The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-01-30
Pruning Fruit Trees
Requires Proper
Care, Agent Says


week reminds farmers that this j:
the season for pruning fruit trees
He says, "Young plants r pruned
to obtain desirable shape while olde.
trees are pruned for production OF
quality fruit. Regular pruning eli
inmates the need for severe prun
ing"
To get the best results from
pruning, County Agent Carson sug.
gests that peaches and plums trained
to be modified leader system instead
of the formerly recommended open
center system make stronger, more
vigorous and more productive trees
In this system 3 to 5 main ~scaffold
branches r spaced 6 to 8 inches a.
part on the trunk Of the young tree
with the lowest limb about Is inche.
from the ground.
Small "June bud" peach trees vii
not require any pruning when sci
out while larger trees should BIZ
headed at a height of 80 to sc
inches and the lateral branches GU.
back to 2 buds.
After growth begins in the spring
select branches to form the scaffolt
of the tree and remove all othcl
branches and shoots as they develop
When the scaffold limbs are 20 to q
inches long, cut off the tips to en-
courage the formation of secondar,
branches.
Pruning of l and 2-year old tree.
during the dormant season consist
mainly of thinning out the smallc,
branches and moderately cuttin(
back the larger branches just abov,
an outside branch or bud.
Apples and pears are trained SINH
iarly to peaches except that they ar,
allowed to develop a more natura
shape and form 6 to 8 main scaffol.
limbs. Small trees usually will no
require any cutting back while large.
ones should be headed at a height O.
AZ to 48 inches when set out. Tn,
lowest scaffold limb should be a
least "a inches from the ground.
Bearing trees which have beef
properly trained while young :,
form the desired frame work an,
shape will need only light annua
pruning. For the first few years af
ter the trees begin bearing, tht
pruning should consist Of a Ign
thinning of the branches, removed O,
any dead, diseased or crossing bran
ches and a moderate heading back oil
the larger branches.
Older trees will require heavie,
pruning to stimulate the production
of new fruiting shoots and to main.
tain a well balanced tree. Use sharf
pruning shears and saw to make
smooth cuts just above an outside
branch or bud.
Grapes require more severe prun
ing than other fruits in order to
maintain the vigor of the plant and
insure regular crops of high quality
fruit. Bunch grapes should be pruned
so as to leave 4 of the new canes
each year. Select the canes which
have been produced as close to the
main trunk as possible and remove
all other wood.
The canes left should be pruned
back so as to leave from 8 to Is
buds on each cane, depending on the
vigor Of the plant. Muscadine grapes
r pruned differently. from the
bunch grapes in that the canes or
arms OF the trellis are not renewed
each year and 8 instead of 4 canes
are left.
These arms are cut back to a
length Of 4 to 8 feet, depending on
the vigor of the vine. The one
year old canes growing from these
arms or older canes are cut back to
2 to 4 buds. Train bunch grapes on
a 2-wire trellis and muscadine grapes
on a 4-wire trellis.
The Mississippi Experiment Sta
ton Bulleton No. $50, "Home Or
chards in Mississippi" describes
more fully and shows pictures Of
the different ~prunin0 practieor