Well, my crabapple bloomed for Passover, and was lovely for
about a week. Now
it is all over the place, & I am unclear about what to do next.
The books don't
always tell you what to do right now. Should I prune now or let
it run until
the fall? I know there are a few new branches that need wiring,
if I can find
them. There are also a couple of branches which need more
growth, but most of
them are big enough & just need more twigging. Any suggestions?
Should I
defoliate it?

Here's what Dirr has to say about crabapple (aside from lamenting
about how disease prone they are -- and noting that the Asiatic
forms are more disease resistant than the North American forms)
pruning:

"Generally crabapples require little pruning, but if any is done
it should be completed before early June. Most crabapples
institute flower buds for the next season in mid-June to early
July, and pruning after this time would result in decreased
flower production the following year. Pruning may be done,
however, to remove sucker growth, open up the center of the plant
to light and air, to cut off out-of-place branches and shape the
tree."

Best I can say about defoliation, however, is that I defoliate my
pear bonsai and they're closely related. You might try a partial
defoliation and do it over the course of a couple of years.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

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