Slash and burn

[cardinalsin]

Yesterday, instead of[*] my usual lazing around, I completed my first gardening task of 2007: pruning the fruit trees

Comments

[sea_of_flame]

to allow air to circulate (the air factor sounds a bit like voodoo witch-doctor nonsense to me, but who am I to argue with the experts).

I'd guess that it encourages plenty of movement of air for wind-pollinated species, or easily-navigable routes for flying insects for insect-pollinated types...?

Fruit trees are odd beasties - even beyond the male/female trees thing, some need to have other varieties to pollinate them, rather than self-pollinating, so if yours has stopped fruiting, it could in fact just mean that one of your neighbours has chopped down THEIR fruit tree!

[cardinalsin]

I think that only applies to the pear trees, and believe that's why we have two right next to each other.

In fact thinking about it I'm almost 100% sure of that, because although we got a really crappy crop last year, ISTR we did get some fruit from all four trees.

Think you're probably right about insects - also the air thing may have something to do with tree diseases, though again it all sounds a bit voodoo for my liking.

[chris1234]

We had problems with lots of buglets on Pip's cherry tree which were stopping it from fruiting... might be relevant?

[cardinalsin]

I haven't noticed any disease or insects to be concerned about. How did you spot yours?

[chris1234]

Some of the leaves were sort of curled up, and inside were loads of black flying things, but I think they only become obvious in certain months (only mature into winged mini-daemons in late summer). Probably depends on the bug.

[cardinalsin]

Oh, sounds a bit like what happened to our bay tree. Will look out for it, thanks!

[undyingking]

It's worth pruning buddleia back to the stump every year, even if it's not engulfing anything. Otherwise you get this tall bush with all the flowers and butterflies at the top where you can't see them, and a load of messy brown stalks at eye level.

[cardinalsin]

Thanks for the tip! I need to consult the neghbours on this one as it kind of straddles the boundary between our gardens...

[emvicw]

Definitely - just what I was going to say... my green-fingered mum came round last weekend and commanded me to chop my buddleia to my hearts content - BUT NEVER PRUNE TILL THE FROSTS ARE PAST!! (too late....)

Also, is "going biannual" the plant equivalent to "going postal"?

[cardinalsin]

I think it might be more like the plant equivalent of going part time ;o)

[jakemalone]

Buddleia can be a menace if you let it, it grows really fast and takes over. I would consider uprooting the blighter and burning it >:)

[emvicw]

But it brings in the li'l butterflies!!! :-)

[cardinalsin]

Hurray for butterflies! (and bees).

[emvicw]

No. Not bees. I'm allergic.

Yay butterflies!!

[frax]

One is a William Pear and the other a conference and they do pollinate each other - I checked.