Lorrette style summer pruning-1

Louis Lorette developed and described a style of pruning in which a lot of the new growth was removed in summer. Sounds weird, but it works. Like I said earlier, each year we should see new extension growth of leaders and laterals, fruit bud formation on 1 year old and older leaders and laterals, and actual fruit on previously produced and ripened fruit buds, BUT keeping these in balance does not mean we see these three features in the same proportion every year.

I can't totally explain the whole thing, and don't claim to follow the Lorette method rigourously (probably nobody does, just adapts the principles to their settting) but these 2 vids give an idea of what I do for my trees in the summer when they are making too much new vegetative growth.

the mature tree may need to have new growth removed to prevent it becomeing too dense, to allow light (and spray) to penetrate, and to prevent the tree growing too high or too wide. This is accomplished by summer pruning, IF NECESSARY. It will not always be necessary, you have to make a judgment.

these trees (Egremont Russet) have filled the space available for them but are still growing bigger. I therefore summer prune them, cutting back whwere necessary to reduce the amoutn of new growth, favouring fruit bud and fruit. Most cuts are either thinning out overcrowded wood, or cutting back too-tall new growth, usually back to the last fruit bud on the previous year's gropwth (see next video for this). This opens out the tree, and although quite a few leaves are removed, very little mature wood and possible no fruit buds or fruit.

This style of summer pruning is irrelevant to the big old 'architectural' tree that you sit under the shade of in your garden, but is absolutely essential if you are managing a very restricted form of fruit tree such as cordon, espalier, fan or dwarf pyramid.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• summer
• pruning
• lorette
• fruit
• bud
• cordon
• espalier
• fan
• pyramid
• dwarf
• orchard
• apple
• fruitwise
• stephen
• hayes

[thecompostpope]

Thanks Stephen for a great set of videos I now know how my established espalier apple and pear on my new allotment SHOULD have been pruned last year!! I don't know how to remedy the situation though - I have lots of long straight shoots at present and none of the spur systems I read about in my books... should I cut back all of these shoots to the established architecture of the tree now? or will it stress the tree and cause too much growth this year???

Regards, and Happy New Year!!

[stephenhayesuk]

greetings. There is always a way back as long as the tree is healthy, but depending on how far the tree has departed from the ideal, getting back to the ideal may take 2 or even 3 years.

Establishing an espalier involves 2 things

-first, get the 'scaffold' or basic architecture of the tree right. Ideally, start with a young 'maiden' and remove unwanted growth and tie in wanted growth. Winter work

secondly, develop and maintain fruiting spur systems by summer pruning. I have tried -->

[stephenhayesuk]

--> I have tried to show in these 2 videos the basic principles of summer pruning. If you have too many vigorous straight growths, cut them back to about 1 or 2 inches, make the cut just above a bud, or tie them down. Some of the old books talk about a technique called 'festooning'. This involves bending upright growths round in a circle and tying them down. This reduces their vigour and causes them to produce fruit spurs. Horizintal growth produces more fruit spurs than upright growth.

[FLORINOID]

i will plant some trees in 2011 on 0.80 ha and i was planning to have espalier .will that be better productivity than normal free standing tree ?(its gona be my full time job.) thanks stephen. !( florin.)

[stephenhayesuk]

I don't want to give advice about a big investment for you. Espaliers are mainly decorative, not commercial-too much work.

For maximum commercial productivity on 0.8 ha you will probably do best and quickest with dwarf spindlebush or pyramid trees on post and wire. But I am writing for backyard and amateur growers. This is not my full time job. You might consider getting a subscription th Fruit Grower magazine and look up 'concept orchard' and spindlebush and hedgerow apple production.

[thecompostpope]

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my query, I'm sure you have other things you could be doing!

I understand from your reply that I should cut the vigorous straight shoots back, but should I do it now or later in the year? and can I do them all at once? Incidently, some of them are about an inch thick.

Once again, thanks for your time. I live in Switzerland so do not have access to a library or well stocked bookshops.

[MAMEMAN1975]

Thanks for the info Stephen

[DamonBKnox]

Appreciate the explanation.

[ouTxTuo]

really nice five stars!

[MadBadVoodo]

Five Stars!!