Fruit Trees
Since we bought the land I have wanted to sort and prune the fruit trees which have not been tended to for some years. I never got around to it at the last house but was determined to do it here.
They need reducing in height and thinning out to give new shoots the space to grow and produce fruit.
I started with the smaller cherry tree. Here are the before and after pictures.
I then attacked the apple tree that was growing at an angle due to some previous trauma. I had already cut it back last year to reduce the stress on the trunk. I now have new, vertical branches rising from the tree base to select from. This should eventually provide a new main trunk to better balance it in the future.
Next I attacked the mirabel plum tree that was growing into the large cherry tree. I cut back some cherry branches to separate them then severely trimmed the plum.
Finally, I pruned the pear tree, reducing its height significantly. I was not able to cut the main trunk with my small hand saw so will have to come back to it next week.
All that remains now are the large cherry and the large apple tree that is growing into a shared space with the cedar. I need to get it finished this week as the trees are budding and I do not want to cut them if they progress too far. They are both large so I will have to trim them over a two year cycle to reduce the shock.
UPDATE Monday
First thing I finished cutting the pear tree.
Looks a bit sorry for itself but once the leaves arrive, it should be fine.