Fruit Tree Pruning, Introduction

Pruning Introduction

This is the first of two articles on fruit tree pruning. The second one is linked below. You can also get to it through the "Next Article" link above and below this article.

Pruning Organically

Some organic gardeners feel that pruning is an abuse of nature. That is like saying that discipline is child abuse. God told Adam and Eve to have dominion over creation. Some people have misinterpreted those words to give themselves license to abuse creation. I have been a student of the Bible all my life, and I have always understood this passage to mean that we are to look after the world like the creator would if he were doing it in person. I consider myself a caretaker placed in my spot of this earth by the creator to carry on his creative and nurturing work.

Hibernating Trees

Today's article deals only with trees which need to be pruned in their dormant state. In my part of the world, those are mainly fruit trees. When the soil is frozen solid, there is no transfer of nutrients between soil and tree, and the tree simply hibernates until the soil thaws out. That is the time when fruit trees get pruned. I have many of them in my garden and on my hobby farm, and I am grateful for the chance to do winter pruning. Prairie summers are short and hectic, and I prefer to spend my time planting trees rather than having to fuss with them.

Rose Family Fruit Trees

When I talk about fruit trees, I mean the ones which grow in Manitoba, and those are all members of the rose family. I know nothing about any other type of fruit tree because I have never gardened in a climate where they can be grown outdoors. Fruit trees have one purpose in life, and that is to produce fruit. I have no use for flowering crabapples which are quite popular around here. They are hardy in the coldest winters, but they are only beautiful to look at for a couple of weeks while in bloom. In autumn, the rotting fruit falls on the ground for the robins to get drunk on, and believe me, they do. Those birds love the fruit, but their system cannot deal with it when it is partially fermented. Even humans get sick with half finished wine. That is what the Bible means when it talks about getting drunk on new wine.

The copyright of the article Fruit Tree Pruning, Introduction in Organic Gardens is owned by Traute Klein, biogardener. Permission to republish Fruit Tree Pruning, Introduction in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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