April 2020
These 3 trees hadn’t been pruned much or at all over time. The magnolia and crabapple hadn’t ever been done, and the MacIntosh hadn’t been done in 3 years at least.
The magnolia had leaned far to the south away from the catalpa that had always overshadowed it. The crabapple had a lot of dead branches I had taken off last summer. They all needed major work.
The pruning guy arrived here early Wednesday morning and set to work on the magnolia. He thinned the center out and then tried to balance the tree. He was restricted in how much he could remove this first time. But there were an awful lot of branches with buds on them in the pruning pile on the left.
The crabapple was next. It didn’t have as big a prunings pile. I have a motion sickness issue from the Lyme disease. Too much tipping my head to look up makes me nauseous. It was about this time I had to quit watching and go inside.
The MacIntosh was last and it didn’t seem as though he took as much off that tree as the others. He’d brought a puppy with him, inspecting under the ladder.
Her name was Riah and she’s a Siberian husky/German Shepherd cross. She’s about 2 months old and very friendly and smart. She tore around all morning, but when I came out with the camera, she had headed for the truck for a long nap.
Part way done
After lunch Gordon cut up the prunings. He was taking the crabapple and MacIntosh tips for making a berm at his farm. I kept the larger pieces for kindling and smoking. My intern and I cleaned up the magnolia prunings, saving kindling.
Magnolia finished
Crabapple finished
MacIntosh finished
Next year he will begin the shaping and setting the branches to drop lower with the weight of fruit, making them easier to harvest. They will never be very low, having been let go for decades.
He will come back the end of April and do the cherry trees, the peach, the Kousa dogwood, and all the elderberries.
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Yeah, those branches look very high up now. These old trees kind need their center kept open to prevent the thick trunk branches from being crowded. Do you ever get some suckers or water sprouts that grow in an area down low, where you might consider letting it thicken up for five years to replace a huge branch that is way too high to reach?
I will ask the pruning guy about that when he comes out to do the little trees...
This reminds me I need to nip some out of my cherry trees. I hacked my apple back a bit too much and too late last year and it didn't produce anything so I'm hoping it does this year. It's too tall so that I have to use a ladder to harvest the majority of it.
It's a big job, satisfying when it's done!
I love Riah...2 breeds that look great mixed into one perfect package. You found my soft sport for sure.
I love Riah...2 breeds that look great mixed into one perfect package. You found my soft sport for sure.
Nice pics!