again. I have I guess 8 or 9 Apricot trees and it's only the el natural ones that are successful.

I'd prefer to not prune any stone fruit's but some like Cherries they just grow so fast and so big (and so attractive to birds) that you have to. With Apricots, they aren't that big of a tree so some of them can be netted without having to cut them. I'm 100% sure if you were going to do it you want to give yourself the longest possible time for the wounds to heal before the weather gets cold and wet

Time: 13th September 2010 3:14pm

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Original Post was last edited: 13th September 2010 3:16pm

About the Author Jason10
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Jantina says...
Maybe apricots handle pruning differently in different climates but certainly down here I avoid pruning apricots at all and if really necessary e.g. crossed branches, then do it in summer/autumn. I'm inclined to think that the worst results of apricot pruning happen when they are pruned severely and old wood is cut into. I know of 3 old apricot trees,all bearing heavily,beautiful apricots, one in Casterton and 2 in Harrow,(both in Vic) that were pruned heavily into old wood by well meaning new gardeners, the tree in Casterton took years to bear again and the ones in Harrow never bore again to my knowledge. Then there was the tree in Casterton, another beautiful apricot that was chopped down (despite my pleas)to make way for a Used Caryard!Aarrgh! That was more than 25 years ago, but it still hurts to think about it.

Time: 13th September 2010 4:00pm

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About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
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Julie says...
Jantina, I inherited two very old apricots and a plum (possibly Santa Rosa) when I moved here. They were cut back severely with a chain saw and have been fine ever since.

I guess climate might make a difference. These were done in winter in WA, when we usually have a lot of rain, and summers are hot and dry.

I give them a feed in spring, but they are never watered.



Time: 13th September 2010 7:31pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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allybanana says...
well shezza i gess that has answered your original question nice and simply LOL.

Time: 13th September 2010 9:25pm

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Brad says...
these might help
http://www.felco.com.au/felco/pages/news.page?dcr=\Web\News\data\au\2010%20New%20Felco%20Super%20Loppers

Time: 13th September 2010 10:12pm

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About the Author Brad2
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Brendan says...
Hi Jason,
Yeah, fair enough, there does seem to be a problem with pruning apricots in certain areas of Australia. (I googled these below, they might help? :-)


sezza, have a read of these links: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1326234.htm

http://www.indmowing.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=5909

Good luck! Now I know why apricots aren't cheap.

Time: 14th September 2010 7:00am

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About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
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amanda says...
Pete Cundall says this about apricots: ....(fruit) is formed on new growth from the previous year. Old wood does not carry fruit, so we prune the trees to stimulate new wood"

"Pruning takes place as soon as fruit has been picked"

He also says that winter pruning has all but been abandoned as a pruning practice. It encourges disease and the formation of non fruiting wood.

Which is logical when u think about it...the tree forms next years fruiting wood in summer and then you come along in winter - and chop it off!?

If you prune post harvest - you get the flush of new growth which is next years fruiting wood.


Time: 15th September 2010 12:38pm

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton Mid West WA
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. says...
There is a newer thread discussing the same topic in
https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/pruning-apricot/

PLEASE FORUM OVER THERE TO KEEP DISCUSSIONS IN ONE (1) PLACE.

THANKS !!

Time: 31st August 2011 2:33am

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