Or rather, past time. We had a tremendous amount of rain during May and June, and into July, and the fruit trees put on new growth to the tune of 2 or 3 feet. Long, delicate branches with bright green leaves that begged for a good haircut, but I just can’t bring myself to prune damp fruit stock. An open wound on damp wood is vulnerable to the same infections as a wound on skin and wet tools spread disease easily from branch to branch and tree to tree. Then came the drought.
It hasn’t really rained on the island since mid August. The ground is hard, the new growth brittle and undernourished. It’s way past time to relieve the trees of their spring abundance.
I use 
a small pair of Felco pruners (red handled), a huge, heavy set of loppers , a Fiskars graphite handled pruner and, not in the picture, a Japanese pruning bow saw with tiny, fine teeth that cuts on the pull stroke. It’s perfect for making cuts on branches over 1 and 1/2 inches (too big for the loppers) even over my head. Of course, I try to prune with prevention in mind – I don’t like cutting huge branches off my fruit trees.
So first: remove all the vertical growth. Not really a problem with my Russian crab or the Blue Permaine apple, but an addictive habit of the sour cherry tree. Second: remove all the growth that crosses another branch, or the trunk. Third, repeat until one can throw a cat through the branches. A live cat. Safely.
Always clean your tools between trees – or even between cuts if working on an isolated infection on a particular tree. I use isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag, and then oil them thoroughly at the end of the session. I carry sanitizing wipes in a plastic bag for emergency cleaning – if I’ve made a mess in the field and can’t return to the hoop house right away.
Here’s the Stanley plum, pruned to an open vase shape. Sadly, I don’t have a “before” picture, but the refuse filled two wheelbarrows. I started the work a week ago, and there is already new growth on the oldest cuts.
Next post – before and after pictures of the sour cherry tree.
Tags: garden, orchard fruit, pruning