Winter Pruning

Tom Spellman of Dave WIlson Nursery makes pruning look easy. Because it is.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• fruit
• tree
• pruning
• dave
• wilson
• nursery
• tom
• spellman
• gardening

[WishingDreamer08]

i got a small question. was there a 4th video while this tree had fruit on it or was this the 4th video? I wanted to see how nice the how nice the fruit production was.

[DaveWilsonTrees]

@WishingDreamer08 No, this is a stand alone video. Our old demo area is almost 20 years old, and in a field up for rotation. We have just planted a new demo area that is not in a field that will have to be taken out for rotation.

[littlepuppet69]

Tom, this is incredibly useful and informative. However, it contradicts many of the pruning videos on youtube. Almost all of them espouse winter pruning when the tree is dormant -- especially if you are hard-pruning. The logic being that the tree is dormant and less susceptible to injury from hard pruning. Can I hard prune in the summer? What's the advantage of summer vs winter pruning? I live in Sherman Oaks, CA.

George

[DaveWilsonTrees]

@littlepuppet69 Trees do not need to be dormant to prune. I did a survey with over a dozen commercial growers and asked them two questions. #1 "When do you prune your trees?" All answered the same. " Winter" Question #2 "Why do you winter prune?"" Because that's when we have time" Many commercial growers are now summer pruning especially stone fruits as they heal more rapidly and are less susceptible to disease during growing season. Trends change as knowledge changes. Pruning is a good example.

[brucegoren]

Enjoyed your pruning video. in answer to your hypothetical question, the reason i don't summer prune my plums is because here in San Francisco, summer pruning my plums after harvest stimulates a second/premature flowering which does not result in usable fruit.

[DaveWilsonTrees]

@brucegoren Use that information as a guide and don't summer prune early in the season. Prune in late August or early September. Summer bloom is common all over the southwest but it usually is only a very small percentage of flower and I just blast mine off with my hose and a high pressure nozzle. Do not let summer bloom fruit remain on the tree and its not an issue.

[binaryg]

Your pruning videos are so informative. Thanks.

[ToolsnFire]

@brucegoren fall blooms happen a little on many plums even if not pruned here in San DIego

[eliteagle75]

Exellent video, I like the way it was presented. Thanks, I will do a better job in the summer. My plum tree and peach tree have grown out of control. I will fix this by the summer.

[littlepuppet69]

Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate the enlightening answer. I will prune this summer vigorously and without fear.

[theafrodude22]

very nice video, you explained the concepts very well about size control and open in the center to have the sun and air and humans being able to reach every branch and cutting the vigor branches that do not have buds on them with the dead wood and leave an extended branch nub so the tree will heal better. very well done. : )

[DaveWilsonTrees]

@YttriumNitrate Customize your pruning schedule to fit your needs. If you have personally experienced problems at certain times of the year then avoid those times. If you have just read about it but not experienced it then it may not be an issue at all. If your sure its a problem work around it and prune late.