Dr Kanner
I'd encourage you to consider joining the Massachusetts Fruit Growers
Association.
http://www.massfruitgrowers.org/membershiprenewal
Dues are only $200/year and you will receive a wealth of information
by attending educational sessions they sponsor along with the
Extension service. The just completed winter meeting saw over 100
attend and included and afternoon of orchard pruning demonstration at
the Belchertown UMass research orchard which the association donated
to the University years ago. You will be contributing to support
local research and enable a voice to promote the interests of fruit
growers in Massachusetts.
Give it a look. It's a good investment.
Maurice Tougas
Tougas Family Farm
Northborough, MA 01532
www.TougasFarm.com
On Feb 22, 2009, at 11:03 AM, <dmnor...@royaloakfarmorchard.com>
<dmnor...@royaloakfarmorchard.com> wrote:
Steven,
I don't know if you were looking to purchase a video, but I do have
a video by Gary Moulton that is one of the best I have seen on all
aspects of pruning, including the pruning of open center trees.
It's available on my blog at http://
www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com. I hope this helps!
Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
Office (815) 648-4467
Mobile (815) 228-2174
Fax (609) 228-2174
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Steven R. Kanner, MD
To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:15 AM
Subject: Apple-Crop: Pruning established open-center apple trees
I have a small 3-acre orchard, half of which are long-established
red spy and McIntosh, which I have rehabbed reasonably well over
the past 6 years.
I could use advice on pruning the larger open-center trees,
especially what to do on the top scaffold limbs. How many of the
suckers to eliminate, how to stop telephone-pole development and so
forth.
There is an excellent peach-pruning video on the UMass Fruit
Advisor which greatly clarifies the strategy for pruning peach
trees. There is also a good one on central leader apples on short
root-stock.
Can someone point me to a comparable video, or clear written
advice, to deal with the pruning strategy for the heirloom open-
center trees, especially the top level of the canopy? Thanks.
Regards,
SRK
Steven R. Kanner, MD
12 Bypass Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
srkanne...@post.harvard.edu
