Art, you don't open up trees like I described unless they are peach or in
the peach family. Apple, cherry, pear, plum, Etc. are pruned differently.
Everything is about the same, except opening them up to the sun. Since you
have all new trees you have the perfect situation. You have a long time to
get them into shape and don't have to do it all in one year.

I am not sure about cherry, plum or pear, but apples grow on two year old
wood. They also should be shaped so they look nice and somewhat resemble
the traditional Christmas tree (long limbs on the bottom and progressively
getting shorter as you go up). The plum trees I have seen haven't looked
that way.

Now is the time for you to learn about insects and other things that will
kill your trees. Peach tree borers and hard to control, and will go after
your peach and sweet cherry trees. I am nut sure about plums, but haven't
had any sign of them around apples.

Depending on where you are, winter time is when deer and rabbits eat your
small trees. By then you should have chicken wire up around the trees to
keep out rabbits. Cant tell you about what to do for deer.

Have fun. Dwayne


"Art Salmons" wrote in message
om...
Polar wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:06:14 -0700, "Dwayne" wrote:

I went by the local peach orchard yesterday and looked at their trees
and they have the center trunk pruned off about 30 to 36 inches from
the ground. From there the branches seem to come out and go up forming
a cup like shape. I don't need to have this shape unless it's
neccessary or better. The trees right now have a nice shape that will
need some pruning to open it up. They will need some training to get
the branches straighter out from the trunk. These are really nice
trees and are really healthy and doing well. I will wait until next
spring before the trees bud or push leaves to do the pruning.

I also planted 2 other peach trees and they are already cut into the
nore traditional shape shown in the book. They are a Georgia Belle and
a Hale Haven.

I also planted 5 Apple trees and 3 Cherry trees. The Cherry trees are
a Stella, Bing, and a Black Tartarian. The Apple trees are 2 Granny
Smith, 1 Yellow Delicious, 1 Stayman Winesap, and 1 Jonathan. The book
I'm using as a reference is the "The Backyard Orchardist" by Stella
Otto. These are the first fruit trees that we ever had so I'm really
new at this and I appreciate the help.

Thanks, Art

Don't do it now. It has to be done when the trees are dormant. I
wouldn't
cut the main trunk as instructed in the book, unless the tree is really
badly shaped (bent over to one side, all the branches on one side, or
growing crooked).




Peaches, apricots, and nectarines need sun to be able to shine on the
center
of the tree. I prune mine to open it up on the south side. I remove
any
branches that grow straight up, toward the center, down, or toward
another
branch. You must take off all dead wood also. Cut above a bud that is
facing the direction you want the tree to go. Cut at an angle so water
will
run off and not set on the limb end exposed by pruning. I live in
Kansas
and prune mine anywhere from December to March.

Your trees will form their buds for next year during the winter.
Peaches
form on new wood, so you can prune it a lot if you need to.

Note that the "new wood" has a reddish cast, so easy to distinguish
from last year's wood.



I look at my trees and imagine what I want them to look like in 20
years,
and then start pruning them to form that shape.



Have fun. Dwayne


"Art Salmons" wrote in message
. com...
"Tiffany" wrote in message
.. .
hello does anyone have any good information on Pruning Fruit Trees?
thanks

I need advice on pruning 2 super sweet Peach trees. I bought them
from
Lowes and they are already in bloom and the leaves are coming out all
over the tree. According to the book I bought on fruit trees, I'm
suppose to prune this tree by cutting off the main trunk 30 inches
off
of the ground and then cutting back the branches in a cup shape. My
question is it too late to do that this year and should I wait until
next spring. I don't want to kill the 2 of them by such a severve
pruning if it's the wrong time.

Thanks,

Art Salmons