A thin green line, visible when the bark is peeled back gently with a pocketknife, indicates a healthy branch and tissue. Areas of branches and the trunk that appear orangish-brown and scaly also are an indication of poor health. If the trunk and parts of the major limbs are hollow, efforts to save the tree will most likely be unsuccessful. Although much of the trunk and parts of the major limbs are nonfunctioning, they do provide structural strength to the entire tree. They should be reasonably sound and free from large areas of dead wood on which the bark has died. Should I prune or plant a new tree?Įxamine the trunk and butt ends of the major branches. Is the tree worth saving? Did it formerly bear unique fruit that was exceptionally good for fresh eating or canning? Is the tree structurally sound-do the trunk and main limbs seem capable of bearing a heavy load of fruit, or would they simply break when heavily laden? Is the tree in a suitable location or does it shade the garden or interfere with lawn mowing? Is it full of insects and diseases? These are among the most important issues one should consider before proceeding.
Several questions should be answered before an attempt is made to rejuvenate an old tree. It is easier to cut a peach tree down and plant a new tree.
Peaches and nectarines are not recommended for renovation and are not considered here. Cherries also can be renovated, but to a lesser degree and with less success. Apple and pear trees are most easily renovated. The primary means of renovating older trees is through judicious and properly selected pruning cuts.
In many cases, these old trees can be brought back to a more manageable state. These, too, if they have been neglected, are large and difficult to maintain. In other instances, people move into old farmhouses where trees were planted 30 or 40 years ago. If the owner did not properly care for the trees, the results are large, ungainly giants that are completely out of control and are an unsightly mess. Many people move to new homes where the previous owners had planted fruit trees.
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