Fruit (stick) Trees

[WVROOKIE]

I recently purchased some fruit trees from the arbor day foundation.I planted them, mulched them put cages around them(deer)they are just 2-3 foot sticks with leaves on them,( some just on the bottom of the stick) my question is....should i prune them or let them go for a few years...do I need to spray them?so basically im asking...what do I do or DON'T DO....I have apples, plum's, peaches and cherry trees.thanks all in advance for your advice...by the way...im in West Virginia and we do have "winter's" so should i cover the seedling trees this winter?

 

[jimmyq]

I would let them go until the winter, after winter starts to subside, prune to establish a few main branches, pinch off excess shoots developing at the trunk and remove the small one year old branches that are unnecessary.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Wish I had my photo up on my site of mine - that will be in about 5 weeks.

I got mine at 4'. After 2 seasons, it is up to about 15' tall and about 3' wide at the base, slightly tapering upward - a narrow pyramidal form.

Unless you have a multi-graft, go with a single leader, and evenly space limbs - slighly longer down below, and shorter toward the top.

That's why its better to have one variety on a tree than several.

Narrow at the top, single leader, gets the best light and air circulation for the tree and for the fruit.

Also, thin about 10% for light and control each month if its a home garden.

My trees only need 5 minutes of pruning each come December.

The old umbrella trees are examples of poor pruning - They became overgrown, moist inside in the spring, which promoted fungus that "fried" the inside. Then that crud was cut out, leaving higher, wide sprawling branches. ( Repeat the neglect, and viola, each year is a bigger, higher umbrella.

Always prune at least once a year. If a little each month, the tree can be held to the form mentioned at the top for decades.