Your ShelfYour Projects

The Pruning Season

33%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · May 12, 1904

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 19.

Read the full edition

The Pruning Season

THERE are two principal seasons of pruning with us. The first of these we would call the dormant pruning, because it is undertaken at some time while the trees are dormant. The second we would call the summer pruning. That which most persons have in mind, and which is commonly practised on all fruit-trees, as well as shade and ornamental trees, comes in the first category. Probably ninety-five per cent of all the pruning done by the most successful fruit-men of the country, is done during the late fall, during open periods of the winter, or in the spring before growth starts. In our judgment, it is largely a matter of convenience. The fall season and warm weather during the winter furnish favorable opportunity, because during that time the other farm work is less pressing. However, in cold climates particularly we have seen some damage result from fall pruning. This is because the pruned portion dries out, and because it also freezes all cracks more or less. Late spring pruning is sometimes equally objectionable, because the wound is apt to bleed. Unless the pruning is done at exactly the wrong time, however,—that is to say, just at the season when growth is fairly started,—this bleeding will not be excessive, and will cause no injury to the tree.
We might summarize this discussion by saying that the common pruning which is given to fruit-trees can be carried out at any time during open weather in the winter or early in the spring, the earlier in the spring the better. We have practised pruning in June, and have found it highly satisfactory. The pruning which we do in summer, usually in June, is of another character altogether. At that period we cut only the growing shoots, not removing any of the old wood, except in very special cases. This summer pruning is intended to stop overvigorous growth, to let in light for the coloring of the fruit, and to promote the ripening of the fruit-buds.—Country Gentleman.