Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Pruning Young & Older Apple Trees

   Whenever the weather is warm enough in February, I'm out pruning apple trees.  This past Saturday was perfect pruning weather, so our worker Ben Miller and I started lowering our 13-year-old 'Enterprise' apple trees with pneumatic pole loppers.
Ben Miller (pictured) and I started lowering our 'Enterprise' apple trees with pneumatic pole loppers, powered by the blue air compressor on the tractor at left.   The apple tree to the right of Ben was pruned already; we're lowering the 13-year-old trees by 3 to 4 feet.
   Pruning of young trees goes much faster, and requires only hand pruners and hand loppers.  I prune young apple trees to a central leader, and remove narrrow-angled branches and branches that are too dense or cross other branches.  I also remove branches arising too low or high on the trunk.  Then I head back the central leader and the remaining side branches.
This 2-year-old apple tree, before pruning, is too tall and has some narrrow-angled branches and branches that are too dense or cross other branches.
The same tree after pruning has excess branches removed, and the central leader and the remaining side branches headed back.

  We still have many harvested 'GoldRush' apples, both #1's and #2's, for sale for the next 3 months or so.  We also have some #1 'Scarlett O'Hara' apples for sale for the next month or so (until they sell out).  We've now sold out of #1 'Enterprise' apples and have almost sold out of #2 'Enterprise' apples.  Harvested apples are kept in top condition in our cooler, which is now down to about 45% full with 2000 pounds of apples.  We also have cracked 'Kanza' pecans for sale for the next 2 months or so.  Scroll down 2 posts for prices.
Our #2 'GoldRush' apples, and the few remaining #2 'Enterprise' apples, are great in salads such as this Apple Cherry Pecan Salad that I made for a church dinner last Friday.
   From Dec. 1 to May 31 we're open by appointment, so call 620-597-2450 (which rings in the house) a day or so ahead (or at least a few hours ahead), and leave a message saying when you're coming to get apples and/or pecans.  If you drop by on a nice day and I don't see you come in, since I'm working elsewhere on the farm, ring the bell on the sales building.  If it's very cold or raining or snowing and I'm not in the sales building, phone 620-597-2450 or come up to the house.