A Pitiful Beginning
You may have caught on from earlier posts, (see “The History of Our Garden” series to get caught up on our garden’s history!) we started out trying to force our will upon our ground. Trees were cut down, brambles mowed over without a thought of what they may actually be or what beneficials they may attract.
There was always this strange, bush-like tree growing near the back of our used ground. It was nestled in a patch of thorns and thistles and grew safely there for many years. Finally, about 3 years ago it bloomed and grew several feet in one year. Imagine my surprise when this ugly bush I frowned at daily turned out to be a misshapen apple tree! It produced beautiful green apples that year (that went to waste, as I was running around wearing my first baby. Apple picking was the last thing on my mind.)
So it was, that wild apple tree has earned a spot in my ‘design’ for our property. We have yet to enjoy any of it’s fruit, but it has been a harbor for many bird nests, praying mantis cocoons, and snacks for our meat rabbits.
The Plan
Let me preface this with, I am not an arborist. I have no training in proper fruit tree care. I am simply a mom who has been shaping sapling trees for the past few years and am attempting to make this tree beneficial for us.
My vision for this tree this year is to take off about 30% of what’s currently there. Too little and I’ll waste another growing year, too much and I could weaken it and allows disease to come in. At some point during it’s growth, I think it may have been cutdown which produced all of these multiple trunks. This doesn’t allow good airflow or light to reach all the way through the tree.
Paul Gautschi prunes his trees to match what can benefit him the best. His unconventional style of pruning has allowed his trees to produce an incredible amount of apples. The key is to start from the inside and work out when you’re trying to reshape and manage the tree. (Funny, isn’t that what we should do for ourselves when we’re a mess, too? Oh, the things God teaches us when we’re in the garden.)
These photos are some we took while visiting the original Back to Eden garden. He keeps his trees pruned low to have easy access while picking. There is still so much to learn! YouTube has videos available with Gautschi describing his pruning method, and I need to watch more. He makes fruit tree pruning into an art.
I fully realize our Rogue Apple is far beyond the point where with will bow gracefully like the trees of Paul’s, but I do hope to encourage it to bear fruit and to be easier to pick when harvest season comes.
Taming the Tree
Evaluate, make a cut. Re-evaluate, make another cut. Repeat.
I know some of the hight will need to be taken off. My biggest concern were some of the heavily crossed branches.
With traditional apple tree pruning, it’s said to leave a “central leader”. Allowing one main trunk to continue growing upward and selectively managing the branches that come off of it. This tree has at least FOUR MILLION.
I removed the large pieces that crossed heavily, one of the upward growths, and made sure to leave any branches that had praying mantis cocoons on them. #SavetheBeneficialInsects
A lot of work that needs done but it’s definitely more open. Hopefully more vertical branches will shoot out this year allowing more to work with.
What I Use
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Today I used the Fiskars Compact Extendible Saw. I was quite pleased with how it worked. The only downside is it only extends to 8′. Next pruning session, a 14′ extend pruner will be used.
Several thin and lower branches were removed with a Fiskars 15″ pruning saw.
For our other apple trees (whose branches are still very thin) I use Fiskars pruning shears.
