I pruned it in mid winter, it is pretty old and I want to rejuvenate it.
Size wise it blocked several other trees and most of the fruit was hard to
collect. I know it will be some time before it fruits again
I just wnat to know if there is a trick to removing the many many new
straight shoots which are now all over the tree, to encourage a return to a
reasonable shape and thence more accessible fruit. The tree was much too
large to tie branches down, but I will do this in the future...
love and peace
SyrianPrince
"Loosecanon" wrote in message
...

"SyrianPrince" wrote in message
...
Last winter I very heavily pruned a very old plum tree, to leave 4 or 5
large diameter (6 inches)shortened limbs. Come spring, it's resprouted in
many places. I know I should remove shoots obviously in the wrong place,
inward growing, crossing etc but I would like some help about which
shoots I should remove to train to become new branches. There are heaps
around the cuts I made, but none seem like obvious keepers at this
stage... is it just a matter of removing most? and should these
themselves be pruned? if so when? All shoots are basically aiming
strongly and straightly skyward..
love and peace
SyrianPrince


A gardening customer had a green street clean up in February and called me
over. He wanted his plum tree to be pruned. The tree is huge and has 3
grafts on it of different plums. He has never been happy with it. I told
him it was the wrong time to prune but he insisted I do it. Even though I
cut out most of the centre growth and left plenty of fruiting spurs it
only had a handfull of flowers. On the other hand the leaves that have
returned are nice and green and now plenty of light and air gets to the
centre of the tree. Hopefully next year a bumper crop.

I have seen people tie branches down on fruit trees this encourages more
flowering and bigger fruit. Perhaps you could do that with some of the
branches. Then the fruit is at a picking height. Rather than some long
water shoot that has gone to the sky which you need a cherrypicker to get
access to pick fruit.

My customer is lamenting his decision to prune now as he will get no fruit
this year. he also believes that grafted trees with several varieties are
a waste of time.